Question -- social media

[3Liter]

Of the 5 guys in my band, I'm the most social media connected. I find subs, where other bands are playing for places that we might approach and general networking. Our two singers are minimally SM connected but not really. Drummer and bass player have no presence. Bass player is a pro musician in a different market space and doesn't even have a phone capable of group texts.

Who do you think has pulled in the most gigs?

It's a valuable tool if used correctly. If I ever set up a new band (this one I joined) I will make sure members are well connected to other musicians and people that will come support.

 

[40Hz]

7) Just because people put up Too Much Information about themselves doesn't mean you have to. Zuckerberg knows only what I let him know.

Up to a point. However, everything you do on FB is monitored. And a lot if it is publicly visible. So just because you're not sharing your personal info that much doesn't mean that a friend can't - or won't. Many times it happens innocently or carelessly, but also sometimes when a spat breaks out. I've seen a lot of very personal info flung around when the fur starts flying in my sister's FB circle.

First rule of the Internet - it was originally intended as a network designed to survive a nuclear attack. So once something is out there, it's out there forever. You can delete data, put so-called privacy locks on it, or try to hide it. But most times anything you do is recoverable. And when it's not, there's always traces left behind. This is not paranoia by the way. This is the natural result of good network design. The only totally secure and private network is the one that's never switched on.

 

[KickingBass]

Ime it's a big help. I've seen bands that were decent but had a member that had a huge following and was very popular on Facebook get a lot of attention for his band. Being active online with lots of friends means that they're more likely to see your bands page which translates to likes for the page. To be honest, the more likes on your page, the more people seem to pay attention.
There's a big generational divide though. If I'm looking up a band on Facebook and don't see them, I kinda wonder if they're really a serious band or not. That's just the age we're living in. The older less tech savvy folks may not think so but as a young person I'm telling you how other young people could be seeing things. Now if your target audience is still using cassette players and snail mail to keep in touch with friends, your priorities and audience will be different.

 

[Ekulati]

Every gig I invite my FB quota of 50 friends......every gig maybe 1 or 2 will show up (usually the same guy(s)).

This. My experience too, I gave up doing the 100+ friends FB invites because it was a miniscule return on my time investment. Maybe your demographic affects this, as I'm an old guy with kids so most of my FB friends are also. Well except for the other musicians and they also don't come out!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Posers.

LE and other occupations are encouraged to keep a lopro on line, for just the reasons the OP said. Its all about safety. If that band can't respect THAT, you're just as well off without them.
IMHO, of course.

If they are relying on FB, etc., to draw people, well, again IMHO, perhaps they ought to expand their own stuff. A band pic with you in it is not a huge risk, nor is a brief but intentionally vague bio about the "new bass player."

^This^

I have an account and have quite a few local friends and post songs I sing there, but I've found I'm going there less and less. My fingers and singing get me hired.

Good that you're looking elsewhere. You don't need a band who won't hire you because of that anyway.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I do not have and will NEVER have a Facebook page. Here's why:

1. I simply do not give a **** about the minutia of everybody's lives.
2. I'm not a narcissist who needs a continuous stream of likes or other affirmation to stoke my sense of self-worth.
3. I don't have any use for the drama that comes with Facebook.
4. I don't have total control over how my info is used.
5. My life is my business, not for public scrutiny.
6. I'm not paid for my time or my info.

Band doesn't want me because of it? Their loss.

"Liked" your post.
Sorry, couldn't resist...

 

[guy n. cognito]

My presence or lack of it on social media has nothing to do with my musical ability. End of discussion.

Only if you're playing jazz, friend.....

 

[guy n. cognito]

I'm sure the band assumes that the only way they can get people to gigs is to utilize social media. That may be the case for some bands. However, I find that, like many here, 100 invites may yield 2-3 attendees.

 

[SteveHeissner]

Some day they'll call you in desperation when they need a backup at the last minute. Your response?

 

[fhm555]

I hear you on the risk of social media exposure. We lost a really good guitar player when someone approached his wife (president of the local school board) and asked why she was "allowing" her husband to hang out in bars, after a pic of the band playing in a local bar got uploaded to someone's facebook page and Mrs. Tighthiney caught sight of it.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I understand your concerns, and believe there are many benefits to NOT having a Facebook page.

For musicians and artists however, there are also lots of benefits TO having one, which is obvious by this thread. Though I find it odd that they'd go with someone else because of that. I have no way of knowing, but do you think there's a chance that they just used that as an excuse? You may have been awesome at the audition, but someone just a little more awesome may have presented themselves the next day. It happens.

