Yesterday, ReverbNation told its tens of thousands of active artist users that Facebook had disabled RN links on their site. "This was a mistake in one of our automated systems for preventing spam," a Facebook spokesperson told Hypebot and by late in the day, the problem had been fixed. But the incident serves as a reminder of a hazard that accompanies the incredible potential of interconnected marketing - lack of control.
While not confirmed officially by either company, it's likely that Facebook's
Spam Prevention System didn't differentiate between one or a few ReverbNation users abusing their system and thousands of others who did nothing wrong. To one degree or another, this could also happen to users of Nimbit, Bandcamp, Topspin, Bandzoogle or any other social marketing platform.
ReverbNation and others offer a myriad of essential tools, widgets and linking opportunities that extend the viral reach of artists in infinite ways. But every time a widget or link comes from or goes to another site, some control is lost and activity is measured and judged alongside others.
What can an artist or marketer to do?
Only on their own site can some control be maintained; and these incidents serve as reminders of the importance of creating a great one. But artist sites are mostly temples for the converted. New fans are found and existing fans often prefer to be communicated with via the much larger interconnected web that they have no control over. Even in the new music industry, no opportunity comes without risk.
