oggiesnr Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 On another site there's been a spirited discussion on this after a booker said that they wouldn't book an act that didn't have a Facebook page because it didn't show any sort of commitment to trying to sell themselves or help the promoter to sell them. This obviously escalated into a discussion about all types of social media and websites with a very clear consensus (and most of the contributors were either artists or bookers) that if you wanted to be taken seriously you had to have as many outlets as possible. Anyone here got any thoughts? What do you have for your bands? Steve Quote
SpaceChick Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Yep, many venues around here won't touch you unless you have a Facebook page, a YouTube channel, a twitter account and a website. We, as a result, have all 4! I do think in this day and age that it's important to have an online presence as a way for people to contact you. Quote
icastle Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Nothing whatsoever, it's on my 'list of things to do at some point'. We've been together for about 7 years and always get plenty of work so we don't really see it as that important tbh. Quote
Cat Burrito Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Facebook & Twitter for both bands - the bigger band has everything else from Instagram to YouTube as well. I think for any band starting out it is a good idea. Quote
icastle Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1393532485' post='2381643'] ...and a website. [/quote] I do like your hat. Quote
andydye Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 We've got a Facebook page and will be getting a soundcloud acount when I get round to it, we've got a band email address too...no website yet cos they're a cost, everything we've got so far is free Quote
SpaceChick Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1393532718' post='2381651'] I do like your hat. [/quote] Very funny! lol Ironically our website is down tonight, as we are having some upgrades to it! Should be back up tomorrow Quote
andydye Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1393533356' post='2381672'] Very funny! lol Ironically our website is down tonight, as we are having some upgrades to it! Should be back up tomorrow [/quote] how much is a website nowadays? ...and what's involved in getting one as I've no clue but we'll probably need one at some point... Quote
wateroftyne Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Not essential, but well worth it. Quote
chrismuzz Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 It's the easiest and one of the most effective ways for new bands to promote themselves, and with my band we pretty much use it exclusively to book gigs. We even have venues and promoters contact us through it and have gained many bookings that way. For me, it is an absolute necessity. Quote
SpaceChick Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1393534268' post='2381689'] how much is a website nowadays? ...and what's involved in getting one as I've no clue but we'll probably need one at some point... [/quote] Didn't cost us much at all, we bought the web address and our keyboard players mate designed it as he owed our keys a favour and our keys is maintaining it. Quote
andydye Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1393535628' post='2381713'] Didn't cost us much at all, we bought the web address and our keyboard players mate designed it as he owed our keys a favour and our keys is maintaining it. [/quote] then I shall see if any of the guys know any webdesigner types cheers Quote
KingBollock Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1393534268' post='2381689'] how much is a website nowadays? ...and what's involved in getting one as I've no clue but we'll probably need one at some point... [/quote] It is worth checking with your ISP to see if you get some free webspace. I know I do and I use it for a few things, keep meaning to put a website together for my wife's floristry and crafts. Depending on how complicated you want the site to be it doesn't have to be difficult to learn how to do it yourself. The easiest way to get started is to find a free template site. I used to do all mine in pure HTML but can't really get away with that anymore, unfortunately. There are tons of tutorial sites out there. The more patience you have the less it'll cost you. Quote
andydye Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1393536367' post='2381731'] It is worth checking with your ISP to see if you get some free webspace. I know I do and I use it for a few things, keep meaning to put a website together for my wife's floristry and crafts. Depending on how complicated you want the site to be it doesn't have to be difficult to learn how to do it yourself. The easiest way to get started is to find a free template site. I used to do all mine in pure HTML but can't really get away with that anymore, unfortunately. There are tons of tutorial sites out there. The more patience you have the less it'll cost you. [/quote] oo might be a goer there, will check mate Quote
oggiesnr Posted February 27, 2014 Author Posted February 27, 2014 It's worth registering your own domain name. [email protected] looks more impressive than [email protected] Steve Quote
