Is Myspace Marketing Still Relevant?

It seems like forever since I have had a chance to sit and write. Sales calls, new clients, new products and then on top of that, we moved Earwax ATL. With finding a building, negotiating the lease and 4000 boxes of vinyl records to move, there was little time to write.

Since I work with labels, artist and various businesses with their marketing. I have been answering questions lately about the relevancy of Myspace Marketing, so I thought it appropriate to address the subject globally.

The questions have come up because Myspace is not the media darling that it once was a year or two ago. Since Myspace has hit mainstream America, meaning all age groups, you don't hear people talking about it as much. A year ago, every day there was an article or TV news story either good or bad concerning Myspace. So the question remains, who's left on Myspace and do they really matter?

Several months ago, there was an article that came out that attempted to identify the demographics of Myspace compared to Facebook. You might remember that the implications were that Myspace was for the social misfits and Facebook was more of the affluent and educated. Hmmm. What are the code word messages here?

Although the initial upswing fever may have subsided, Myspace is still a source of great opportunity! Like all opportunities though, You have to be prepared for them. You have to recognize the gold mine opportunities and know how to extract them. Millions of people still use Myspace every day! For millions of people worldwide, their Myspace profile is their contribution and they take their space seriously!

Last year at music marketing panels that I would attend, people/artist/some fellow panelist would say "You know that all those people on Myspace are not real!" I would reply ok, so let's take 200 million Myspace profiles and cut that number in half. Let's go further and cut that in half, let's cut that in half and then take half of that number. If my math is correct that's still 12.5 million people/Myspace profiles. Still a population larger than Atlanta. Do you as a artist/person/panelist have any other source where you have the potential to reach 12.5 million people sitting in front of your computer daily? Free? Ok, cut that last number in half, do you have any other source to reach 6.25 million people? Free?

Myspace reaches several demographics. The problem that most people, artist, labels, businesses have with their Myspace marketing is that they don't have a Myspace/Social Network marketing plan. What do we really want out of our social network marketing experience? Usually, there's no focus on the profile page with a plan to extract any results.

On a minimum, Myspace or any social network should assist you in increasing your email list. Smart marketers know that the money is in the list or the things that you can do with the list once you have it. Many artist/business pages have so much irrelevant gooney goo goo, that the poor visitor is confused as to what they are supposed to do. Are they there to buy music/product? Listen to music? Read the unrelated blogs, view pictures, date you, view your scantily clad friends? In marketing, a confused mind never does what you want them to do!

Online, you have roughly 30 seconds to impress/excite someone or they are gone. They may be interrupted unexpectedly and may never return. How long does it take for your page to load with the 3 flash slide shows? What is your message once they are on your page? My marketing philosophy? "The Message is The Message! No message? No message!"

How often do you update your page/blog/schedule? Are you using all of the tools available on Myspace? Do you know how to target certain groups of people on Myspace? Did you know that Google is a great source to search Myspace information? Have you visited the Myspace forums? Did you know that leaving comments linking your website on your friends pages is a great way to achieve back links to your own website? Did you know back links help increase your organic search success? Did you know that you could integrate Myspace, Facebook and Youtube to your own website marketing building massive traffic?

Are you building your own brand while using Myspace or are you using your Myspace address as your website? You should be using your own domain name! Does your profile page have the look of buzz? Are your friend's comments relative to the rest of the information on your page? If you are an online marketer using social networks, is your sales message clear? Are you being creative with your messages and promotions? There are several web 2.0 widgets and tools that can help you gain Myspace marketing traction.

Consistency with your efforts is important too. You can't plant seeds this morning and expect a well kept garden overnight. Same with Myspace. i.e. People email you and you don't respond for months. Not good. Part of building a "SOCIAL Network" is to be social and timely. Work smarter not harder. Having a few standard reply emails saved can save you time.

Consistent friend building is important. It's not the size of your list but the relevancy of your targeted list that really counts in marketing. Give me 100 sure buyers over 10,000 tire kickers any day!

Videos. If you are not using video with your marketing, you are missing out on a huge branding opportunity. Fan base optimization, audience building etc. If you have the time to use Mypace and Youtube, you can really win! If you are marketing Videotones, Myspace is a great place to build an audience. Ask me how to monetize your videos with videotones.

SMS Text Messaging. There are several text message list building widgets that you should be using for any business or music page. Subscription or non subscription based text fan clubs are here. Myspace lends itself to help you build a great list too!

When people ask me for examples of good Mypace pages, I always use my friend Chris V of Soulful Playground's www.soulfulplayground.com Myspace page. Chris V has a music artist/music business Myspace page that works. (Chris recently changed his Myspace page and I am having to get used to this new one. His last one was my personal favorite.)

Notice that Chris V uses his own domain name and points it to his Myspace page. Smart branding! Once on the page, you will notice how clean and readable his page is. The page uses colors, clear images, well placed pictures, good music, solid backgrounds and snippets of information that draw you in. You read something new on this page on every visit. Makes you want to bookmark the page. Chris provides a number of music related services but he has separated them with graphics that command individual attention.

Notice how he uses "FREE" rewards as inducement for desired visitor action. He also gives the visitor several ways to reach him, this technique allows him to grow his list. Through this one Myspace page Chris has collaborated on hundreds of music/ merchandise related projects worldwide. Chris also communicates on message boards and forums promoting his site. By using various innovative promotions Chris is able to keep his audience interactive. Just look at his page stats.

For Earwax Records we targeted our Myspace friends within a 50 mile radius of the retail store. We also target local people new to Myspace. Why? Myspace bulletins automatically appear on Myspace profile back office pages on profiles with less than 1000 friends. This way we have the majority of our friends able to easily view our in store sales bulletins when we send them out. We also allow labels, artist and businesses to reach our local targeted audience with our timed bulletins. The Earwax Jazz Myspace page targets Myspace profiles that use jazz keywords on their pages. No sense in trying to target and convert a pop music fan into a jazz music fan. Our Gospel page targets gospel related keywords and provides over 1500 daily views to our Gospel Video Network etc etc.

Learn to use niche marketing strategies with your targeted Myspace Marketing!

One of my clients used targeted Myspace marketing to grow their business by $60,000 per month. How? They are a restaurant/lounge in a small South Carolina Community. We targeted their potential Myspace audience within a 50 mile radius of the restaurant. They started Myspace emailing and commenting about their upcoming list of music showcase events. They included select menu specials and grew their lunch, dinner, lounge, bar and weekend business revenue by 200%.

So the question still remains . . . Is Myspace Marketing Still Relevant? Yes and No! Not relevant, if you don't know what you are doing. Yes relevant if you do! One thing is for certain; If you keep doing what you are doing, you will continue to get the results that you are receiving! Listen to me now, believe me later on!

Here are a couple of websites which might also help your music marketing.

www.musicbiztoolbox.com
- This will help you run your label like a major.
www.myspacehelperpro.com
- This will keep you buzzing on Myspace
www.mysocialnetworkhelper.com
- This is software if you want to handle your own Myspace promotions.
www.musicbizinfo.com
- This site has hundreds of video excerpts from music marketing conferences.


Here are a few winning Myspace pages

www.Myspace.com/findyourwhy

Happy Viral Business Marketing,

Follow me on Twitter,
www.twitter.com/chuckwoo

Chuck Woo
www.chuckwoo.com
www.woomediaworks.com

www.onlinemarketingtools.net
www.googlebusinesscards.com


www.musicbiztoolbox.com
www.myspacehelperpro.com
www.musicbizinfo.com