Social media has become the new “it” thing. It has revolutionized the way we interact with our friends and family. But can it bring fans closer to their favorite artists and shows?

One example I have seen firsthand of a band utilizing social media is The Script. They are a rock band from Dublin, Ireland. They are very active in social media; posting regularly on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I went to see them play last October at the Fillmore in San Francisco.  I started following them on Twitter and “liked” their page on Facebook. As I a fan I really appreciated that they regularly posted something from the road.  As you can see in the Facebook posting below the band posted a picture of what the view was like for them on stage:

This is a great way for fans to feel like they are an apart of the action whether they went to the show or not. Even after the show the band asked fans “Where was the best place for a drink in San Francisco?”

They are keeping their followers and fans engaged by regularly updating with new and relevant content. An important thing to note is that you can tell that the band members (or someone very close to the band members) are updating their own social channels and their tone of voice is authentic. Young people are very savvy and an unauthentic voice will turn them off.  People use social media to get closer to their favorite artists because it allows for two-way communication. The only thing I think the band could improve on their current strategy would be to respond to some of the questions their fans pose on these various channels.

Beyond interacting with fans using platforms like Twitter and Facebook bands can now sell concert tickets directly to fans.  Utilizing an application from the direct to fan digital company called Topspin, the band The Pixes did just that. According to Hypebot the band within a year grew an email list from nothing to over six-figures.  In May/June of 2010 the band booked themselves at the Troxy in London and put up 6,000 tickets just to sell directly to their fans. Within a week they had sold every single ticket directly to their fans! They utilized their social media channels to get the word out along with the Topspin platform. Something else amazing to note is that at the venue management was able to scan tickets using a Topspin iPhone App!

There are also venues that are utilizing social media to help concert goers engage during concerts. A great example of that is the venue The Roxy in Los Angeles.  Unlike some venues that do not allow cameras in, The Roxy encourages social sharing from shows by providing free Wi-Fi to encourage livestreaming and taking and sharing pictures to their various personal social networks. According to Mashable @TheRoxy with 56,000 followers has become the #1 venue on Twitter.  By welcoming social media technology the venue effectively removed the “velvet rope” and made it possible have fans have direct conversation with the venue.