AOL Instant Messenger
In this day and age, social networking is one of the primary ways in which an a cappella group can interact with and expand upon its fan base. In this recurring feature, we explore how a group can best use different available technologies to promote itself.
OK, OK, I know what you’re going to say—no one uses AIM anymore (or for those of you *shudder* too young to remember, America Online Instant Messenger). And sure the technology has largely been replaced through a combination of text messaging, Facebook chat, GChat, and Skype. But there was a time when AIM was golden child of Internet communication, particularly among college students—when our statuses were our away messages, and our profiles featured our favorite song lyrics of the day.
In a contemporary sense, there are still some folks out there using AIM, and don’t hesitate to jump on that market by targeting them—advertising your own AIM profile, encouraging folks to add you as a buddy, and advertising your shows, your CD releases, and your general appearances via your profile there—not to mention actually live chatting now and again with your fans.
In a more ironic sense, consider the use AIM as a retro-marketing tool. When was the last time you even thought of AIM before you clicked on this article? Consider creating a new AIM account for your group and advertising that screenname around campus, on your website, and on Facebook. People just might get a kick out of the nostalgia factor and rejuvenate their old accounts, or open new ones. Lo and behold, you’ve just locked down your own unique audience, until the novelty wears thin. Launch the campaign about two weeks before your big semester show and you just might be pleased with what happens.