Afro-pop musician, Mzobanzi “Mzoe7” Mlauzi says there is need for public relations and marketing initiatives that can help artistes in the Matabeleland region reach a wider audience and become household names.
The Asambeni hit-maker believes social media can play a key role in this as it provides a global platform to promote and share artistes' work.
He said it is his hope that more opportunities will become available for artistes in the region, allowing them to reach their full potential and connect with a worldwide audience.
“I feel there is a need for public relations and marketing setups in the Matabeleland region that could actually help artists to grow into household names," he said.
“As we try to have those established, I would strongly advise artists to make use of social media as well, because it’s global and helps push the brands to all corners of the earth."
He said in today's world, social media has the power to take one’s art to new heights and reach audiences one never thought possible, saying with the right strategy, one can connect with people all over the world who might not otherwise have had the chance to experience one’s art.
“It’s also important to engage bloggers and online marketing platforms as they have a wide range of reach. In this day and age social media can move your art to places you have never been to before.
“We strongly need online presence and online branding. We need each other in order to grow, we need to complement each other's businesses for them to be sustainable. So I realised most of us as artists had not realized the power of online presence.
“It’s easy for anyone to see your art through social media. Since there has been a cry for marketing as a self-taught marketer, I took it upon myself to start helping fellow artists on online branding and the importance of social media," he said.
Mzoe7 said it’s interesting to note that many artists and creatives don't take full advantage of social media platforms by posting their work regularly; instead, they focus on interacting and sharing jokes and memes.
He said this can be fun and engaging but doesn't necessarily promote their art or craft.
“If you look into most social media pages, you will realise that some creatives hardly post or share their works,” Mzoe 7 said.
“It's just interacting and posting jokes though one needs to also utilize the platforms on pushing their craft.
“I will be holding workshops on this in the near future.
“It has been working for me, you can also see how cooperates manage to engage me on different levels; from endorsements, affiliations to activations.”