The Post-World War II economic expansion led to the explosion of American suburbs and the classic Leave It To Beaver imagery.

A television in every home. More time for leisure led to more screen time which gave advertisers more opportunity to tap your brain.

Even before television there was radio, door-to-door salesmen…one could even argue that advertising began in the golden days of rock art.

Although some say marketing is a young discipline; others say it has existed since the first buyers and sellers developed the concept of a marketplace.  This would include non-monetary exchanges such as barter and trade which still happens more than we tend to realize.

The point is that most of us have been programmed by a world full of commercial broadcast messages. Growing up with multiple TVs in the home, multiple screens in every bar, and now movies stream to the phones in our pockets; how is it possible to avoid?

Imagine a time…

There was a very hefty chunk of human history when we survived in small family units and lived with the land.

Obviously something happened and we multiplied…

Along the way it became clear that some of us were really skilled with cattle and some of us grew amazing tomatoes.

Now if I grew amazing tomatoes but I loved steak, I’m pretty sure I would find the guy with the best cattle and offer him some juicy eats in exchange for a thick T-bone.

With that said, I believe…

Social Media is taking us back

Every day I witness the power Social Media is giving back to individuals as well as their tribes (or in this case, fan base).

Each new artist we work with strengthens my belief that we are tuning out traditional broadcast messages. We now have full control of filtering what we consume.

Instead of settling for 1-way communication ( TV, radio, and satellite), we log-in and search for what we want or ask those closest to us for their recommendations and opinions.

We also have the power to create our own content and share it. Not only with our close friends but the entire globe…in just a few clicks.

If your content sucks or you just like to yell at people demanding attention, we simply turn you off and move on.

When you follow someone on Twitter, friend them on Facebook, or fan them on ReverbNation, in essence, you are knocking on their door and shaking their hand hoping to grab their attention with enough force to get ’em hooked.

Simply put, how good are your social skills?

Do you know:

• Who your ideal fan is?
• What they read?
• What they watch?
• How they buy music?
• Where do they hang out?
• Are they religious?

If you do, it’s highly probable you already know which tribe(s) you belong to.

I happen to be a father, husband, hip hop head, songwriter, blogger, social media geek…you get the idea.

 What’s the point?

As the major labels and the rest of the music industry are still getting a grip on peer-to-peer file sharing, the Internet and technology in general; the music business is going back to what it used to be…

Passionate people that love music and work for little pay to simply help inspiring talent take it to the next level.

It’s that hard rock band from down the block who sleep in a run-down van surviving off one meal a day going city to city booking gigs while they drive.

It’s that aspiring songwriter who puts her heart and soul into her YouTube channel everyday waiting for someone to notice and leave a comment.

It’s you, it’s me, it’s us.

As independent labels and artists continue educating themselves on the power of marketing via the web, it solidifies the fact that have to have a team to make it.

Manager, booking agent, publisher, your website guy, your street team, your mailing list, and every single fan are all necessary elements for a healthy music career.

Even the guy who stands in the back corner at your local shows but talks sh** about you on his blog contributes to the efforts..

Ally with other tribes for exponential growth

Now that you have the ability to introduce yourself to just about anyone, I suggest you do it.

If you found an amazing punk band and you feel this band is the perfect fit for sharing the stage next to you on your upcoming small tour…

What’s stopping you from contacting them and finding out more about their schedule and if they are interested in swapping gigs? In return, you can book a show in your city and provide them a place to stay when they are there.

If that band has a loyal following and you make music their fans will enjoy, chances are your fan base can grow significantly overnight.

…and Collaborate

I receive messages quite often from artists asking about collab opportunities. On the flip side, we also send messages to other artists to discuss our own collaboration ideas.

The fastest way to put your talent in front of a brand new audience is to collaborate with others who already have one.

It’s a win-win for both because you gain exposure to their tribe and they gain exposure to yours.

Remember…

The days of shoving advertisements in our face in order to sell units are dwindling.

Social Media gives us the ability to build our own tribes and ally with other tribes in order to develop our own economies.

You have to know what tribe(s) you belong to, how to get the attention of those people, and how to give them what they are searching for.

If you do not take the time to introduce yourself, demand too much attention, or your content sucks, your marketing will be unsuccessful.

Content includes songs, videos, stories from the road, photos from your last show, or merchandise. You can also provide gear reviews, share your recording process when you’re in the studio, or review albums from other bands in your genre.

Content is what you use to engage your audience so it is imperative that you create to the best of your abilities.

After you have achieved this, it’s all a matter of maintaining a tribal mentality as you grow.

Think small, grow big.