A recent study featured on Mashable.com suggests that Facebook likes are more valuable than Twitter follows.  Let’s talk about this as it applies to performers.

I find these conversations fascinating because with so much attention being given to the importance of Social Media, it fails to address the true disconnect: Quantity of followers vs Quality of followers.

People clicking ‘like’ or ‘follow’ is a passive activity.  With the flick of a finger, you get some attention, and it’s no more of a commitment than someone saying they like you on the street.  Social media sets the stage for you to capitalize on this interaction by further engaging these ‘likes’ with your story, and inviting them to support your efforts.  But you have to be able to deliver on whatever those efforts are, and that requires having some tools at your disposal a lot more credible than whatever your obvious talent is.  Whether you’re a magician with a great show or a band with some decent songs, no amount of Facebook-ing will make people buy tickets.  The missing element? Your story.

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Somewhere along the line, Social Media became the dribble instead of the dunk.  In other words, building a narrative that people will respond to is much more compelling and lucrative long term than attracting (or sometimes purchasing) likes or followers on any number of social media platforms. When it comes to converting ‘likes’ to ’sales’, there is no conclusive evidence to prove that one directly translates to another – unless you’re already famous.  Unknown and trying to make it? Got thousands of fans?  Don’t quit your day job.  We want a story that allows us to identify with you regardless of your fan count.  This builds a currency more tangible than money: fans that are more than passive, and who will support you beyond the internet.

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Michael Margolis, Dean of Story University and an industry leading game-changer in the online storytelling movement, said it best:  Character trumps credentials.

Whether we realize it or not, we’re looking online for a piece of ourselves, not unlike watching a movie or listening to music.  There is something about an exciting brand or an experience that stirs our souls, that says ‘me too’.  Once we find that ‘me too’, we want to support it.  Gary Vaynerchuk. Tim Ferris.  These are just a few guys who do it well.

Complaining, hoping for an agent, or blaming the economy is the easy way out.  The sooner we take responsibility for our stories, and build them into something people will care about, the sooner we will stand out.  Like most things worth having, it takes risk, time, facing our fear and a fair amount of mistakes.

If you’re interested in learning more, come check me out as Michael Margolis and I facilitate this panel during SXSW in Austin.  Looking forward to meeting you!  If you can’t make it, shoot me a message and let me know how I can help.

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It’s all you.

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

‘If only an agent would discover me.  If only a record label would sign me.  If only that casting director would pick me.’

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You can’t put a band-aid on a gunshot wound, so let’s go deeper to the source and stop the bleeding.

Try this: stop looking for gigs and start building relationships.

With the onset of social media, the days of ‘please listen to my demo’ or  ’I'm going to send my headshot to every agent in Hollywood’ are over.   Now, more than ever, you have the power to stand out, to get eyeballs on your brand, for free.  Even theater and product reviews are subject to the madness of the mob.  If you do quality work, people are going to talk about you and the quality of those interactions will lead to tangible relationships.  How do you capitalize on those relationships using social media and leverage them for career success?  Read ‘Engage’ by Brian Solis, or follow Mashable, the most influential blog in the world when it comes to all things social media.

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How do you build relationships?

• If you come in contact with someone who is influential, don’t talk shop.  Allow them to get to know you as a person, give them a reason to care about you, not your resume.
• Play gigs for free, offer your services for free.  Unless you really suck you’re not going to get turned down, and it’s a chance to leverage that free gig with a referral or some contacts for future paying gigs.
• Find a business model and stick to it.  If you aim at nothing, you hit nothing.
• Go to networking events.  There’s nothing I hate more than a room full of people, but no one is an island.  Get out of the house.
• For every person who turns you down for a gig, ask them for three people that may be able to help you.
• Invite that casting director, author or marketing guru to your event or show.  They’ll probably blow you off – unless you’re persistent, and that builds respect as long as you know when to chill.  I think influential people are like super models:  they don’t get asked out as often as you think, because everyone thinks they’re always getting asked out, so nobody asks.
• If you’re fortunate enough to book a gig, finish by saying thank you and realize that entitlement is a one way ticket to mediocrity.  Check out Gary Vaynerchuk’s, new book The Thank You Economy.

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These aren’t things I read about on the Internet, they are things I’ve done and continue to do – and they work.

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I look forward to reading about you.

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Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

Agents and record label execs can only sell what you bring to the table.  Here’s how to bring more to the table.

