“…the human stuff is far more important than the software.” – Chris Brogan and Julien Smith in Trust Agents
There are a lot of books on the market about the “how-to” of social media/Web 2.0 and the psychology behind the marketing. Trust Agents addresses both elements in a context I haven’t seen done so far (at least not as well). Chris Brogan and Julien Smith teach readers to focus on the human side of the relationships built online, using social media/Web 2.0 tools as a relationship enhancer instead of a replacement for real connection.
I like this book so much because of the “human” focus. Brogan and Smith really emphasize the importance of getting to know your customers (or in a musician’s case, fans) and genuinely reaching out to them. Web tools are the powerful means to achieve the connection. When you think about it, isn’t this kind of like music (a medium used by performers to convey their message to listeners)?
This insight couldn’t be more helpful to someone coming up with a digital music strategy. Potential clients always tell me “I want more friends on MySpace/Facebook/etc…” but few realize what “more friends” really means. With thousands of bands online, musicians have to work extra hard to stand out online. Trust Agents guides the process with actionable principles like becoming “One of Us” and being “Agent Zero” (the importance of having a digital home base).
The book also gets into using new social media/Web 2.0 to “create your own game”. Acts like Radiohead and Mickey Factz came to mind as I read this chapter. Essentially, Brogan and Smith stress that you have to know the game then use what you know to make your own rules and create your own advantage.
I strongly recommend Trust Agents to anyone serious about their digital music strategy or wanting a general understanding of how effective social media use. It’s especially good for people who say “I’ve joined all the social networks and uploaded my music to all the distribution sites…now what?” The answer is to get fans to trust you and everything else will fall into place. Trust Agents tells you how to get it done.
Click here to Buy “Trust Agents” from Amazon
- AKB
