Ok so looking at the title of this task initially I thought that perhaps I was reading a handbook for an ICT course and must have accidentally printed off the wrong one! However as I began to delve into what exactly web 2.0 was, I realised that I use this technology every single day and know exactly how it benefits my professional and personal life.
As I understand it, Web 2.0 is the technical term for Social Media; sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ all of which I have accounts with for either business or personal reasons.
Social Media and Performing:
The invention of social media has been life changing in the eyes of the performer, especially thanks to the invention of sites such as Casting Call Pro and Facebook.
Casting Call Pro is a performing arts networking site where auditions are posted daily by casting directors or events companies and artists can send a link of their 'page' (usually containing their CV, photos and possibly a showreel of their work) in response to the advert. Within seconds the 'postee' of the advert is able to establish whether they think the artist is worth auditioning and if so can directly contact the artist to arrange an audition.
I recently sent an application to a company named Artis Education - A performing arts based company working within schools and delivering workshops. I received an email alert informing me of a possible job match (based on settings that I have pre determined and can change at any time with a few clicks), quickly viewed the job description (whilst on the train), sent my profile to Artis via a single touch on my smartphone (still on the train) and by the time I arrived at my destination, (around thirty minutes after the initial email alert) Artis had responded, informing me that they are interested in me and including a link to complete an application form. Brilliant and so easy to do!
The ease and speed of such sites is a double edged sword for a performer however, as often within minutes a casting director could have thousands of CV's land in their inbox and may only need to read the first one to fill the one contract they have to offer. A clear example of this is on a performers Facebook page - 'The Hustle' - where a job will be posted and within a matter of seconds can have over a hundred comments from artists hoping for an audition. This makes it very difficult to ever want to put down the phone and switch off from work as social media never switches off.
Social Media and Teaching:
I have recently embarked on setting up my own, all be it very small, dance school. Although I have taught for over five years now and have a proven track record, the business side of a dance school has always terrified me, especially the worry that I would hire a hall and not have enough people attend because I am not reaching a wide enough audience with my marketing.
After finding a hall at a reasonable price in the right area, I created a Facebook page asking people to share it if they could. The reaction was fantastic and I now have more than enough people to warrant opening the class, which doesn't begin for another two weeks!
People say that word of mouth is the best form of promotion and in my opinion Facebook is a 'written word of mouth' - people write down the words they would say to a friend, only instead of only one friend hearing it, by clicking post, their entire friends list will see it, with probably at least half actually reading it. The post can then be shared again, infinite times over, each time reaching a new audience.
Social Media - Up Close and Personal:
Over the years both as a teacher and performer I have had many friend requests for example on Facebook and as much as I don't mind my real friends seeing the 'fun' times on a night out, I feel it is highly inappropriate for a holiday maker or a child I have taught to see me in this light. To them I want to remain as Emma the dancer or Miss Emma, the teacher and for that reason, my personal Facebook profile page is locked to only my friends.
Have you met Mickey looking like this….?
It was with this in mind that I created a secondary social media profile on Facebook in 2011, one that I could give out to families that have met me, or children that I used to teach who want to stay in touch for years to come, who for the most part I also like to speak to once in a while also. This is a half way profile between my social life and my professional CV where I can post photos of new contracts I am working on and updating big life moments (such as if I were to get married), allowing people to keep in touch and be social without judging me if a photo appears that I am less proud of.
Thanks Emma - yes good commentary on reviewing where you are right now with social media - ideas and thinking current with practice for professionals today - not so much just what is up online but how it might be interpreted. Older photos not a problem for the rest of us - but they might be for performers at certain stages of their career an interesting one - and googling images worth it if the context of the images is not what you want it to be. Finding evidence and making decision based on evidence - what is really there - a focus of professional practice. However you also make the point that communicating is a two-way street so editing might be needed to communicate well to our current audience!
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