A consulting client of mine recently told me that he was moving to LA and asked me if I would advise him on his strategy:

‘I’m gonna move to LA, get a waiter job and start sending headshots to agents, hoping I get ‘discovered’ by taking lots of classes and hanging out with lots of actors.’

‘That will probably lead to a record deal and I might even dance and do some voiceover if I have time.’

Another client told me he wanted to be a famous singer and then move into films and television and wanted me to coach him on the process of making that a reality.

Sounds simple enough, right?  Wrong.  Here’s why:

Step #1:  Pick a talent or genre you are world class at and stick with it.  Not many people (less than 5%) are world class at more than one thing and the more focused you become on your specific talent the more focused attention you will receive from industry.

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Step #2:  There’s no such thing as being ‘discovered’. There are people out there looking for the next big thing but don’t count on them finding you by accident.  If they do, consider it an accident.  In the meantime, discover yourself.  Create something that will make you stand out – something that plays to your strengths and is so good you can’t be ignored.

Step #2.5: Once you create that something, COLLECT INFO from your audience.  Information is power.  Having lots of fans on Facebook, followers on Twitter or having a massive e-mailing list is more valuable than a ’slammin’ demo or an acting reel.  The power of social media means that having a huge fan base gives you an upper hand when it comes to getting the attention of those who write the fat checks.

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Step #3:  Know what an agent is looking for.  It’s more than looks and acting class.  Every agent has to figure out how much time they need to put into a client to get a return on their investment (you).  If you walk in and all you have is head-shots and botox you’re not going to get far.  How do you get them to invest in you?  Refer to steps 1, 2 and 2.5 and repeat often.

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As a mentor of mine so eloquently put it:  ’On You’

Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com

‘Who in the world isn’t on Facebook?’

Check out these quotes from a recent CNN.com article that posed this question.  For the full text click here:

On Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the site hit a half-billion active users.

That’s nearly five times as many people as watched this year’s Super Bowl — the most popular television broadcast ever — and about four times as many people as voted in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

People spend more than 700 billion minutes per month on the site and, according to Facebook, 400 million of them have logged in during the past month. Keep in mind there are only 309 million people in the United States — total.

So who isn’t using Facebook?

“It’s people who are not computer users — either really young or really old and for whom using technology just isn’t a part of their daily lives,” Smith said. “For people who do rely on technology, Facebook has just really become a common way to function and get a lot of normal things done.”

So what does this mean to you?

Maybe you don’t care about Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Digg.  It can all sound a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with what ‘everybody else’ is posting and why you need to jump on the bandwagon.

If you want to succeed as a performer of ANY genre and don’t have a GOOD website and significant presence on at least Facebook or YouTube you’re fooling yourself. The more people are looking at you the more people will talk about you.  And when you meet with an agent or record label or whatever, regardless of how great your talent is, guess where they’re going to look as soon as you walk out the door?  Google.

They’re going to look you up online and the less they find, the less leverage you have to make them pay attention.

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are free advertising.

It’s stupid to assume that everyone on Facebook will see your page but it’s also ridiculous to think that ‘holding off for now’ is helping you in any way.

Let’s keep in mind that DeBeers doesn’t flood the market with diamonds.  Having 30 mediocre YouTube videos can be just as damaging as having none.  Learning that less is more and having a sense of discernment is something we don’t have the space or time to get into.

Moral of the story is:  If you’re a performer and you’re not using the Internet effectively you’re not serious about your career.  If you’re afraid or ignorant of how to play the internet game, there are people you can hire to help you.

Gordon Ogden is the best there is when it comes to maximizing your social media and web strategy.  Read his post here.

Can’t afford to hire anybody?  Buy a book or Google it and learn it yourself.  It’s pretty easy.

Need a website? Check out Femath Media www.femath.com, they did mine.

Instead of asking ‘why should I’ maybe the question is ‘what do I have to gain?’.

The answer?  Everything.

If you already have a website: Is anybody visiting?  Find out for free by using Google Analytics.  It tells you how many people are visiting your website and how long they stay on each page as well as how they found you.  No good having a lemonade stand if nobody’s thirsty.  Your site must evolve to engage your fans in new and exciting ways.

Go get it.

Kahlil (at) Gigsmacked (dot) com

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Dallas Lawrence is Chair of the Social and Digital Media Practice at Levick Strategic Communications, the nation’s top crisis communications firm. He blogs on emerging digital media trends and best practices for social media engagement on Bulletproof Blog. Connect with him on Twitter @dallaslawrence.

