The 'Social' is holding Social Media back...but should it?

As much as marketers like to throw in marketing terms or complicate their description of exactly what they do through digital channels (“helping businesses make the most of positive brand associations and customer produced content" is Barry Dewar's attempt), ultimately what you do as a business via Facebook etc is currently (and probably always) going to be under the umbrella and title of 'Social Media'.

So what's the problem? Quite simply, and pedantically, it's the word 'social'. In a conversation with @DanielMcLaren from The UK Sports Network here at The Jazz Cafe he made a very good point that got me thinking (and indeed inspired me to create this post) when he said 'everyone sees their kids at home on Facebook looking through photos and talking to their friends etc'. As a result of this, when your boss comes in and sees you on Facebook he will instantly think you're doing the same (perhaps with some basis with a section of professional people!) usually resulting in it being blocked at work. It is 'social' - but it's also a hugely useful and dynamic marketing and customer service tool. The fact that it's 'social' should not subtract from the fact it's becoming vital within the business world (see examples in my post 'Social Media in The Events Industry' of how Social Media has benefited us here at The Jazz Cafe).

But ultimately it does subtract from this in many people's eyes - the term 'Social Media' is  'like a millstone around the neck of modern digital marketing' as Mr Dewar asserts. The modern age in general feels the need to catergorise everything, and the new media platforms (Twitter / LinkedIn / WordPress / Blogger etc) are most definitely now burdened in the business world with being 'Social Media'. Anyone who's tried to convince their boss it's a good way to spend their time and equally anyone who's tried to convince a customer to embark on/pay for a Social Media strategy will be very familiar with the fact that it's a 'such a hard sell'. Much like here at The Jazz Cafe when tasked to promote a non Jazz band I am forced to open with the line 'We're called The Jazz Cafe but it's not always/usually jazz that's played here', when explaining social media I'm sure we've all used something similar to 'Social media is not just about talking to friends on Facebook...'. Before you've even got down to what you should be discussing (business drivers, ways of monitoring, objectives of campaign etc) you've got to initially convince them that you're not wasting their time!

It only affects me when trying to illustrate the benefits of social media to the powers that be at The Jazz Cafe (and also when explaining aspects of my job to my friends, who will without fail do what Mr Dewar refers to in his article as “'stare at you blankly or ask “so, you post stuff on Facebook then?"'). But, I'm reliably informed, it is a big issue facing PR and Marketing companies.

Thanks to Tom Humbarger and his article My Social Media Job Description 

for this image - I thought it was apt!

My argument, and the reason for this post, is does it actually matter that it's social? I've read many blogs and been to a number of seminars where people have done their best to insinuate that social media is not only about being social and it's not just talking to people on Twitter....well, it sort of is isn't it? Don't get me wrong I am savvy to other ways of infiltrating the public both directly and indirectly through digital channels, and I'm also of the firm belief every company using social media should treat it like any other marketing campaign, but the most important part of Twitter is talking to people; the most important part of Facebook is posting interesting updates - the most important part of social media is being social. Companies need to wake up to the fact that this is part of the future of marketing. I've recently been speaking to a very large company who are umming and ahhing (I think i've spelt that right?) about whether to commit to a social media campaign or not. This is going to happen whether you are involved in it or not...I'm just happy that us here at The Jazz Cafe are playing a (very small) part in it!

Marketing, and business in general, is becoming less controllable and more user focussed - it's just the way of the world at the moment and the Big Brother state we are moving towards (thank you Google World). You can no longer prevent bad reviews getting into the public domain, there is no longer a hiding place for mistakes. But Ithink this is a positive shift, a genuine forward step for the way company's approach customer interface. People are scared of what they don't know and of losing power - social media is a large leap forwards. Only the good and honest businesses will prosper within it (hopefully The Jazz being one of them), surely that's how it should be?

We should stop shying away from the 'social' side of social media and definitely stop making excuses for it. I like Jason Pine's in depth analysis of culture within social marketing ("What role does “Culture” have in Social Marketing?") , it's the sort of human face and emotive approach that business is evolving towards. I disagree with Barry Dewar's solution to the 'social media problem' within business of both a) stopping referring to it and b) stopping talking about it. I think we should do the exact opposite - openly embrace it's social nature and shout from the rooftops it's obvious benefits. It's the future, and if people haven't wised up to it already they will soon have to.

See http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/ for up-to-date info on what's going on here.
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Social Media Experts - do they actually exist?

In May 2009 B.L.Ochman used Tweepsearch to investigate peoples bios to see what they were describing themselves as - staggeringly there were 15,740 profiles who proclaimed to be some form of a social media 'expert'. Apparently there were over 800 'gurus', 79 'ninjas' and 68 social media 'stars'. Have a look at the list here - well worth a chuckle.

However there is a serious undertone to these findings. Pete Cashmore founder, of 'Mashable' (fast becoming my Bible), noted that social media as a 'growing industry needs trust and reputation' and that 'such stats provide fodder for those who would say that social media is simply hot air'. As Mr Cashmore explains, by 2012 this number will rise to over 30 million if the same increase in self-proclaimed 'experts' continues. With so many people claiming to be experts, it belittles the knowledge of  the select few who genuinely have specific expertise in the field. So why are so many people proclaiming that they are experts, and how can they possibly justify this without any certification available?

Quite frankly, I don't think they can. But they are allowed to claim they are 'experts'  because there is little we can do to prove they're not. Social media is still in its infancy (Twitter is barely 4 years old) and the wider public do not have the sufficient knowledge to question what they are being told. Moreover there are no set guidelines to prevent such claims. We here at The Jazz Cafe joined Twitter just over a year ago and back then I certainly wouldn't be confident in questioning what people were informing me - it took me 3 months to figure out what it was!

As you can see from B.L.Ochman's findings, rarely do people call themselves 'novices' or inexperienced...but they should! There's no shame in it. Social media is brand new for all of us and we're all trying to find our feet. Even those tweeters who are experienced are still learning every day from new tracking tools, new ways of infiltrating conversations etc. As that good old reliable information source Wikipedia will tell you 'by March 2010 Twitter recorded a 1,500% increase in the number of registered users and its staff had grown fivefold' - that is an incredible, phenomenal and unprecedented level of growth. 1500%!! We'd certainly welcome that growth in business here at The Jazz! With new divisions and software being created continuously I feel I can say with some justification that it is virtually impossible to be able to deal with 1500% growth to the extent you could profoundly become an 'expert' in any field at all.

I'm not claiming that those who profess to be 'experts' are not highly knowledgeable - they must have some experience/skills to back up their claims - but I do feel there is a certain level of 'jumping on the bandwagon'. More cynically individuals are being opportunist in taking advantage of people's naivety and businesses lack of patience. If you were to click on a social media 'expert's website it would be a rare occurrence to not discover they are selling a book or an alternate product under the guise of their superior social abilities.

It's this level of opportunism and applying it to self promotion that frustrates me. There are credible individuals and marketing companies out there who can genuinely help social media start-ups but they are, to a certain extent, being undermined by what Rohit Bhargava describes as 'Pretenders'. As 'Affiliate Marketing Tips' fittingly assert to B.L. Ochman's original findings, 'everybody's an expert these days (it) makes you wonder who to turn to for good advice'.

Mr Bhargava presents the first steps to a solution in his blog post 'The 12 Types Of "Social Media Experts"' as he categorises all those who claim to be 'experts'. All forms of commercial marketing have what Mr Bhargava describes (Designers, Strategists, Curators etc) so it's reasonable to apply these labels to it's newest division; Social Media. At The Jazz Cafe we now integrate Social Media into our overall marketing strategy, and we approach it exactly the same as everything else we do with a plan and a way of tracking success.

The only thing I would change about Mr Bhargava's categorisation of 'experts' is the removal of the word 'expert' entirely - I simply don't think it's possible to be a social media expert yet, and it probably never will be. One year on from joining twitter The Jazz Cafe's account has developed from meaningless advertising messages to an implemented strategic plan...and it's continually changing and improving. I firmly believe that social media is only going to get bigger and bigger and with this we will all have to keep learning new aspects and approaches day by day.

As Warren Whitlock tells B.L.Ochman 'if social media has taught us anything.. it's that we can't pretend anymore. Authenticity will prevail'. Hopefully 'experts' take note.

So does a Social Media Expert exist? I'll let Doubledown Tandino have the last word: 'The proof is in the pudding. Always.'


For more of my views on Social Media see my blog post 'Social Media in the Events Industry'.


See http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/ for up-to-date info on what's going on here.
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Club Soul's approach to music...

Each and every band we put on here at The Jazz Cafe have been hand selected - in most cases we've been to see the band perform at least once before they are booked in. However in the instance of London based Club Soul I have not only checked out the music of their drummer Owen Martin once or twice - I grew up listening to him perform anything from Heavy Rock through to Club Soul's unique fusion of 'reggae, jazz, soul and blues'.

I went to school with Owen  in #rdg (Theale Green if you're asking - before it got the 'community' bit added on). He was a few years above me and one of my brother's friends...and performed at every house evening/social event you could come across. Just as comfortable on guitar as drums, everyone was aware that the school had a talented musician in their ranks, and none would be surprised to see him still performing to the same standard today. So it should be equally as unsurprising I was keen to get him to perform here at The Jazz.

Now part of the formidable Club Soul, I asked him to give us a (very) brief lowdown on the band before their concert here this Saturday.

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Club Soul - Owen Martin

How long have you been playing the drums?
Getting on for 18 years now.
What influences have their been in the formation of Club Soul?
We share a love of soul and funk music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, as well as a love of free food and buffets.

What personal influences have you had as a musician?
Too many to list, but I guess it would start with my parents’ band - who I began sitting in with at a young age

Who is the best drummer of all time?
I can never narrow it down to one, so I’ll just say Ringo

How would you describe Club Soul's ‘sound’?
Well we’ve got a definite 70s and 80s vibe going on, but then there’s reggae, jazz, soul, blues too – everyone brings something different to the table!

You get booked for a lot of weddings etc – what do you prefer, private bookings or venue bookings?
Both have their advantages and disadvantages – venues often provide a better atmosphere, but then we’ve played some great weddings too. And there’s often free food.

If you could pick one song that the band enjoy performing most, what would it be?
It’s got to be All Night Long for me. Can’t beat a bit of Lionel J.
(Hear Club Soul playing some of their songs here).

What do you make of the music scene in Reading?
I’ve not lived locally for a few years, but it sounds pretty exciting – there’s a good few Reading bands gaining national recognition now

You're back in Reading for your performance at The Jazz Cafe - are you looking forward to seeing some of your friends at the gig?
Some of them I'm looking forward to seeing yes....:) We're all really excited about the gig though, me in particular. Returning to play in Reading always brings the best out of me!

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You can gain entrance to this unique concert for just £5 if you arrive before 9.30pm.
Hear examples of Club Soul's live performances here.

Call 01189681442 if you wish to reserve a table in our restaurant for the evening or to pre-book your entrance tickets.

See what else is coming up at The Jazz Cafe here.
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The UK Salsa Scene

It's not just Jazz at The Jazz Cafe - in fact it's not only live music! From Comedy Nights to Belly Dancing there's a whole variety of events here to keep The Jazz Cafe fresh. Our longest running (non live music) evening is our once monthly Sunday night Salsa evenings.

Now approaching it's second year anniversery, each and every single event has been full wall-to-wall with high quality salsa dancing and teaching. I've had the pleasure of being at all 21 events run jointly by Dance2Salsa and The Alchemy Dance Company and I'd be surprised if there was a more lively and eagerly attended dance event in the area.

With the monthly event being this Sunday 18th July, I asked Dance2Salsa's very own Basil Pinnock to give a unique insight into the UK Salsa scene:

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 The UK Salsa Scene - Basil Pinnock    

  

Salsa in the UK compared to other countries...

Salsa in the UK is going through a bit of an overhaul at the moment and in some respects (in my opinion) is playing catchup in relation to other countries. There is some fantastic talent now coming through and I think that in the next couple of years we are going to see some amazing dancers coming out of the UK.

The effect of the economic climate on Salsa...

These are indeed difficult times for everyone financially. The leisure industry can be particularly impacted because leisure is often something that a lot of people can do without if things become tight financially. There is no doubt that salsa has been affected but there are companies in the industry who are still doing well - Dance2Salsa being one of them. I believe (and I am reliably informed) that this is  because we excel in areas that are important to dancers and salsa attendees generally. As a consequence, the various party nights, including our night at The Jazz Cafe, and classes that we host are always well attended.

The popularity of Salsa in Reading compared to the rest of the UK...

I think the salsa scene is pretty evenly populated around the major cities and centres across the country. As with any capital, London probably has more salsa dancers than anywhere else with perhaps a greater diversity of styles, dancers and teachers.

Inviting and friendly...

Part of the reason Salsa is so popular is the social and friendly nature of it's community. Our classes are open to anyone of any age who are fit, healthy and are willing to spend a few hours a week learning a fantastic dance. We have regular classes that start every 6 weeks throughout the year at our respective venues - full details are on our website.

Quality teaching and syllabus are key...

Every company that carries on business are attempting to offer a Unique Selling Point. Our USP is a quality of service and delivery, supported by a well researched and tested dance development program. Some of the best dancers in the area have been taught by Dance2Salsa and we have some of the best teachers delivering the Dance2Salsa syllabus. Put simply, in the area of creating great dancers, we do this better than most.

There are a number of very talented dancers emerging from Dance2Salsa and it is my opinion that we already have and will continue to produce top dancers capable of performing at the highest levels. In the last few years Dance2Salsa have produced 8 different performance teams that have gone on to perform at the top salsa clubs across the country. We also regularly play host to some of the countries top teachers and performers at our regular monthly party nights.

The role of social media within Salsa...

As a promoter, I have been involved in and with various methods of marketing. At the beginning of my journey, there was a lot more legwork involved as I had to get around to other events, classes and parties etc. Spreading the word about my classes was very heavily based on flyer promotions at various clubs and vocal networking. Social media has absolutely revolutionised the marketing effectiveness of my business. Facilities like facebook, email marketing and website promotion, to name but a few, have enabled promoters like me to massively increase my effectiveness whilst going through fewer changes of tyres on my car! The biggest impact of social media is that I can now promote nationally and internationally; something that I could not do effectively in the past.

The Jazz Cafe as a Salsa venue...

One of my primary drivers in delivering the service that I do is to host classes, parties and events in high quality venues. The Jazz Cafe is without doubt one of the classiest venues around and is somewhere that encourages people to make an effort and dress up for the night. As a company, I am proud to align myself with The Jazz Cafe.

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The next Salsa evening here at The Jazz Cafe is this Sunday 18th July.

7pm Doors open

7.30pm: Cha Cha - Levels 1 & 2 + Salsa Beginners

8.30pm: Improvers, Intermediate and Advanced Salsa

9.30pm: Freestyle

Midnight: Close

Cost - £8 all night

Visit Dance2Salsa's website to find out more

See http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/ for up-to-date info on what's going on here.
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Interview with DANYL JOHNSON (08/07/2010)

Wind back the clock to August 2009 and a 27 year old Drama Teacher from Arborfield was fast becoming the most talked about person in the country. Performing what Simon Cowell described as 'the best first audition I have ever heard' on The X Factor, Danyl Johnson was shooting his way into the public eye...and in a big way.

I knew I had to get Danyl to perform here at The Jazz Cafe at some point, and on June 10th we finally got our man! Headlining 'The Robbie Variety Performance' - www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/danyl_johnson.asp - in conjunction with @getreading and @reading107fm, Danyl took to the stage for the Royal Berkshire Hospital's fundraising event to try and keep the pneumatic drill that treats cancer sufferers 'Robbie the Robot' in Reading.

Depressingly despite organising the event I was on holiday for the showcase, but each and every single member of staff made the point of informing me of not only how well Danyl performed (proof to be seen here - 'Danyl Johnson live at The Jazz Cafe') but also how humble and generous he was. The volume of thank-you notes received from people who attended the event via my e-mail, Facebook and Twitter account were testament to this. Photos from the evening can be seen below or by clicking here.

One month on from the event, this was my first direct contact with the man...so I was keen to find out for myself exactly what Danyl Johnson is all about. I discovered his admiration for Plan B, his affection for gingerbreadmen and his plans for the future....

Chris:

Firstly I hear you're feeling under the weather at the moment - everyone at The Jazz Cafe wishes you a speedy recovery...

The Robbie Variety Performance held here was a big success, raising into the thousands for the hospital (exact figure still TBC), and you were on top form in front of a packed audience. Did you enjoy it?

Danyl:

I loved it! The audience were so good and I'm so glad that we raised so much money. We need to make sure Reading keeps Robbie!

Chris:

You performed a lot of your own songs which I know was appreciated by your hardcore fans – do you get more enjoyment playing your own material than you do with covers?

Danyl:

I just love playing, it's great when the fans like your own stuff but who can resist a good old sing along to Man In The Mirror?!

Chris:

Did you get the chance to see any of the other acts on the evening such as Has Reading Got Talent winner Donna DeFazio (this link also having been filmed here at The Jazz Cafe in 2009) and RBH rapper 4Fingaz amongst others? If you did, what did you think?

Danyl:

I made sure I saw everyone - it's all about supporting local talent and I'm glad I did as they were all so talented.

Chris

You performed locally here at The Jazz Cafe, and following your success and fame from The X Factor you’ve made sure that you perform local to your Arborfield origins on regular occasions. Is it important to you to give your home audience frequent opportunities to see you perform live?

Danyl:

Of course, I love playing in 'my house' as I don't get the chance to do it that much - so when I do I give everything.

Chris:

Along those lines I've had a question sent in from Bernice Canning who wants to know "When will you be doing another local gig....and you owe me a cup of coffee!"

Danyl:

(There will be) a few in the future, and I do owe you coffee. Soon...

Chris:

Ha, I'm sure she'll be delighted! You’re active on twitter – do you enjoy communicating to fans on the site?

Danyl:

I'm addicted to twitter. I like what people have to say, good or bad!

Chris:

Your fans are very loyal, how would you describe your relationship with the ‘Fanyls’?

Danyl:

I love my fanyls, their support and love is amazing.

Chris:

With that in mind - once news got out that I would be chatting to you I've been inundated with questions and requests from your fans! So I hope you don't mind answering a couple of their questions as well:

Q What does it feel like to see familiar faces at most of your gigs? (Lauren Kearton – Number 1 fan)

Danyl:

It's great to see everyone at the front singing along and enjoying themselves. I'm getting (to know) everyones names now, so I always do shout-outs at gigs.

Q How long have you been dancing for? (Georgia Taylor)

Danyl:

On and off since I was 19 - I miss it sometimes. It means now (that) I don't do it anymore I have to go to the gym, and I hate the gym!

Q Are you planning on releasing "Beautiful Life" by yourself, even without a record label? (Danyls Fanyls)

Danyl:

There are a lot of plans and work going on. I want to write loads more songs first. Just watch this space.

Q Do you like gingerbreadmen??! (Mustang Emily)

Danyl:

I love them, can you make them?? If so I'll have 4 please.

Q Who is your favourite artist and band at the moment? (Abigail Tomlin)
Danyl:
Plan B.

Q Are you happy? Because that is all that matters in life. (Moll41)
Danyl:
I'm very happy thanks. Always smile, that's what I say.

This not so much a question but Lauren Cross wants you to know that she is "without a doubt your number one fan! I spent £250 voting for you on The X Factor and cried when I saw you on The X Factor tour!"
Danyl:

Thank you so much for the support and I'm sorry I made you cry. Just watch this space.

Chris:

That's great - I know you've made a lot of people very happy there! As your Fanyls alluded to, ‘Beautiful Life’ was a success with your fans – what next for Danyl Johnson?

Danyl:

Writing more and getting some good music out there.

Chris:

And finally…following your gig here there have been large calls for you to come back and perform again at The Jazz Cafe. What do you think....?

Danyl:

Anytime, just call...

Chris:

Ha great, I definitely will! Thanks for giving up your time to answer our questions.

During his time on The X Factor Danyl was tarnished with allegations of arrogance and being two-faced - each single member of The Jazz Cafe staff noted exactly how kind and down to earth Danyl was on the night. For me Danyl has always been contactable, always willing to talk to us - my experience of Danyl Johnson is of someone who just wants to perform music and for people to enjoy listening/seeing him doing it. As he said himself, hopefully you'll see him do that again here at The Jazz Cafe very soon - in his words 'watch this space'.

Chris Gillett

See http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/ for up-to-date info on what's going on here.
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Social Media in the Events industry

Being deeply immersed in the 'events' industry it's interesting to see how the sector has embraced social media into its marketing strategy, or in most cases how it hasn't!

If you sift through your twitter followers you will see numerous restaurants, bars, events agencies etc (The Jazz Cafe included...hopefully). But as with all businesses on twitter, to utilise the medium fully it's not as simple as tweeting generic advertising and marketing messages - the twitterati are much smarter than that. In her excellent blog 'Eight things I hate about Business Twittering' @EmmerSimms discusses how 'doing twitter wrong as a business is worse than not doing it at all' which sounds crazy, but she's 100 percent right. The fundamental principle of a venue's approach to twitter should be to give it a human face; a personality and a means of giving its consumers greater access and interaction with them (I've often toyed -and still do- with changing my twitter username to ChrisJazzCafe to help achieve this more). In simply tweeting '3 course meal for £25 tonight' or 'indie night - free entry for students' or any see-through offer from your companies profile with a picture of a building as their avatar you will only act to distance your business further from your disillusioned public - the exact opposite effect you should be searching for.

Give it personality - speak to people, share your feelings. In Emma's article (that really is a must read) all 8 bullet points are relevant, but a particular dislike of mine is what she refers to in number 4 'Follow floggers'. Twitter isn't a numbers game - a recent contact of mine was after social media advice and the first question asked was 'how many followers do you have?' I'd rather have 50 that I engage with than 5000 I spam - numbers are virtually irrelevant.

I've been guilty in my early twitter days of 'spam shopping' as Emma put it, and I got nothing from twitter - and deservedly so! I can still do better, but now that I engage with people and actually have conversations the results have been mirrored to the effort put in. @RichardCharon is a good example of how opening dialogue with someone can lead to future business. After regular dialogue, not sales-talk, with Richard he paid us a visit here at The Jazz Cafe as a customer and enjoyed himself. As a member of BNI, when the issue of a group outing arose Richard recommended coming to one of our monthly comedy nights http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/gallery-comedyclub2.asp. A couple of months after initial dialogue was made we had a large party booking and key new contacts made. You'd have to ask Richard if a generic 'Live music / comedy event here tonight' tweet would have had the same result - I suspect not.

Whole events have been organised from start to finish on twitter. A recommendation from @sandieb321 led to @NickyAACampbell getting in touch and a subsequent concert was planned http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/moonlights.asp. From this concert came new twitter friend @LorraineMX5 and a brand new fanbase created. The same is true of Danyl Johnson's fan account @Danyls_Fanyls and the packed concert that followed www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/danyl_johnson.asp. See the attendance of @phil_creighton at www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/thejazzsessions.asp and charity events for @sblethyn for similar stories.

In essence what I am trying to say is that the events industry more than most sectors has the opportunity with social media to truly enhance their brand if they simply paid it the respect it deserves. I recently discovered http://www.eventcrowd.com/ with over 2000 members, and you can count the thousands of event groups on LinkedIn....so the industry is beginning to wake up and take note.

There are great workshops out there such as @Nigel_Morgan's (http://www.morganpr.co.uk/) for companies to understand what they should be doing, and @ProteanMarcom have a great starter guide available (http://ow.ly/27vq1) so there really is no excuse anymore. I'm trying my best...honest!

Oh - that's my debut blog by the way :)

See http://www.thejazzcafe.co.uk/ for up-to-date info on what's going on here.
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