Online Fandom in the Social Media Age
This post is for Nancy Baym & her Online Fandom Contest!
I don't know if this will be funny, or whether it will be inspiring - but this is my story/my take about online fandom. Music has always been a big part of my life; as a child & teen my walls were plastered with pics of bands & artists, and I bought copious amounts of Tiger Beat & Teen Beat magazines, 8-tracks, records & cassettes. I joined fan clubs via snail mail and patiently awaited some acknowledgment from my favourite artists - had they received my letters? Even though I didn't (ever) get any response, I was still a loyal fan; I attended concerts, bought t-shirts and modeled my own wardrobe after band images. Communication between fan/artist was often a one-way street back then, but that's all we had - that and shared screams in the crowd with other fans (and maybe a pen pal or two). Today, my love of music continues. Granted, I may not have band pics on my walls (they've been replaced by video game posters in my office), but I'm still loyal to the bands I follow, I get excited at concerts, & I buy t-shirts. Some 30ish years after I bought my first '45' single ('Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?' by Rod Stewart) - fandom changed for me - because of the internet & social media. This is where my story begins....
I first heard about Scarlet Sins from a friend's facebook status (oh, the power of social networks). Spore (his nickname) shares my taste in metal, alternative & rock so I thought I would check it out. Their website shared snip-its of some of their songs, and I was floored. This all female band - rocked - and they are Canadian (eh?!). I was hooked. I searched online for more info on the Toronto band and instantly had access to pictures, articles and much more. YouTube showed me not only live performances, but interviews with the band, personal tid-bits from band members, and videos of Ellie the drummer performing in a private studio. awesome. Tiger Beat never gave me this.
I found out they were on twitter, and followed them - tweeted about how great they are. I checked out their MySpace page, joined their facebook group, wrote on their wall (encouraging other fans to follow them on twitter), & I commented on their page over at Last.fm (do I sound like a teenager or a stalker? I'm not sure, but I'm neither). I downloaded their album via itunes and tweeted my delight.
The Hook: imagine my surprise when I found out that not only did Scarlet Sins follow me back on twitter, but they responded to me. Me. ME! How cool is that? They sent me a couple @ messages (wanted to rock out with me while I played Guitar Hero Metallica!) and they thanked me for downloading their album. Band members answered questions I had about upcoming performances and their new album. I had band news right from the band - no media, no manager - just musicians who love music - and their fans. inspiring.
Imagine my surprise when I checked my facebook friend requests and bass player Tanya Nicklaus wanted to be my friend, and enclosed a message thanking me for the wall post. wow. (of course i accepted!).
Granted, Scarlet Sins does not have 250,000 twitter followers like Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails does (he's only following 52 and they're not fans). Scarlet Sins is a fairly new band, making their name and sound known to music lovers (they opened up for Motley Crue in Sarnia in July 2008, after winning a competition for the opening spot). It's early in their career and they're connecting with fans - and fans are connecting with each other. But, the connection is genuine - no ghost writers, no phoniness, no marketing - just rockin women. wicked.
Social media connected me with the band. I was no longer waiting for that letter to arrive in the mail from my favorite artist (Shaun Cassidy & Leif Garrett, I hope you're reading this because I'm still mad at you for not writing me back). These artists are investing in their fans, they are building relationships with fans - and I can't tell you how amazing this experience is - isn't this what it's all about?
that's my story.
:)
I don't know if this will be funny, or whether it will be inspiring - but this is my story/my take about online fandom. Music has always been a big part of my life; as a child & teen my walls were plastered with pics of bands & artists, and I bought copious amounts of Tiger Beat & Teen Beat magazines, 8-tracks, records & cassettes. I joined fan clubs via snail mail and patiently awaited some acknowledgment from my favourite artists - had they received my letters? Even though I didn't (ever) get any response, I was still a loyal fan; I attended concerts, bought t-shirts and modeled my own wardrobe after band images. Communication between fan/artist was often a one-way street back then, but that's all we had - that and shared screams in the crowd with other fans (and maybe a pen pal or two). Today, my love of music continues. Granted, I may not have band pics on my walls (they've been replaced by video game posters in my office), but I'm still loyal to the bands I follow, I get excited at concerts, & I buy t-shirts. Some 30ish years after I bought my first '45' single ('Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?' by Rod Stewart) - fandom changed for me - because of the internet & social media. This is where my story begins....
I first heard about Scarlet Sins from a friend's facebook status (oh, the power of social networks). Spore (his nickname) shares my taste in metal, alternative & rock so I thought I would check it out. Their website shared snip-its of some of their songs, and I was floored. This all female band - rocked - and they are Canadian (eh?!). I was hooked. I searched online for more info on the Toronto band and instantly had access to pictures, articles and much more. YouTube showed me not only live performances, but interviews with the band, personal tid-bits from band members, and videos of Ellie the drummer performing in a private studio. awesome. Tiger Beat never gave me this.
I found out they were on twitter, and followed them - tweeted about how great they are. I checked out their MySpace page, joined their facebook group, wrote on their wall (encouraging other fans to follow them on twitter), & I commented on their page over at Last.fm (do I sound like a teenager or a stalker? I'm not sure, but I'm neither). I downloaded their album via itunes and tweeted my delight.
The Hook: imagine my surprise when I found out that not only did Scarlet Sins follow me back on twitter, but they responded to me. Me. ME! How cool is that? They sent me a couple @ messages (wanted to rock out with me while I played Guitar Hero Metallica!) and they thanked me for downloading their album. Band members answered questions I had about upcoming performances and their new album. I had band news right from the band - no media, no manager - just musicians who love music - and their fans. inspiring.
Imagine my surprise when I checked my facebook friend requests and bass player Tanya Nicklaus wanted to be my friend, and enclosed a message thanking me for the wall post. wow. (of course i accepted!).
Granted, Scarlet Sins does not have 250,000 twitter followers like Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails does (he's only following 52 and they're not fans). Scarlet Sins is a fairly new band, making their name and sound known to music lovers (they opened up for Motley Crue in Sarnia in July 2008, after winning a competition for the opening spot). It's early in their career and they're connecting with fans - and fans are connecting with each other. But, the connection is genuine - no ghost writers, no phoniness, no marketing - just rockin women. wicked.
Social media connected me with the band. I was no longer waiting for that letter to arrive in the mail from my favorite artist (Shaun Cassidy & Leif Garrett, I hope you're reading this because I'm still mad at you for not writing me back). These artists are investing in their fans, they are building relationships with fans - and I can't tell you how amazing this experience is - isn't this what it's all about?
that's my story.
:)
posted by Netwoman @ 5:14 PM
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