Like many others in the tech/start up world, we get excited when learning about new products, and then when they start to get too popular we sort of want to begin tearing them down.

Not cool anymore…. So-and-so is actually better for that….  They don’t do this… They can do that better….

Well I am going to admit it.  Facebook is great!

It frankly solves so many problems for promoting bands that I am beginning to worry about all the other companies that have entered this space.

When we started working with bands in 2006 there were several things I wanted to do with a band’s website:  blog pages for fan interaction, easy ways to post photos of recent shows, easier and more convenient ways to promote and brand, etc.

There were also many articles written on this site and others about getting all your fan’s emails, getting demographic data from fans when giving them free stuff (for use in planning shows, among other things), and finding better ways to promote your band/brand.

The fact is that Facebook solves all these problems and then some.

It is so stimulating when bands, fans and new fans can see the entire community of fans, with profile pics and everything.  That sense of community is just so difficult to recreate any other way.  And Bands automatically get demographic data of their fan base for free from FB’s managerial program – a very useful tool if used properly.

I am not even so sure maintaining an email database will be that necessary in the future – why bother if everyone is on FB.   By way of a personal example, I recently started a FB page to promote my painting and art projects.  I have no desire to have an email list – it’s just much more convenient and relevant to work the FB page instead.

And from a branding perspective, it’s terrific!  No one liked sending or receiving multiple emails about new music, upcoming shows etc.  It always put the band and their fans at odds as to how much info they could send or wanted to receive.  But for some reason it just doesn’t seem as abrasive and in your face on FB to get updates about new pictures posted, or comments to discussion strings, or updates on shows.

And for during and post show discussion it is simply ideal.  Mobile pic uploads.  Discussion on the spot.  Interactions with the band members after, who can comment on all the postings.

The bands I work with would receive emails after shows saying how great the show was etc., and we always wished we could just post those comments on the web but never wanted to ask that awkward question to the fans.  Now instinctively those same fans will now go to FB.  Problem solved.

I could easily go on, but you get the point.  Everyone and their mom is on this thing, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon.

I just wonder what the ReverbNations and Bandcamps and other band platforms are going to do when FB really turns their attention towards developing a platform to truly support the art and music community that already finds their site so useful.

It may just be the one platform for all….