Category: sethwCategory: sethw

If you haven’t heard by now, Twitter will be shutting off SMS two-factor authentication for free users. It’s the least secure version of the 2FA options (the more secure options are authenticator apps and security keys), but still, it’s confusing as hell to general Twitter users.

“Any users who do not subscribe to Twitter Blue, and still have the two-factor authentication by text enabled, will lose access to the service on March 20 if they do not opt out on their own.”

Don’t wait till you get hacked or lose access – figure out your social media lock out plan today!

Not to be outdone, Meta is joining the shit show by offering (gasp) customer support for your personal Facebook and Instagram accounts for $12/month:

CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that a “Meta Verified” account will grant users a verified badge, increased visibility on the platforms, prioritized customer support, and more.

Pay $12/month for “increased visibility” on Facebook and Instagram.

Then pay $7/mo+ for Twitter Blue, which says “Tweets from verified users will be prioritized,” though that’s a feature that’s “coming soon.”

Get ready to shell out $20/mo to reach maybe 15% of your audience!

Our home base is a “link in bio” list of sites of other places where we rent space on DSPs, YouTube, and various social media platforms.

We’re just a bunch of kiosks at the mall, our vibes / vision / brand are stuffed inside a pre-built container hoping to get the attention of anyone walking by.

Yes, the kiosk is cheap and easy, and there’s the allure of all that foot traffic.

But a storefront / website gives you more creative space, more credibility, more flexibility and control.

Forget the “nobody even goes to websites anymore” garbage.

Imagine a big media outlet with a website wanted to cover your next video shoot.

They’d have a photographer on site, and a writer. Big web feature. Behind the scenes photos. Talk of the new album.

They put all those photos and text on their website.

They’ll post about your story on social media so everyone comes to their website.

Now you, the label, the publicist, and all the other sites link to their website, to find out about this new video and talk of your new album.

Yeah, or you can just do that yourself.

It might not be as pretty, or as grand, but what are you gonna do?

Wait around for a big outlet to cover you?

Spend hours posting every day on social media platforms that only let you reach 5% of your fans?

You’re already posting a dozen photos on Instagram from the video shoot, with 200 word captions.

PUT IT ON YOUR WEBSITE.

When people visit your website they can learn more about you:

• They can fall madly in love with you and your vision!
• They can watch your videos without seeing SUGGESTED VIDEOS from bands with much higher creative budgets than you!
• They can BUY YOUR MERCH, AND PRE-ORDER YOUR RECORDS.

Give your fans a reason to visit your website, because these social media platforms won’t be around forever.

In 2006 MySpace was the biggest music site in U.S.
In 2008 it was AOL Music (I know because I worked there, and we got foam “WE’RE #1” hands).

Neither are a blip on the radar today.

Own your space: set up a website today and control your brand.
Own your face: set up an email list today so you can speak directly to your fans.

See, people still visit websites.

Maybe not your website, but that’s because your website hasn’t been updated in four months and probably loads sideways on mobile.

But hey – websites are cheaper and easier to make than ever, and you don’t need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to band websites.

Seth, how does this relate to email lists?

Just like you don’t propose on a first date, you don’t usually get someone’s email address on the first visit either.

Especially if your website is boring.

Put some interesting stuff on your website, then eventually (hopefully) someone gives you their email address.

Load your site with exciting content like behind the scenes photos, stories from the road, a glimpse into the song-writing process.

You do know you’re already doing this right?

Those are all the things you share on social media every day that probably 90%+ of your followers never see (like how 94% of Fear Factory’s audience didn’t see their recent social media posts about an album anniversary).

Tease stuff on social media.
Put more of the exciting stuff on your website.
The stuff that fans won’t want to miss.
Let people sign up to get notified when you post new stuff.

As time rolls on, it will get harder to connect with your fans through social media.

Set up an email list. Repurpose your social media content. Send emails that people want to read. Send updates to your fans who are probably missing most everything you post on social media anyways.

Figure out your Social Media Escape Plan today, because these platforms can disappear tomorrow.

“Legacy blue checks will be removed soon,” tweeted Mr. Musk, “those are the ones that are truly corrupt.”

My friends, here’s a short list of the most notable names in metal with the “corrupt” legacy blue checks on Twitter:

Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Testament, Black Sabbath, Metal Blade Records, Nuclear Blast Records, Metal Hammer, Exodus, Napalm Death, Behemoth, Cradle of Filth, Suffocation, Municipal Waste, Loudwire, Lamb Of God, Arch Enemy, Hatebreed, Earache Records, Revocation, Kreator, Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth (and Dave Mustaine), Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe, Korn

So you’re telling me all these bands will start paying Twitter $8-11/mo for the joy of reaching 10% of their followers?

Ooooh, this is gonna get interesting!

Below I’m blasting SOCIAL MEDIA, not Fear Factory!

I could do this sort of surface-level reporting for almost every metal band out there, since social media is horrible for all of us, across the board.

That said, posting a notable anniversary on social media is fantastic way to drive engagement! Great idea!

Right?

Yikes.

Here’s the surface level breakdown:

• 780,300 total followers (Twitter + Facebook + Instagram)
• 45,600 views (across all three platforms)

That means 6% of their total social media audience saw these posts.

Which means 94% of their audience on social media had no idea about the 13th birthday of ‘Mechanize.’

That means 734,700 followers probably didn’t stream the album on a DSP, or watch this video on YouTube:

Again, not pointing fingers at Fear Factory – this is across the board, friends. We’re all in this same boat, and it’s filled with holes.

So start thinking about your Social Media Escape Plan, as it won’t get any easier (or cheaper) to reach your fans this year on any of the social media platforms.