Blogging, social media? what?
If i published books i would love to have a team of people with blogs and a good online presence to send a few titles to & have them blog about them. If i produced multiple musicians, bands & artists, you know? Like a record label? It would be great to send out a few cds a month and then see the effects of people’s honest opinions……….actually, sending cds is so last year, they could just provide an online source where the music could be downloaded?
As much as i have ranted about Christian Books and CCM in the past, this is the industry i work in and i enjoy it hugely. Sure i am not likely to be involved with events for a long time, if ever, but behind my opinions and sometimes rash comments lies a passion about books and music.
I think there is potential to change opinions and make things happen within the UK trade but anyone who knows the ‘Christian retail sector’ will know that 2009 ended with events that shook the industry to its core, so perhaps the “new-fangled” online stuff will yet again take a back-seat for now!
The thing i wanted to say though, is that the UK trade needs to waken up! It really does!
And before some of you say, “but we have a blog and we are on facebook & twitter.”
That may well be, but is it a priority of your business? Is it taken seriously at Board Level where the dinosaurs rule? Is someone actually paid to take care of your online presence or is it a task thrown in at the end of their days work?
In 2008 & 2009 i ran some ads on my blog for a ‘Christian music label’ who are a BIG concern. In order to do so, i had to go through the USA! I would also get regular pre-release music from them, all the way from across the Atlantic. I have nothing against the UK wing of this label, in every other way they do a great job but it is kind of odd that nobody on this side of the Atlantic wants to have the conversation about blogging, social media etc etc ….
There is an awareness of social media within some areas of the industry BUT not in many of the UK offices…………….
And i need to say, i am not trying to push myself into the limelight as some kind of guru, i am not an expert and i am also not trying to blag free products. I work in the industry, i get that anyway!
In fact, within the industry there is already enough activity going on for you to see what you need to do without listening to me!
Pick up the phone, send an email and speak to your associates in the USA instead of employing the old and tired methods which are starting to fail you!
Sadly i feel like i have said this all before but with the massive changes in the UK trade, perhaps there is a chance that someone will now step up and lead the way?
Unfortunately the Christian Music/Book/Retail business is a business. This means that unless they can tie a big boost in sales to a blog/twitter or another form of purchase, they’ll keep to the tried and tested methods.
I think people aren’t buying a lot of it because shops don’t put in the effort, we want customer service – something different – the extra mile!
The problem is … the dinosaurs rule … and we all know what happened to the dinosaurs.
Some companies are waking up >> have you seen Thomas Nelson’s Booksneeze? >> but that’s another initiative across the pond…
Here, we’re stuck with events like today’s Stronger Together Weaker Apart do where with all the resources of CRE at their disposal they still can’t even get a decent website together, let alone blog, facebook or twitter. Dinosaurs indeed.
Agreed Phil, though the Nelson example is another great idea & initiative coming out of the USA….i am signed up to the original version of booksneeze…..must sign in & see if im still on the list
Was today’s event a “mainland retailers” only or is it likely our head office would have been notified about it?
I wondered when i saw the tweets, if we would have been in the loop…..