Social media and networking are at an all time high. Almost everyone Is connected somehow through the Internet — Celebrities to their fans, artists to their supporters, families to their distant relatives, and friends to friends of friends. These are often exciting connections, because people can communicate on common ground and in a timely manner.
Here’s where the problem lies. These social junctures not only blur but smear the lines of professionalism. It smears it so much, that the lines that once were there seem to no longer exist. At least that’s the sense a fan would have.
In order to understand why these lines are important, we must first explain what it means to be a friend versus being a fan. A real friend is someone you know, be it for a short or long time, which has established communication and generally has some affect on the other person’s daily life. A fan is someone you don’t know, usually a social media friend or follower, who generally likes what you say, act, or do, and usually holds little to no impact on the other person’s daily life. I’m not saying fans can’t somehow become friends with the people they idolize, but it rarely, if ever, happens.
In all aspects of life, the best way to try and obtain any relationship is through communication. I’m not talking about the generic “Hello. How are you?” type of conversations. And certainly not the “Hey you have a nice _____ (fill in the blank), can we be friends?” Type conversations. I’m talking about professional conversations that share a common interest with both individuals. In other words, if someone doesn’t ask about how or when the artist did something to change for success, it usually doesn’t carry on too long.
Don’t get me wrong, we all love our fans, even the ones that criticize us. Because without the love and the hate, we wouldn’t actually continue to be here for any of you. Sometimes, just about anything fans do grabs our attention. We adore all of you, so much so, that we wish we could talk hours on in and get to know every single one of you. Maybe even hang out. It’s just not practical.
Look at it this way, it is not humanly possible to be friends with all of our fans, especially if the number of fans are ten times more than the days of the year. Some of us have fans one hundred times that. We just wouldn’t have the time to do what we do, that all of you love us for.
I know what it would mean to meet or talk to the person you’re a fan of on a personal basis. It could make our day, week, month, or even our year. I know this because I’ve been there, and frankly, I’m actually still there with you. I say that because we all are fans of something or someone.
So when attempting conversation with whoever you hold in the lime light, be professional. It means be respectful and attentive, kind and considerate, and lastly, but not least, truthful and honest. We all make mistakes. We’re only human.
Professionals generally share ideas, either to expand or narrow the vision. Those professional conversations and mutual experiences can lead to greater bonds, sometimes develop into friendship. Even though it can happen, never ever expect it to go beyond that.
This may not affect all artists the same way, but I do hope I speak for all of my fellow artists. So, if I’ve cleared it all up for you, those of you who are reading this, move forward and be happy with whatever you decide to do. You just might get that once in a lifetime opportunity you’ve been itching to get.
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Written by Gerald E Nigma
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