Creating Hype

[Rakan]

Hey all,

I've been doing some thinking and have concluded that I need to generate some internet buzz before releasing some shorts and music videos, and I also need the hype to get more jobs and to establish some online prowess. I have a blogspot, and I concede, I don't blog enough.

REGARDLESS,

How do you all create a following? I'd also like to establish a website in the future that makes money off of ads.

Any advice?

 

[El Director]

The best way to create a following is to just start promoting. Here on DVX, on facebook (create a group), myspace (a page). Post some stuff online now. Start creating a persona for yourself. For instance, I've created a reputation as being rebellious and outspoken. I'm almost more well known now as El or El Director than my real name because I've been promoting myself for the past six years. But above all, if you want a following, you have to be doing something that people will be interested in following.

 

[adamrahn]

Definitely agree with El, just shamelessly promote yourself. Don't forget you can link Twitter, Facebook and I think LinkedIn accounts as well as your Youtube/Vimeo and Facebook accounts so when you do something on one it will post across the board so you're not stuck logging into like 10 different sites just to update one thing. There are several more sites that you can promote between as well if you just do a little research. For example when you start a facebook page for you, your project or your business (as opposed to solely creating a group) you can create widgets to post onto your blogspot and other sites that accept html.
While I said shameless promotion initially, you also need to keep it interesting like El said. No content to interest people or keep their attention = no fans. There are a lot of good articles online about creating hype and marketing yourself. Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog was a great example of how you can create a fan base around an idea so when it's finally released the thing will go viral overnight. Of course not all of us are Joss Whedon. Good campaign to emulate though. I'm researching how to do the same thing for a web series I've had in mind for awhile and came across something today about Seth McFarlane (of Family Guy fame) doing basically the DHSAB thing to hype up a cartoon web series he is releasing sometime this year. But ultimately if you wanna make money online you're gonna have to compete with the other 2173779545 trillion things online that are trying to do the same thing. Content will make or break you.
It sounds like you have an idea of where you need to start though, which is better than most. Write out a game plan of what you want to do exactly, exhaustively research how to do it, and try it out. You'll either do well, or learn why it didn't work, regardless you'll have the experience. Best of luck!! :beer:

 

[Paul Hudson]

Invest in a good SEO guy or gal if you can't do it yourself. Most people have no idea of the complexity of this technology but when you get it to work-IT WORKS!