Evaluating Individual Artists' Use of SNS as a Method for Providing Information

To verify whether the use of social networking service (SNS) as a method for providing information by individual artists is effective, the authors conducted a survey based on the results of a preliminary survey. First, one of the authors discussed with individual artists the method of providing information via SNS. Second, the study observed how individual artists provided information via SNS to SNS users. Third, a questionnaire survey was conducted on concert visitors, particularly on their source of information for such events, for analysis. Lastly, the authors examined users' reactions to SNS content posted by the individual artists. The results indicated that 88.7% of the surveyed visitors used SNS, but 67.1% of them obtained the concert information from flyers and friends' recommendation. This finding suggests that artists cannot expect to draw concert visitors who are not aware of such artists through SNS promotion. This information-sharing method may be effective for visitors who have come to an artist's performance at least once. In other words, a hybrid method combining traditional media and SNS would be more effective. If artists posted richer and more varied content on SNS, they could attract more users' attention. Further, different music genres may be a factor in the difference in fans' preference for obtaining information.