How Choreographing Prepares You to Be a Social Media Strategist
November 9th, 2010
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Posts Tagged ‘Social Media’
You may have noticed that I have not written here for the past few months. I want to tell you about what I’ve been doing! This semester I am completing a research project on how social and new media technologies are affecting choreography in the dance world.
I have been working the past two months with a group of six dancers to create a 10 minute performance/installation which explores Facebook as a virtual space and method of communication. The piece incorporated projections, live interactions with social networks, and a choreographed flash mob that was organized through Facebook and Youtube. I’ll put some clips from the performance up soon!
Being a dance major with six months left before I enter the real world of graduated folks, I am constantly asked “So are you going to dance professionally next year?” When I say that no, in fact I’m planning on working in social media strategy, I generally receive a look that can be characterized by a mixture of surprise, interest, and pity. “But how?” they exclaim! I could go on for hours on how dancing has prepared me extremely well to do almost anything (maybe not molecular biology), but instead, I’ll leave you with five things I learned in the past few months from choreographing a 10-minute dance.
1. How to organize a flash mob
We’ve all seen the viral videos of choreographed flash mobs on Youtube (Central Station Antwerp, Liverpool, Samsung). When I saw these, my initial reaction was “THAT IS SO COOL.”
After I calmed down a bit, I started to think about how the choreographers could have possibly organized their mobs. Most of these types of flash mobs are backed by large marketing firms with big budgets for some kind of a commercial. However, with the power of social media, anyone with a video camera and a social network can organize a flash mob. In just 4 days, I got 30-40 people to be part of my dance and learn two minutes of simple choreography.
2. How to effectively market a performance using social media
I’ve written about 5 Ways Facebook Can Help Promote Your Event, and this performance let me put those methods into practice. With three nights of performances, over 330 people viewed the dance piece. By collaborating with other dancers in the flash mob, I was able to harness the power of their networks as well as my own.
3. How to manage a group of performers and collaborators to create a final product
Part of social media strategy is creating interactive campaigns in order to reach a specific goal. In a sense, that is exactly what I have been doing these past few months. I worked with a team of six dancers and two visual collaborators to deliver a message to hundreds of viewers. We thought about what was relevant to our audience, put together a final product (or dance) that addressed those ideas, and delivered it to them.
4. How social media can be used to enhance messages
Social media is that thing right now that everyone uses but most people don’t really think about. We take it for granted that we can effectively stalk people we haven’t spoken to in four years or chat with someone online while sitting three feet away from them in real life. Making something viral is about capitalizing on something that no one has noticed or paid much attention to yet everyone knows is true.
To do this, I had discussions with my dancers about some of the things we all do on Facebook that are actually pretty bizarre (unfriending someone?). We then incorporated those things with both live movement and visual projection into the dance.
5. How individuals use Facebook
In order to prepare for this dance, we researched how individuals use Facebook and how Facebook profiles grow. I had each of my dancers start from scratch, create a brand new profile, and spend ten minutes a day on it. We collected information on how they were using the site, who they were interacting with, and what kinds of observations they made. This rich source of information helped us shape the dance so that it was both accessible and engaging to a wide range of audience members. I think the best compliment I received was from one of my professors who only said, “I’m totally going to friend you when I get home.” Awesome.
The message I’m trying to send is to be creative when it comes to your learning. There is no one way to go about your education so be sure to look for opportunities in places you wouldn’t expect. For me, that place was choreographing a dance piece.
Photo credit: All photos by Teague Hopkins.
November 9, 2010 | Filed Under Post, Uncategorized | 3 Comments
Picture by Cool Pixels on Flickr
In case you’ve been hiding under a rock and haven’t heard yet, Latino pop star Ricky Martin came out last week, making headlines on almost all major news sources. With pop songs like “Shake Your Bon-Bon,” “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” and “She Bangs,” who would’ve guessed!
What interested me about the announcement was not necessarily the content, but how Martin chose to deliver the message. Instead of grabbing a cover story from a magazine like so many celebrities have done (Clay Aiken, Adam Lambert, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, Lance Bass, and Sean Hayes all come to mind), Martin released a short but eloquent statement on his personal blog. This is what artists can learn from Martin’s announcement:
1. Be transparent while being conscious of what you are saying.
We hear the word “transparent” all the time in social media. Transparency basically means being personable. Twitter, Facebook, and blogging all give your fans a means by which to learn about you personally. If done right, this transparency leads to a stronger connection and ultimately a stronger fan base.
