is it true

[flatliners]

Heard a rumour that mr Fisher is going to join facebook

[Excalibur]

Scurrilous! While I am aware of the increasing impact of Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin, ( and have a sneaking suspicion I may be missing something ) I still consider it a step too far ( for me ).
Good Lord, but I signed up to be a DJ. When I turn up to a gig nowadays with two laptops and a tablet, I feel more like an IT technician! While I am mindful of the reports of a prolonged cold snap in the underworld, following my purchase of a pair of active cabs, prompting me to remind you all once again " never say never ", I'd recommend you don't hold your breath while you wait.


To widen the topic, how many of you believe that membership of the above bodies has been beneficial to your businesses, and can you give evidence of this? Have you seen gigs advertised on these sites, and won them? Hotel contracts?
I'm sceptical, but prepared to be proved wrong. Fire away lads and lasses.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

To widen the topic, how many of you believe that membership of the above bodies has been beneficial to your businesses, and can you give evidence of this? Have you seen gigs advertised on these sites, and won them? Hotel contracts?
I'm sceptical, but prepared to be proved wrong. Fire away lads and lasses.

I can't say being on Facebook (which I use sparingly) or Twitter (which I only use to get freebies and so on) has benefited me in any way.

My Facebook use extends to talking to the local lads using my personal page and doing little: Had a great night at George and Mary's wedding @ wherever castle yesterday - top tune of the night for me was.... YOUTUBE LINK on my DJ page.

So I don't actively promote or sell myself on it but I'm not sure gearing up the Facebook promotion would make much a difference either. I actually think it can cheapen your brand.

This might be a case of us DJs being of the "tidy those wires up not that any punter probably notices" brigade but the vast majority of local DJs I see online fall into one or more of the categories of:

- Spammers
- Cheap tacky discos
- Folk who care so little about their business that they don't even bother with a website.
- Folk whos prices are so low they clearly don't pay tax

I don't want people to come across me on Facebook and jump to the conclusion that I must be one of those types of DJs though as I said, this not be what the public's perception of guys punting themselves on Facebook or the like are.

[Excalibur]

This might be a case of us DJs being of the "tidy those wires up not that any punter probably notices" brigade but the vast majority of local DJs I see online fall into one or more of the categories of:

- Spammers
- Cheap tacky discos
- Folk who care so little about their business that they don't even bother with a website.
- Folk whos prices are so low they clearly don't pay tax

I don't want people to come across me on Facebook and jump to the conclusion that I must be one of those types of DJs though as I said, this not be what the public's perception of guys punting themselves on Facebook or the like are.

Ah, if only we knew that, eh? Interesting thoughts Jim, ta.

[DJ Jules]

This might be a case of us DJs being of the "tidy those wires up not that any punter probably notices" brigade but the vast majority of local DJs I see online fall into one or more of the categories of:

- Spammers
- Cheap tacky discos
- Folk who care so little about their business that they don't even bother with a website.
- Folk whos prices are so low they clearly don't pay tax

I don't want people to come across me on Facebook and jump to the conclusion that I must be one of those types of DJs though as I said, this not be what the public's perception of guys punting themselves on Facebook or the like are.

That's an interesting point. I've just ventured onto Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as part of trying to increase my exposure. I think how your company is perceived is largely going to be down to how you set up the page and what you post on there. If you shove up a few photos of the lights you've got and fill it with drivel, then you'll probably be stuck into the "DJ's who don't care" (or the "amateur") bracket. However, I follow a few people from on MDD on Facebook and the image they portray with their postings highlights the quality and attention they provide to their clients - and also tells me a lot about the markets that they operate in. Frankly, I spend most of my time being quite jealous about what they get up to

From my Facebook page - so far I've had two enquiries. One was from a friend of a friend who was looking for a DJ for a party and ended up going with someone else (decision based entirely on price), but because it was on Facebook it gave me an opportunity to strike up a conversation with her so hopefully she'll make the decision differently next time and I got a good insight into how she made her decision. The second enquiry was from a regular customer who has booked me for her wedding in Feb next year. However, she would have booked me anyway - she just would have just used a different medium to contact me (I live next to her daughter and we hire her holiday cottage most years, so I probably would have been passed a note or something!) However, it was my post about how far ahead I'm booked up that prompted her to act.

I've certainly got more exposure because of Facebook. I occasionally post photos from parties I've worked at and then tell the customers where they are - they then post them to their timeline, and then their friends tag themselves and re-share, and so on and so forth - all the posts carry my company name. Viral marketing

Time will tell if Facebook brings in any more business.

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

It could very well be that a bunch of people are going to jump down my throat and say I'm way off the mark but certainly from what I have experienced - 1 guy I know is pretty suave with his Facebooking and then it's all "DJ JOHNNY B'Z HEAVY HEAVY DISCOZ. GREAT VALUE, AL EVENTS CATURED FOR" blasted across any and every group with a tenuous link.

Maybe I just have a low bull threshold for that sort of stuff but to look at it a different way - when I see a photographer, candy cart or cake maker doing the same kind of thing in wedding groups I'm on my first thoughts are desperate / cowboy / wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

[DJ Jules]

I agree fully with what you've said... I've got a very low tolerance for this kind of behaviour too.

Maybe I just have a low bull threshold for that sort of stuff but to look at it a different way - when I see a photographer, candy cart or cake maker doing the same kind of thing in wedding groups I'm on my first thoughts are desperate / cowboy / wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

I did say this

I think how your company is perceived is largely going to be down to how you set up the page and what you post on there.

Julian

[Corabar Steve]

Being on FB has so far been beneficial to my sideline business (www.steampunkdj.co.uk), you'd have to ask Angela about the impact on the main business.

[theoloyla]

Certainly works for me but like Jim says I cant be asked to have a website and I am cheap and tacky.