With 450 million users globally (and millions more being added each week) Facebook is dominating the web in unparalleled ways. Yet, even as the social network has steadily grown over its short but remarkable history, many brands have remained on the sidelines of the social media revolution.

Facebook was the most visited site on the web for the week ending on March 13, 2010, surpassing even Google in week-long stats for the first time in history, according to Hitwise. The shift in user habits and audience targeting is palpable and it provides marketers, brand managers, issue advocates, and political campaigns today with an age old choice: Adapt and change or face irrelevance and extinction.

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A Social Media Parable

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In many ways, the fundamental decision facing those looking to compete in the next decade of social media dominance is reminiscent of Dr. Spencer Johnson’s bestselling business tale Who Moved My Cheese? It’s the story of two mice named Sniff and Scurry and two “littlepeople” named Hem and Haw who find themselves facing this same predicament.

As the fable unfolds, the book’s four main characters arrive in their maze one day to find that their once abundant cheese supply has disappeared. Sniff and Scurry knew this day was coming. They recognized that their cheese supply was dwindling and set out to find a new source.

Hem and Haw, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed that their cheese was running out. Rather than adapt, they retreated into the all-too-human reactions of fear, denial, and disbelief as they hopelessly waited for the change to prove passing.

For those who have not read this late-90s change agent bible, I won’t spoil the ending. The moral of the story however is clear: Change happens. To survive it, you must anticipate it; and to be successful, you must embrace it.

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Realizing the Critical Value of Facebook

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In the modern day maze that is the digital and social media realm, these lessons were again on display as the online community debated the value of the new Facebook user statistics this past week.

Viewed simply, the cheese moved again this month –- and just as intelligent companies adapted their marketing and communications models for the advent of Google over the last decade, Facebook’s dominance has forced another “change or become extinct” moment. To thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace, you must understand that the shift now underway is just as powerful as the one that transformed Google into the modern Yellow Pages and turned a Silicon Valley start-up into a $200 billion everyday necessity.

Unfortunately, most of today’s C-Suite decision makers lack the foresight of Dr. Johnson’s furry friends Sniff and Scurry. Far too many people still see Facebook as a vast, uncontrollable outpost for college slackers –- one better equipped for picture sharing and random life updates than brand reputation management, crisis response, and brand bulletproofing.

But the numbers don’t lie. Almost half-a-billion users each spend an average of nearly 6 hours per month on the site –- inhabiting networks that are largely free of corporate messaging, spam, and expensive advertising. This ought to make at least a few corporate titans rethink that next $1 million Super Bowl ad buy (even if Google did buy its first in 2010).

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3 Ways Your Brand can Get Started on Facebook

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Facebook users are openly sharing their life’s passions, personal interests, and their affinity –- or lack thereof –- for corporate brands, political candidates, and the key public policy stances. In effect, they are openly sharing every bit of marketing data a 21st century company covets.

For those still wary of change but now ready to dip their toe into the waters and begin to understand and benefit from the power of social, there are three free and relatively painless steps to begin the journey through the social media maze:

• First, evaluate your current advertising efforts and identify how they can best be tailored to Facebook. Consider allocating 10% of your current Google AdWords or online advertising budget to a 90-day trial run on Facebook. Be sure to develop clear benchmarks for success, and remember, unlike Google AdWords, Facebook ads rely on both keywords and a variety of demographic information –- information you no doubt have already identified as key indicators of your target audience(s). You can now put this information to use to further micro-target your advertising buy, narrow the net you are throwing in the online marketplace, and increase the return on your investment.
• Second, conduct a survey of your or fans to see who is already on Facebook and thus, who may be your brand’s most social media-savvy fans. You may find that your fan base is brimming with talent just waiting to be unleashed. For now, these future brand ambassadors may be ideal candidates to develop your Facebook presence and initial advertising program.
• Finally — and this may seem obvious — become a face on Facebook yourself. Become familiar with the site, its features and the value hundreds of millions of people find in the world’s most populous online community. It may ultimately not be for you personally, but as with almost every new platform, the best way to understand its value is to give it a try yourself.

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For those still looking for meaning in the numbers released earlier this month, the message is clear: Not only has the cheese moved again, the entire creamery has up and relocated. It won’t be coming back. And no manner of hemming and hawing is going to change that fact.

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This post originally appeared here.  Thanks to Mashable.com and Dallas Lawrence for the content! -Kahlil (at) gigsmacked (dot) com