​Some people say that all that matters in social media is getting big numbers. It doesn’t matter if the numbers are fake and it doesn’t matter what unscrupulous tactics you used to inflate those numbers. That’s when I ask, “So how long did you work at Enron?” - Cris

​Despite all the talk about how incredible they are, the algorithms used by social media sites have no idea what I want to see in my feeds. I’ve been involved in white elephant gift exchanges with complete strangers that had better results.

So use social media, but remind your followers to visit your website. Because sometimes handing your message over to a social media algorithm is like giving it to someone who has just suffered a massive head injury. It might relay what you said or it might just babble incoherently about zucchini. 

​I have had discussions with businesses that were fixated on their total follower numbers, video views, etc.… the vanity metrics. It can be challenging to teach people that those mean nothing.

I discussed this with an acquaintance, who said if they wanted worthless stats, I should give them worthless stats. He thought it would be fine to spend $10 with a click farm that inflated their numbers using fake accounts. Sure those fake accounts would never do business with them, but so what? They wanted numbers and I would be getting them numbers.

I'm just not wired that way though. - Cris

From my interview with Mike Doyle of Drive 80 Studios... 

Most of my work revolves around the least sexy aspect of online content: Text. But, when done right, I think that can be just as impactful as video and photos. In fact, I think a well-phrased bit of text resonates more with people than most of the video and photos out there. - Cris

For this episode of the Connect To Fans podcast I spoke with Anthony Citrinite of MeetHook, which connects music industry professionals with people seeking instruction, advice, or music business insights. We discussed what led to the creation of this business, the professional musicians who have mentored him, and the challenges in launching a new app.

Listen to the interview
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Your micro content will lead people to your macro content. Giving people a taste of who you are and what you are about can convince people to invest more time in you.

Short posts on social media and a blog might not seem like much, but they are how most people will take an initial chance on you. - Cris
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​When I saw the Rolling Stones in 1989, their concert kicked off with a huge pyrotechnics explosion. After that, they launched into the song "Start Me Up".

The explosion grabbed your attention, but the performance of that classic rock song was the payoff, the real value.

Most people's content on their website and social media is the explosion without the song afterward. They have a lot of bells and whistles to grab your attention, but it is followed by either silence or some guy half-heartedly blowing on a kazoo.

I help my clients create the song that is the real payoff, the content that makes people glad they looked this way. - Cris