true, i think some or most web apps/widgets does the job of promoting one’s business or art in a limited way…but it really helps…they’re like different stores or markets some are big and well known, the others are small and surrounded by many others…they attract users because they’re simple to use and free….podcasting is a good way to promote oneself or even by having your album art on itunes front panel is even better…

i haven’t had too much time on the web navigating or experimenting specific tools that would work “world wide”…except for well known ones like i mentioned above….itunes, yahoo, hotmail ( i once saw your “strange birds” banner there) are good marketing tools but for a fee…

however, i still value the old form of promotion - print ads, traditional media, posters, etc….all in which people outside their homes get to see, and be informed about (but cannot interact interactively)…only thing is it is a lot expensive and time consuming than promoting using web tools/widgets…

i hope your next album would be promoted widely….like worldwide…it would be cool to find another great promotional tool for it…via web of course because traditional ones are here already

both of them can deliver it’s purpose well

You always bring about interesting points to ponder upon

Hi David,

I use Mogulus and IE7 and my browser never crashes. Mogulus introduced new code for embeds about two weeks ago. Have you tried it?

Chuck Boyce
http://chucktv.ning.com
Microsoft Digital Media MVP

It’s funny… Facebook took us [Haunted Hamilton] just 6 months to get almost 1,000 members, while our main website subscription took almost 10 years to hit that amount. What is it with Facebook??

One one side of the coin, it’s an invaluable tool to connect to the masses and spread the word, but on the other side, it opens my personal world up to complete strangers [do i really want all these people seeing photos of my cat, my vacations, etc.]?

I view Twitter and text messaging like passing notes in class. It’s not like you can’t tell that person your thoughts at a later time…it’s more about the immediacy factor. As David said “I want, what I want, when I want.” We live in a society that is moment by moment. Everything seems so fast-paced. Are people afraid of missing something? I get it, but I’m also shaking my head! The great thing is, we now have the means to find that something if we do miss it!

As for David’s question:

Twitter-Yes. But only if you are famous and people really want to know what you’re up to.

Facebook -definitely worthwhile and necessary . I like it better than myspace. Why you ask? Good question? People update there more often. The gift-giving and games and all that are a little annoying, but who cares. You can take it or leave it. There’s also a different atmosphere of which I can’t put my finger on….hmmmm…will have to ponder that one.

Flickr- Definitely has great value
The banners- great promotion

I check my e-mail, my facebook and myspace pages everyday and it can be exhasting to update everyone, so I like the bulletin feature on Myspace and the “What are You Doing” feature on Facebook.

I don’t know how David keeps up with all of his webpages, applications, and other ways of communicating to his fans and also manages to write a kick-ass blog like this one. Don’t know where he finds the time while finishing his album.

What does David mean when he says “Walled Garden.”
I think he is doing a great job of communicating and he shouldn’t be expected to do more unless he really wants to. On the other hand, who doesn’t want to know more about what’s in the day of the life of Mr. Usher. He’s fascinating and has a way of bringing out the best in all of us. To me it’s more important to view him as a person rather than an idol. And this Blog does that for me. What about you guys?

P.s. Where do you guys think David’s hardcore fans spend the most time? Maybe he could answer this.

a niche is good, generally. but since you are a figure of the “masses”, david, what works for the masses should work for you. if you trace back the time when the internet depended on merely dial-up connections, sites with a flash interface are not normally visited because of two reasons which are one, it takes a century to load a flash site in dial-up, and two, during that time most of the people who have an internet connection use dial-ups so they wont be seen surfing for heavy flash loaded sites. if you could still remember during that time, the code tool known as HTML reigned supreme.

i think one should consider the purpose of the tool/program/network one would be using and also the situation wherein the tool would be used within. for example, in david’s case since most of his connections to his fan base are into facebook, it s very strategic for david to use this network to disseminate information meant for his fans such as tour dates and concert venues. however, since it is very easy to send out these informations in facebook, david’s non-facebook user fans would be “forced” [ apologize for the lack of a better term] to sign up for facebook just to get in touch with david. [of course this is the case if the website (davidusher.com) is non-existent.)

again, let me state the fact that the internet and all of its tools provides us with a multitude of options. on must remember though that what one should think about what works for himself, what works for his audience, and the purpose of the information that one wants to disseminate. try to synthesize this and hope that whatever tool you use would work out just fine.

x

@chuck
thanks ill try and install it again!

I think the very thing that you (and others in social media) don’t like about facebook, the fact that it is a “walled garden”, is the same reson why it works for the masses. The “walls” make us feel safe. It limits the experience but it also feels more in our control and keeps out the scary stuff!

I think there will always be a discord between what works for the two groups. It is important not to lose sight of this because it would be easy to alienate the masses by embracing those tools best suited for the niche. It is possible to stretch the limits of the general public and introduce new things but if you stretch that band too far, it may just break!

“Walled Garden”. I get it now Shannon. Facebook does feel more intimate and safe. Maybe that’s why we use it more. davidusher.com connects both sides of the social spectrum. That website is a meeting point for the masses. Whatever social network you choose to get info about David and upcoming events is up to the individual as long as it’s provided. Personally, I just find Facebook a better avenue when I want to connect with David, but I visit all the sites regularly. For other bands, myspace is where I go. It just depends on how they use their site and what they do with it.

I encourage you to start a revolution of awareness by letting your listeners know there are alternatives to IE!

I think Yvette has the right answer. It isn’t really which tool is right for the masses. It’s which tool reaches your following. If that’s YouTube, be there. If that’s print, cool. But be where YOUR audience is, and give them some value that way.

Enjoying your blog. : )

i’m a mass too

there’s a strong argument here in favour of a completely supported open source browser available to ANYONE.

which leads me to ask the following question:

while we talk endlessly about global communication, can anyone tell me what the current percentage of people WORLDWIDE with reliable and affordable internet access (without censorship) is?