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By CHERYL SANTA MARIA
Staff Writer

Thanks to social networking websites, anybody can become a celebrity.

If you don’t believe me, then just look at the numbers:

Facebook and Myspace have over 100 million users, YouTube gets about 100 million unique hits per month, and the social messaging site Twitter has accumulated over 3 million tweeters since its public launch in July 2006.

That’s a lot of people, and if you’re an independent musician that has great implications. With hundreds of millions of people visiting these sites every day, there’s bound to be at least a few people who will enjoy your music. The marketing potential is limitless and, best of all, it’s free.

While some have dismissed social networking sites as "pointless" and "vapid", we can’t deny their influence. Facebook et al. are changing big industries and popular culture from the inside out.

The huge marketing machine that was once required to turn an individual into a celebrity is becoming less and less important. Just look at what YouTube did for Susan Boyle, whose celebrity was transformed into superstardom the moment her video hit the web. And then there’s the matter of the “Star Wars Kid”, whose viral video – or meme – has been viewed an estimated 900 million times - which equates to roughly one view for every single person living in the continent of Africa.

"The internet has leveled the playing filed in some respects, giving independent bands the opportunity to put their music in the same space as more established ones," says Rachel Grasby, bassist/vocalist for the Toronto indie band We're For Barton.

We’re for Barton understands the importance of being online and, although the band has experimented with various websites, such as CBC Radio 3 and Facebook, they tend to favour their Myspace page (www.myspace.com/wereforbarton) because it’s user-friendly. “MySpace is, at least in our experience, the least complicated method to get a bunch of songs online in a hurry,” says WFB drummer Will Baker.

Music business coach, consultant and social networks expert Madalyn Sklar (www.madalynsblog.com) says that websites like Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and ReverbNation are an indie musician’s best friend because they give “instant results” and require “very little effort to set up.” If done correctly, internet marketing can translate into increased record sales, captivate an unlimited audience and, in some cases, lead to a record deal:

“My favorite story is [about] the Texas party punk band 3 Kisses,” Madalyn says. “They are amazing at marketing themselves on the internet … this [eventually] drew the attention of Rat Pak Records [and] shortly after that, 3 Kisses signed with the label.” This was achieved, Madalyn says, by 3 Kisses’ willingness to do “what other bands don’t do,” in terms of marketing.

Madalyn, a 13 year music biz veteran and founder of the company Social Networks for Musicians (www.sn4m.com), has spent years speaking at music conferences and teleseminars about the power of online marketing, however she’s quick to point out that marketing, whether online or not, is hard work. More times than not, it takes more than a Myspace page for a band to get noticed: “A lot of people don't understand viral marketing … so many people think if they build it, they will come. It does not work that way. You build it, you work it and you get creative. Having a plan makes all the difference.”

But the internet is more than just a marketing tool; it’s also changed how we consume music and network with one another:

“Personally, I use [Myspace] to check out bands before buying their music or heading out to concerts," says Rachel.

Before heading out on a maritime tour last summer, WFB connected with like-minded musicians beforehand via local websites and message boards like halifaxlocals.com, peilocals.com, and stillepost.ca. “Our east coast tour fell into place with a few posts on the 'locals' boards … we never would have made those connections without the [help of the] internet,” Will says.

Like it or not, social networking sites are here to stay. If you aren’t using them to promote your music, you’re missing out on a cheap and effective marketing tool that will help expose your music to a practically limitless audience.