Connecting individuals has proven to be very problematic. In 2018, I shared an Ann Tillus cartoon of Putin riding then President Trump’s back on Facebook and got more responses than all my earlier attempts to promote this business. It’s easy to understand why this happened when AI is built to engage users on their history. Creating silos is very easy with connected individuals united around similar interests. This can be a good thing. It can also be a very bad thing.
The above is one reason among many why I have spent a lot of time promoting the difference between connecting regions vs individuals. Most of all, the weakness of connected individuals for commercial reasons is clumsy full of “influencers” turned creators as mountains of content continues to be dumped onto traditional social sites. For me, this is a world of madness where only those with money can gain the kinds of leverage users once had when these social media structures were first introduced.
All of us having experienced social media know how cool it can be. AI’s ability to connect local users has always made lots of sense and has benefited millions including creating long-term personal relations to commercial efforts within our local communities. All good during a time when computers became a true alternative to all sorts of entertainments.
Back off a bit to see a social media world of connected regions only. A view where shared content passes through entire regions and users can promote to many people inside their own regions or many other regions.
With this basic structure put into place we then add two layers: Publishers (product producers) and Retailers (product marketers) making money together with revenue sharing. Connecting publishers with all retailers is accomplished in a separate channel where product producers supply the products and marketing material necessary. Then relate retailers to their chosen region or hometown.
All in areas of interest users specialize in. Trust is a very important and where better to start than in our hometowns. In this online world we now have a transparent means to support communities from within leaving behind technologies where tightly focused silos are easily formed. We openly look at local regional activities and financially backup everyone with channels intentionally built to be commercial and a resource for discovery.
Sarah’s a songwriter. For months she‘s been working on a collection of songs she wants to market. With little money, she heads to Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Snapchat, YouTube, SoundCloud, Patreon, ReverbNation, and her own website. That’s nine sites she monitors. She’s constantly told to gain prominence she must stay current while keeping hopes for any income. Every day she plugs away distracted by nonsense.
She discovers Muezbiz.com and sees connecting to her local music scene is easy and how revenue sharing works … without upfront costs or confusing hashtags. She sees how connecting regions is far more efficient. Simplicity is good.
She starts to upload her music into a Muezbiz collection, setting prices and percentages to share with retailers for all her products, including a custom T-shirt, then. Cool! She creates a Muezbiz club “Sarah’s Country Soul” displaying her Nashville coffee shop events. She knows clubs are viewed by all Muezbiz users everywhere including her local followers. She’s planned a tour and uploads tickets into her new collection. As soon as she posts her event it appears in the region’s calendar with a list of local retailers to buy from. Then she sends one message to all Country music retailers a new collection is available. Very cool!
Monique lives in Birmingham Alabama, heard Sarah performing at a local coffee shop while visiting Nashville, Tennessee. Monique is a Muezbiz member who loves country music. In her list of clubs she finds “Sarah’s Country Soul,” joins and finds a variety of videos of Sarah’s and other musician's street performances. Monique shares one of Sarah’s videos to her local Birmingham Country bulletin. As Monique shares an icon next to her image tells viewers she’s a music fan.
Because Monique loves Sarah’s music, she decides to become a Muezbiz Birmingham retailer, starting with curating a free Country music store adding Sarah’s Country collection. Next time Monique shares, pins a comment, or replies to a post her retailer icon appears by her image.
The next day Monique notices Sarah’s music sales have picked up and four tickets are sold to an upcoming house concert.
Finally, communities can support themselves from within.
John Cole, CEO, founder and lead developer