Photo by Beachy on Flickr
However, if done wrong (think Tiger Woods), this transparency can alienate your fans. The trick is finding a balance that works for you. Some people like to discuss the intimate details of their personal lives (example: Penelope Trunk), while others prefer to leave those details out. Write what you are comfortable writing and be aware of how your audience reacts.
2. Control social media, don’t let it control you.
Social media is a tool for you to use. It is a resource for you to make connections and disseminate content. By using his own blog to post his announcement as opposed to a public magazine, Martin was able to control the content of his message and how his fans would view it.
3. Engage your audience by adding your own personal twist.
I’ve talked about how to build your personal brand by telling your story. This is exactly what Ricky Martin did. By writing his statement in a narrative fashion that showed his personality, we feel more connected to him as an individual and an artist. Infuse your work with little bits of you and your history. No one lived your life but you, so promote yourself by highlighting those distinguishing qualities.
4. Doing something buzz-worthy before you are about to release a product is a good idea.
I have no doubt that Martin’s announcement coinciding with the release of his personal memoir wasn’t a coincidence. While you might not have a personal publicist to plan these maneuvers for you, if it is possible, try to plan big announcements and appearances around releases of your products.
April 6, 2010 | Filed Under Post, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
So now you know why you need to manage your online reputation. As an artist or as a job-seeking individual, future clients and employers are looking and you need to take control of what they see. Let’s look at a few easy things that you can do today to clean up your Facebook profile and avoid missing out on opportunities because of embarrassing content.
chug chug chug (lochnessjess on Flickr)
1. Untag any pictures you wouldn’t want your boss seeing.
Be ruthless with this. I don’t want to see any pictures of your first keg stand or the outrageously inappropriate costume you wore for Halloween.
2. Don’t let embarrassing pictures be taken of you in the first place.
If you are thinking to yourself, “I’m going to have to untag this” then maybe you shouldn’t take it in the first place. Also, there should be absolutely no pictures of underage drinking or illegal drug consumption in your profile.
3. Make an exclusive friends list for your pictures.
Most people create a “Limited Profile” list of friends, where they choose who they don’t want to see their pictures and other content. Instead of this, try creating a “Pictures Viewable” list of friends, where you choose who you do want to see your pictures. This reduces the number of random people viewing your content, because you have to consciously choose who gets to see it.
- Go to your Friends page and “Create New List” titled “Pictures Viewable”.
- Now click “All Connections” and select the friends you want to see your pictures by clicking “Add to List” and selecting “Pictures Viewable”.
- Go into your Profile Privacy Settings. Select “Custom” on the drop-down menu next to Photos Tagged of You.
- Select the bullet “Some Friends” and type in “Pictures Viewable” or whatever you named the group.
- Uncheck any networks you had selected previously.
Now, in order for people to see your pictures, they must be manually added to this exclusive group.
4. Change your privacy settings.
Facebook, by default, allows almost everyone to see your profile. This is probably, not what you want. Explore the Privacy Settings menu and customize to your liking. In my opinion, the safer the better. Here are my suggestions:
- Limit your profile visibility to “Only Friends” or something more exclusive.
- Have your Search visibility set to Everyone, but only allow people who find you in search to see a Profile Picture, link to add you as a friend, and a link to message you.
- Create a public listing for search engines. You still want people to be able to find you, just not able to stalk you.
5. Don’t forget your profile pictures.
Even once you have created an exclusive friends list for your pictures and untagged any embarrassing photos, you still have to go in and manually delete any profile pictures that you might not want visible. Click directly on your profile pictures to browse through your Profile Pictures Album. Hit Delete Photo for any pictures that don’t meet the same criteria you used to clear up your other photos.
The 9 most frequently searched terms on Google about “facebook privacy” are about breaking into private facebook profiles. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to remove any and all incriminating content. Manage your online presence, take out your digital trash, and enjoy a spotless, searchable reputation.
August 7, 2009 | Filed Under Post, Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Have you Googled your name recently? While self-searching might seem a little narcissistic, it is becoming a vital practice in managing your personal brand and cleaning up your online reputation.
According to a survey by Jump Start Social Media:
- 48% of hiring managers use Facebook, 75% use LinkedIn, and 26% use Twitter to research candidates before making a job offer.
In addition, according to CNN.com:
- 34% of hiring managers choose not to hire a candidate based on what they find in online profiles.
Managing your online reputation is becoming more and more important, whether you like it or not. Penelope Trunk writes that you do not have to quit your day job to pursue a career in art. To help maintain or obtain that day job, let’s look at some of the things you can do right now to start cleaning up your digital dirt.