But despite any of that, depending on how seriously you take your music - have you considered starting a Facebook page without your real name? Lots of people do it, and you would have complete control over who knows you're there, and who doesn't. You could fill your friends page up with Talkbassers (that you trust) if that felt safe , and never have to post anything you're not completely uncomfortable with. It might be something worth exploring....

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

A few months ago I deleted my FB account because I could not handle all the political lunacy coming from my friends - some on the left and some on the right. The vitriol was so intense it was actually creepy.

I feel better now - not being plugged into FB works really well for me, but I know most of my musician friends do have FB pages and as others have mentioned, I think it is part of drawing an audience. They announce their upcoming gigs, band news etc. .

Seems like a strange requirement to me (as per your audition) but you never know.

 

[HeadWind]

I resisted forever, but these days, the band needs to be promoted on FB. Not me, but the band. But that means I needed an account to help manage the page. So I made one and put nothing up there.

This is my cover photo:

 

[SteveHeissner]

If you must go with FB, perhaps consider a stage name.

 

[whatizitman]

What OP hasn't said here (or has, and I just missed it) is that despite limiting his own use of social media for professional reasons, he was totally ok with the band posting pics of him and identifying him on the band's page.

Could it just be the band wanted to make sure they don't to have to deal with any future conflicts about facebook posting?

 

[jaco944]

This. My experience too, I gave up doing the 100+ friends FB invites because it was a miniscule return on my time investment. Maybe your demographic affects this, as I'm an old guy with kids so most of my FB friends are also. Well except for the other musicians and they also don't come out!

Exactly the guys my age that have bands with big followings got that crowd 20-30 years ago in college and they just keep coming out. Lol

 

[Tampabass]

Like it or not, social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, is how folks follow bands and find out about gigs, etc. How else are they going to find out -- email? the local newspaper (if it hasn't closed)? a phone call? a newsletter? Those trains left the station long ago. Band websites are still useful, I guess, but stats show that folks spend the bulk of their online time on social media. So why not go where the traffic is?
Why not use the free PR tools that are at your disposal? In the old days, in order to get publicity for a gig, or even a listing, you had to send a pic and a press release to a newspaper or mag, and hope that they would decide to run your stuff. Or make a phone call to your local publication's music writer or entertainment. In order to share music, you had to put it on a CD or, earlier, a cassette or vinyl, and mail that to someone.
Now, you can reach listeners and potential listeners directly, via social media, without having to depend on media outlets. In seconds, you can post a pic, an audio clip or a video. Unless you don't know how to type or use a computer, posting a gig notice on your band's page won't take you more than two or three minutes, at most.
Yes, a bandmate who's active on social media can help a band spread the word about its gigs and other activities. That's a bonus. Doesn't matter if the people you invite through Facebook come or not -- having that event invite posted helps get you on the radar.
And don't forget: The venues you play, and the venues you'd like to play, want to see their artists be active on social media. Generally speaking, they don't want to hire folks who won't spend a little time promoting their shows.
It's also a decent (if obviously incomplete) way to network with other musicians, or at least to find out about some of the players in your area. What's the alternative -- jam sessions?
So no, there's no correlation between having social-media savvy and having musical talent. And sure, a few folks -- those in the witness protection program, for instance -- have good reasons for staying off Facebook and Twitter.
But intentionally avoiding social media because it's not your thing or whatever is only going to get you a trophy, and a virtual trophy at that.

 

[Wavy]

For years I resisted what I prefer to call SurveillanceBook. Yes, I've been on LinkedIn about 10 years or so for business, but I've yet to get any work from it.

Then I joined a professional group that ONLY communicates via SurveillanceBook. The leader of this group offered to send me work, so I tried to join. Since it's for work I had to use my real name.

Trouble was SurveillanceBook wouldn't let me use my real name until I sent them scans of my ID.
Why?
My name is the same as a VERY famous VERY wealthy entertainer. (He played Toronto recently and by multiplying the lowest ticket price by the number of seats in the venue and then the number of shows, I figured the gross was above half a million that weekend.)

Anyway, I relented, got my account, and keep it closed. No public visibility, no friend requests accepted, no data posted... I only post to that professional group and one other professional group that invited me later.

The SurveillanceBook group has sent me lots of work.

BTW, because I'm a rural dweller where there's no cable or even ADSL, I still have a POTS copper wire land line. My cell is an old flip phone.

 

[hopwheels]

Someone may have suggested it already, but you could create a profile on Bandmix.com or ReverbNation.com as an artist and refer them to those sites as opposed to Facebook. Just a thought.

 

[ole Jason]

IT, especially if you work for a financial institution.

That seems like an odd one unless you think you'd be a target for social engineering/extortion. I work in IT. The only real danger is if you post political/controversial opinions.