gelfin Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 I got my domain name through Machine networks, costs about £5 a month. I use Serif web plus to create and maintain it. Nothing fancy but it does the job. Use it for my business not the band. Quote
paulconnolly Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 Soundcloud and website for the covers band. Think it only cost a few quid to register the domain name and our guitarist updates it. http://www.survivors-of-mild-peril.net/ Quote
BigRedX Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) You should be on line where your fans and potential fans are. Facebook is free and any moron can set up a page so unless you are a covers band with a full diary of fantastically good paying gigs for the next 12 months you'd be stupid not to have one. The Terrortones have Facebook, a YouTube Channel, ReverbNation, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud as well as our own website at www.dickvenom.com Total cost approximately £10 a year for the domain name and the free web space and email addresses that come with it. Edited February 27, 2014 by BigRedX Quote
thisnameistaken Posted February 27, 2014 Posted February 27, 2014 [quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1393536367' post='2381731']Depending on how complicated you want the site to be it doesn't have to be difficult to learn how to do it yourself.[/quote] Don't do that. You'll throw the kitchen sink at it, and it will be a total disaster. Worse than no website at all. Also people expect to get a decent website experience on mobile now, so you either need to know quite a lot about the web and how to make a design work responsively or you need to do the work twice. You wouldn't make your band's amps, don't make your band's website. Quote
Silvia Bluejay Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 Good debate! As a social media specialist I may be biassed, but I do believe in bands having a presence where their existing or potential fans are. Before hitting the social media, a website goes without saying if you want to sell the band properly without having to post something new every 48 hours or so. Everybody and their mother is on FB, so that's a good place to start your move into the social networks. Twitter, youtube, instagram, soundcloud etc. can follow if appropriate. It is important, however, to put a little effort in keeping your accounts constantly updated with a stream of posts of various kinds (I do that for a living), while at the same time making sure to avoid spamming or annoying your audience with too much irrelevant info. Quote
xilddx Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) If you want to go places, you need a good pair of shoes. Only a fool refuses to wear shoes because everyone else does, or refuses a free pair of good shoes because they're made by a big company who likes to know how you use them. Edited February 28, 2014 by xilddx Quote
bonzodog Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 We dont have a web site and put everything through our facebook page. I think its a perfect medium as you can link to venues for up and coming gigs and invite all your friends. Very important to get as many likes as possible too as venues consider this when looking at your page Quote
CamdenRob Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 I've never had facebook... no point, I only know four people and I only like two of them.... Seems like a no brainer to have a band page though. Quote
JTUK Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 I think it is such an easy trick you'd be stupid not to have and use one. Bookers need a quick reference at times and if they can do FB, Website or youtube then it saves so much time and effort. I think they earn so much money and come into their own when a friend of a friend points them our way and they haven't seen us. We point them to these sites and tell them that that is what we do and that is what they will get. A lot of people can blag gigs, for sure, but we would rather back up any rhetoric with an audilo or video link. People want to know you are worth what you are asking and I wouldn't book any band 'blind' Quote
Annoying Twit Posted February 28, 2014 Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) [quote name='icastle' timestamp='1393532512' post='2381647'] Nothing whatsoever, it's on my 'list of things to do at some point'. [b]We've been together for about 7 years and always get plenty of work[/b] so we don't really see it as that important tbh. [/quote] But for new bands that haven't yet established sufficient contacts and/or following, the social media side may be far more important. [quote name='andydye' timestamp='1393534268' post='2381689'] how much is a website nowadays? ...and what's involved in getting one as I've no clue but we'll probably need one at some point... [/quote] I would think that any reasonably intelligent person should be able to read a few how-to pages, and create a passable website. In the worst case, you could have a single page with text and graphics made in a word processor, and just uploaded to some free web space. Here's a BBC page on it. http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/guides/building-websites Edited February 28, 2014 by Annoying Twit Quote
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