It’s old news that social media has changed the fundamental experience of self promotion.
A kitschy cover of an 80’s song accompanied by just-the-right hashtag can propel the
most fledgling artists on to the grand stage between our thumbs. What’s more, it is
highly probable that your morning’s viral entertainment is being beamed into your
bathroom from the other side of the world. A video drifting through your social media feed
is much more likely to be from a far off land than, well—Deland.
The globalization of what crosses our gaze is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, an
entertainer can become famous overnight with the right video. “Famous” in the internet
sense means “widely seen”. There are certainly benefits to be mined from being
observed by a worldwide audience. However, it’s up to the entertainer to capitalize on the
publicity and monetize that “fame” somehow. The other side of the story is that social
media algorithms direct our attention towards what is most popular, mostly. Such posting
prioritizations almost always preclude any serious traction on timelines by local artists,
businesses, etc. That is, unless, the local entity spends extra cash to boost a video
or post. It’s unfortunate that hardworking businesses, entertainers, and artists are
being blackmailed to harness the full reach of certain social media platforms. To be more
fair—blackmailed for the opportunity to show up in feeds of real friends and organic social
media followers.
Without letting go of the dough the most robust promotional efforts can bear little to
minimal fruit. And Money isn’t the only hurdle to cranking up social media’s promotional
power. There is also mastering the mystery of your target audience, but we’ll untangle
that web of personal interests, geographic locations, class, and gender on another day.
The point is, I remember a simpler time when a social media promotion would garner the
attention of most of my friends list and the results were almost always what I desired—a
packed house of people sweating, singing, and having a ball!
I know this is going to date me, but— MySpace, where have you gone?!
Billy Dean’s longest running social media effort can be found on Instagram. It’s an
ongoing tale of family, drums, dogs, bands, touring, and the occasional meal pic.
By Billy Dean
