The Hidden Risks of Real-Time Buzz

Posted on 14. Jul, 2009 by refe in STRATEGY

The new real-time media culture has brought with it many incredible opportunities, but when you take a closer look it quickly reveals itself to be a double-edged sword.

Platforms like Twitter make it possible to stay frighteningly up-to-date on what’s going on in the world, whether it’s the death of a pop legend or a civil uprising across the world. The same goes for trends in music. If a band or a sound gets big, it’s likely to get big fast.

Faster is not always better, though. In fact, when a band comes out of nowhere and makes a big splash it can create unrealistic expectations, or worse, consumer fatigue. So, while generating buzz may be easier than ever, it may do more harm than good.

Too much of this business (and business in general) is built on promising consumers the world and giving them mediocrity. It’s much better to under-promise and over-deliver. How many times have you un-followed an artist on Twitter after the fifteenth time they tweet “Check out my awesome new record! It will blow your mind!” No, it won’t. How do I know this? If it was really going to blow my mind you wouldn’t have to warn me before hand. Somebody else – someone whose mind your record had already blown – would be telling me all about it instead.

Word of mouth used to take months or even years to spread. Now, I can send an update to hundreds or thousands of people all at once telling them how much I like the new Foreign Born record, or how much I’ve been listening to Phoenix. That update joins with a larger stream of conversations around those bands and the resulting buzz can be remarkable. That’s real-time, and it’s nearly impossible to manage effectively.

Yet, the faster word spreads the faster it risks losing its power. Even worse, what once was a lot of positive hype can quickly become a stigma. As Lefsetz recently put it:

“The mantra of the Internet age is slow and steady. [Its] the dreaded Pitchfork Syndrome. The site makes you, you sell product and tour to many, then the site says your next album is not as good and you’re OVER! Be careful what you wish for.”

So take your time. Build your fan base through honest, humble interactions and hard work. PR is good, and certainly don’t stop marketing your music. But remember that you’re an artist first. Buzz will come and go. The majority of your energy should be poured into crafting great music that gives your listeners something to tell their friends about. That is the only way to achieve lasting success.

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