digital media Archives - Haulix Daily

Sites raise money and gain access based on traffic, but the numbers can be deceiving.

The beginning of 2019 has been hard on writers and creatives at a number of the web’s most recognizable sites. Between recent cuts at Buzzfeed and Vice, not to mention a number of smaller publications, estimates show at least 2,000 people lost jobs in media over the past six weeks. Some analysts are referring to these losses as a ‘bloodbath,’ and many expect more downsizing announcements in the near future.

The explanations for the cuts run the gamut from restructuring to cost-cutting. Either way, traffic most likely played a role. Everything related to online media companies boils down to traffic, especially for businesses who rely on outside investors to keep their properties afloat.

To gauge traffic, most investors and industry analysts rely on ComScore, a company dedicated to measuring media online. Faking a score in their system is practically impossible, but some forward-thinking media conglomerates have found a way to game the service’s measurements, at least in the short term, to raise their value.

As Tim Pool explains in the video above, digital media companies adjust their traffic and engagement by acquiring clickbait-heavy platforms and folding that audience into their brand. Here’s an example of the kind of articles these sites generate, which you’ve probably seen promoted at the bottom of articles on numerous media sites:

*Articles like these offer little information, but boost engagement by requiring numerous clicks to view their content in full.*

Between the clicks and added traffic, media companies can boast big numbers for their community of sites without having to show the performance of individual publications. Big numbers attract big investors, and investments keep the lights on.

Believe it or not, there is nothing illegal about this approach to promotion. The numbers are legitimate. The deception lies in how sites describe what pulls in readers. Here’s an example:

Let’s say a media conglomerate buys a clickbait-heavy site to boost its numbers. The conglomerate may claim their audience turns to them for news and essays on culture when in reality their audience is driven by articles like, ’25 celebrities who had plastic surgery.’ The investors would need to sift through the data for all sites to determine whether or not the company is lying, which requires time and money most do not want to sacrifice.

Over time, however, the truth about most sites comes out. Whether through internal investigations or a drop in traffic that the conglomerate cannot explain away, investors and readers inevitably see through the deception of inflated numbers. Even if they don’t, a number of services have emerged in recent years that can separate real and fake engagement into easy to read reports that anyone can follow.

The cuts we are seeing in media right now are bound to continue unless this trend changes. The problem is that few, if any sites have found a way to generate a committed audience large enough to draw the investment capital needed to build a media empire through legitimate means. When Facebook boasts a potential audience in the billions, what incentives do investors or advertisers have to work with sites whose monthly audience lies in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions?

But there is a catch-22 to the entire affair that will inevitably need to be addressed. Facebook and similar social media platforms are the primary way people consume news and media, but those services rely on countless third-party publishers to create the content users click. Without investors and ad sales, those publishers will go under, which will leave social media giants to generate news and content on their own.

Something has to give. The only questions are, what will it be and when will it happen?

Social media has developed countless ways for artists to promote themselves, but along the way a number of bad habits have developed that drives journalists, fans, and labels alike absolutely insane. Using improper marketing techniques over these channels can not only drive away fans, but prevent you from reaching potential new listeners as well. We polled over a dozen bloggers from various genres about the social media no-nos every artist should avoid and put together a list to help all you aspiring stars get a bit closer to your dreams.

1. Stop requiring a “Like” before allowing users to access your music. Even though we asked bloggers from a number of musical backgrounds when working on this article, every single person polled mentioned Facebook “Like” walls within the first few lines of their response. The whole point of promoting your music is so people will visit your page and hear what it is you have been working on, so why make it any more difficult to hold their attention than it already is? The few seconds it takes someone to notice your “Like” wall and read it may be all the time they need to decide you aren’t worth their time.

2. Avoid unsolicited direct/private messaging (AKA Spammer No spamming). Everyone knows you’re excited about your music, and for the most part people will give you a bit of their time to share your excitement with them. However, sending direct/private messages through social networks is not the way to begin the conversation. Your band may be a group of people, but online you’re a single entity that is essentially a complete stranger to anyone unfamiliar with your music. You have to break the ice to start the conversation, of course, but to do so requires more tact that blindly messaging a link to your latest release. Social networks are like mixers, they exist to create a sense of community among strangers through dialogue, but that is not the same as pitching yourself. Leave the pitching to emails and press kits unless someone asks for more information. Until then, join the conversation wherever you are able and keep an eye out for opportunities more fitting for self-promotion (ie people requesting/asking for new music recommendations).

3. Your band does not belong on LinkedIn. This one is relatively simple, but it can be apply to a number of emerging social networking sites. While there are a limitless amount of opportunities to meet people who could help your career through various groups and discussion boards, LinkedIn works best as a tool when used by an individual (or an individual representing a group). Professionals using LinkedIn are not looking to add your band, The River Run Blood Red, to their networks, but they may be interested in engaging with you as an individual. If you can create a dialogue with them through the site by leveraging the various messaging tools, then it may be possible to open a door to promote your band. If you rush it, or try to force your music on those unfamiliar with your work, no one will want to listen.

4. Stop promoting yourself 24/7. Bands are a brand in their own way, and just like many brands on social networks bands often forget the key to maximizing the effectiveness of your network: Engagement. People follow you because they support what you’re doing and want to know more, but that does not mean they want a constant stream of advertising for whatever you have to promote. You may be a group, but you’re also individuals with personalities, and that should be conveyed through social media as well as your latest activities. Fans know about your latest album, and they certainly follow because they want to know when you have new tours or releases, but they’re also trying to learn more about you as people. They want to connect with you more than they have been able to through albums and live shows, and that is the exact opportunity provided by social networks. By engaging them you’re able to create a dialogue that can eventually evolve into a digital community of fans who not only communicate with you, but others as well. If you can accomplish that, those same users you engaged in the beginning will aide you in sharing your music with others. That will lead them to start conversations with new people who could potentially fall in love with your music and the cycle begins all over again.

5. Save the drama for your blog. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and without a doubt there will be days when you feel stressed as a band, but ranting on social networks and/or attacking others is not going to help further your career (especially if those attacks are directed at fans or members of the industry). Just like how LinkedIn is no place for a band profile, band accounts on social networking sites are no place for unnecessary drama. Fans want to know what’s going on with you, and you should keep them informed, but too much drama can take the focus away from music. Also, you must always be aware of how your accounts appear to those not familiar with your work. If your feed looks more like an individual’s thoughts than the efforts of a cohesive band focused on getting ahead, people may pass by without even giving the music a chance. Appearing driven and welcoming will get you much further than anger and negativity. Always.