1. Start by Googling Yourself
If your employers are going to be googling you, then you should know what they are going to see. This preliminary search will give you an idea of where you stand with your online identity. Is there a lot of embarrassing stuff out there about you? Is there nothing out there about you (this is an equally important problem that I will discuss later)? Set up a Google Alert that will let you know every time a new search result appears with your name.
2. Make a list of your online profiles
Compile a comprehensive list of all your profiles on social networking sites and any other profiles that might come up in a search for your name. The object of managing your personal brand online is not becoming invisible, but rather controlling what future business contacts, employers, and colleagues will see. For profiles and accounts that you do not want to show up in search results, simply use an ambiguous display name and avatar. Use Google to remind yourself of profiles you might have that you forgot about.
3. Clean up your “Big Three”
If hiring managers are looking on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, then you definitely want to be visible in those places.
CNN says that “of the hiring managers who use social networking sites for candidate research, 24 percent said profiles encouraged them to hire the job seekers.”
Being on these sites can give you a leg up against the competition, but only if you are conscious and cautious of the material posted. When considering any social network, keeping in mind that privacy is a precaution, not a solution. If content is online, then it is accessible one way or another.
There is a happy medium between being private and being invisible. If employers search for you and find nothing, then you look sadly out of touch. Check back tomorrow for specific steps to privatizing and cleaning up your Facebook profile.
To get a head start: Untag your keg stand pictures.
August 6, 2009 | Filed Under Post, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Social media has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for independent artists looking to promote their events and performances. An individual artist can significantly increase their audience turnout without using any money by reaching out to the over 250 million active users on Facebook. These tips will help you start thinking creatively about using Facebook as all the possibilities are still being discovered.
1. Use your fan page
Your fan page is like your base of operations. This is your home on facebook where fans can learn more about you and your upcoming events. With Facebook fan pages, you are able to “Target Your Update” to a specific area when sending messages.
For example, say you are going on a 5 city tour in New England. You could send one message to all the states in New England, a different message to each city you are visiting with more specific information, and a general wall post with comprehensive details for your fans to see. Make sure to follow the 5 Rules for Artists Using Social Media.
Tip: To increase your # of fans, try having a sign-in/sign-up sheet at each of your events so that you can email attendees thanking them for coming and inviting them to become your fan on Facebook.
2. Create friends lists
Facebook allows you to organize your friends into different categories, giving each of them various “tags” that help you more effectively communicate with the people that matter the most. These are great for maximizing the support of your personal connections. Organize your friends into different tiers so that you can send them more direct messages.
Facebook makes it insanely easy to quickly invite your 500 friends to an event. So easy that we are constantly spammed with invites to events we don’t really care about (sorry, I’m just not that interested in your “Meatloaf and Jenga Party”).
Mass inviting guests can be dangerous because your connections that don’t really care will likely ignore you, and your friends that would gladly support you could be insulted that you sent them the “mass invite” instead of something more personal. To avoid this, create different categories for your friends (ex. frequent supporters, occasional supporters, professional colleagues, etc.) so that your invites and updates can be marketed directly to them.
3. Hold contests before the event
Umphrey’s Mcgees Lights (TomK. on Flickr)
You want to harness the power of your fans to promote your event. Word of mouth is viral and will help increase your exposure. Try offering a weekly prize claimable at your event for fans that do a status update or tweet about your event. Now your fans become your promotional partners, increasing the likelihood that they will attend and giving you viral publicity for very little cost.
Example: The Umphrey’s McGee held a scavenger hunt at the Rothbury Festival in early July via Twitter, where successful treasure hunters were rewarded with DVDs, keychains, and a hand written note from the band.
4. Collaborate with other artists
Collaborating is a great way not only to meet other artists that share your interests, but also to reach an entirely new audience that might not have known about you. Try hosting a joint event that both artists promote. Guest post on each other’s blogs leading up to the event, cross-link to each other’s facebook pages and websites, and feature the other person’s art on your page.
5. Do a daily raffle for free tickets
The week before your event, you want to kick promotion into high gear. This is the time that people are finalizing their plans and you want to be on their calendars. Create buzz by having a daily raffle for free tickets (or if it is an unticketed event, give away some other prizes). This isn’t necessarily to get those ticket winners to come, as discounted tickets decrease attendance, but rather to give a daily reminder about your event and to create an incentive for your fans to tell their friends.
Or try this: Michelle Mangione will be raffling away a free guitar signed by Grace Slick. To be entered you must sell 10 copies of her recently released CD. Brilliant.
July 29, 2009 | Filed Under Post, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment