This week's topic is Facebook! What are the many ways that we, as dancers, use Facebook as a means of communication about dance performances, classes, and even related to hiring people for jobs?
RSVPs for Dance Performances (and Fundraisers)
For many independent choreographers, it can be very stressful estimating how many people will attend your upcoming event. These days, artists post events on Facebook, creating publicity and buzz about an event. I personally always try to make the effort, when invited to an event via Facebook, to actually rsvp whether or not I will be attending. Let's help each other out on this front.
Free Publicity
In this digital age, many choreographers, companies, dance studios, and nonprofit organizations can now publicize about their work for free by using many social media options. Every dollar counts for artists, so this is a definite plus for using sites like Facebook. Facebook allows for a nice balance of text and images about your work. I wonder how many artists, companies, and dance centers have now reached the "paperless phase" and can successfully get audience members and students without posters, postcards, and brochures?
Getting Information Out Quickly - Subbing for Classes, Sold Out Shows, and More
Facebook is a great way to spread the word quickly and to a large group of people. You might be home with the flu, and your dedicated group of students might like to know that your class is cancelled. You might be jumping in to sub for a class, and a post on FB might do the trick to fill the room. Your intimate dance event this evening that only seats 50 people might be sold out, and letting people know might help them figure out another date to attend the show.
Linking and Connecting
It is now so easy to make easy and accessible links from Facebook to your other projects, especially Kickstarter campaigns, blog posts, and various pages on your main website. The format of a post on FB makes it easy to create these links. I myself have 3 blogs (including this one) through typepad.com. After I write each post, I always have the option to share my post via Facebook. I frequently do it, and can also track how many people "click through" to the blog posts.
"Background Checks" on Potential Hires
Our personal and professional lives indeed get blurred on Facebook. A note of caution - be mindful of what you post on Facebook. Silly and outrageous images and updates might hurt you when a future employer is wondering about your character and professionalism. A future employer might simply Google your name or look you up through Google Images, and this might lead them to Facebook. It indeed will pay off to be more mindful of what you post. The dance world is small, and your information on Facebook is easy to find even if you aren't "friends" with a person.
Paying It Forward - Writing a Post about Someone Else
After the Bebe Miller performance at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts the other week, the Director of Performing Arts (Marc Bamuthi Joseph) asked the audience to post, tweet, etc. about the show to friends and colleagues. I too wanted to see the audience filled for the next night's show, and indeed I went home and made a post about my experience. I pasted in a link to the show, and a nice image popped up to accompany my post. I highly encourage all of us to do this occasionally for friends and colleagues - about performances, classes, fundraisers, Kickstart Campaigns, and more.
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