2010 was a year I started with mixed emotions having adapting to life as a Music graduate back in London after four years away at University. Armed with nothing but enthusiasm and a wrath of ideas, I knew that 2010 was going to be a year where I would make an impact one way or another.

January I created version one of iAmLuca.co.uk with the vision of using it to document my ventures, my networks and connections within New Media and Music. I have discussed topics focused around Digital Marketing and Personal Development, with my knowledge being largely based on my current experiences in my personal journey rather than on professional practise.

As the year progressed I found opportunities would open the more I wrote articles. The more original content I distributed across the social space, the more people who didn’t know about me would get in touch wanting to connect. Literally writing about social communication to expand on my social connections.

After interning at the start of 2010 at various establishments, I gained some significant freelance work that allowed me to begin taking my academic knowledge and personal experiences into the workplace.

I had to learn very quickly to pick and choose which projects I was to devote my time to as it was evident the social space opened the door for anybody and everybody to become an expert at one thing or another. I also had to pick and choose which people I could afford to spend my time talking with openly, as everything we say and everyone we talk to, is seen by those around us.
This is where I began understanding my audience.

Amidst the professional growth I also used the social space to meet a certain individual who helped me understand much more about who I was, who I was becoming and what I could achieve. Her belief in me has allowed me to take a well needed break when needed, as previously I had been known for burning the candle at both ends and being consistently run down both mentally and physically.

Progression and growth

By Mid 2010 I knew things were beginning to piece together and carve a path that would allow me to understand what strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats would affect my future, and ultimately which direction I would take in my career.

I’m not sure where along my journey of school, college, Music Academy and University I would realise that it wasn’t my creativity that would allow me to achieve, but more my ability to recognise opportunities.

Oooh... nice lifestream Mr. Luca... Love that blue!

The problem is that we live in a selfish world and the social space has created a platform for egos to manifest based on meaningless statistics and business to grow for both individuals and companies purely built on the manipulation of how we communicate. A new form of guerilla marketing so to speak.

Where the opportunity is in the above statement is to become part of the machine and to market to the majority of people who are searching for answers and a definitive return of investment in their quest. However, the opportunity for me is NOT to join the machine (well you guessed that already), but to pick up on my strengths, and my philosophy taken from The Layer Cake..

‘The art to good business is being a good middle man.’

Doesn't my new Twitter profile look grand!

Evolution not revolution

It’s now 2011 (wow do I feel old), more companies than ever are going to emerge offering new solutions to problems that are not even problems and more individuals are going to claim to be experts. The creative space is far more competitive than ever before and with so many people too focused on getting their numbers up (not money by the way) and being noticed, there are gaps for opportunities.

Rather than a) Joining the machine or b) Fighting against it like some kind anti-Zuckerberg; I am going to be that guy in the middle. Documenting the good and the bad of the space but most evidently, making a full effort to shed light on those individuals that are doing the good AND the bad in the space.

People don’t care about other people like they used to. The 2011 online professional person cares far too much about themself, their small life and how their reputation looks online that they all lose track of how important it is to be transparent and selfless in social media. To network in and out of local communities, assist others who need a boost and also give praise to not just the elite, but also to grass roots and the foundation players who are the future of this crazy place.

Quotable: Everyone is so focused on chatting pointless shit, regurgitating recycled information with the idea that their network will pinpoint them as a visionary and a thought leader. It’s all buzzword bullshit from egocentric sales people.

For me, my life is still within Entertainment. Not Music or Art where I have resided previously; but in Sports Marketing. I see a wealth of opportunity ahead of me, I work in Football, for one of the World’s best known clubs and I know that it is only a matter of time before I make my mark in the entertainment industry.

One to think about:
Have you become online the person you ARE in real life or have you become in real life the person you CREATED online?

I have thought about the quote above for years and have repeated it many times when speaking in discussions about power, respect and success.

This got me thinking about what it is that we actually strive for…

Here is my analogy of Striving To Achieve in reference to The Layer Cake.

Why Am I Doing This?

“The art of good business is being a good middleman.”

On my About Page it says“I have come to realize that my desire to achieve is linked hand in hand with wanting to help others achieve.” That may sound pathetic and cheesy, but my last blog post had over 30 Twitter retweets, meaning it helped some of you enough or was a good enough of a read for you to share with your friends.

Anthony Robbins states in this video that there are six human needs to help us to find self-fulfilment on our journey:

• We need Certainty
• We need Uncertainty
• We need Significance
• We need to feel Connection & Love
• We need to Grow
• We need to Contribute Beyond Ourselves

Am I Getting Anywhere?

“I mean, it’s like selling anything: washing machines, handmade shoes, blow jobs. As long as you don’t take the piss, people will always come back for more.”

The feedback i have begun to receive from writing, has given me the motivation to continue to share the knowledge i have collated in the industry with the hope that it will help you on your journey. This is in fact my chance to ‘Contribute Beyond Myself’… and it is this that gives me the reason to continue trying to help others.

Bear in mind, i am no way an expert or a specialist (although thanks to those who have said i am lately).
I created this with an understanding that i wanted to lay the basic foundations so that:

• I understand myself the journey i am taking.
• I can share my knowledge with those that may find it useful… Sharing is caring and all that.
• I am creating a personal archive to look back on.
• I am striving for personal success.

Am I Heading In The Right Direction?

“Everyone wants to walk through a door marked “private.” Therefore, have a good reason to be affluent.”

Take a moment to think for a second about your plan. Have you laid your foundations or are you just going all guns blazing with no armour? Seriously… think about it.

Am I Willing To Do Anything To Reach My Goal?

” If you have to kill a person, never ever tell a living soul.”

The ladder to achievement is always based on taking a hefty amount of shit.
Remember Andy Dufresne swam through a tunnel of shit to come out clean on the other side. Confused who he is? Shame on you… Click here!

Am I Becoming Someone I Don’t Wanna Be?

“You know why people like you can’t leave this business? Because you make too much money for people like me.”

Some of you don’t mind taking shit all day (Pause), not like it’s a bad thing, as contentment is your own level of self-fulfilment. Others will take no shit and will spend their lives either hustling, bumming around or pretending to themselves that they are a success.
Well, whose gonna tell you differently eh?

Playing Your Part In The System

“It is vital that we work to a few golden rules. Always work in a small team. Keep a very low profile. Only deal with people who come recommended.”

So where do we find common ground for those that are on their way up trying to reach the next level?

I’ll give you my example. I work full time; i understand that for me to touch the sky, i have to be able to afford to fly. Money doesn’t grow on trees remember…

I answer to a series of people who can rain a storm of shit on me if they want, and regardless of how many people i know in the industry, how many followers i have on Twitter or how many projects i work on; i do need to be employed.

I know that success is a slow climb and by playing my part in the chain of command i am able to slowly piece together my journey to the top of the ladder.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

“But as some roman general once said: If you seek peace, plan for war.”

If you have an idea of what it is you want to become, make sure you have a plan of how you are going to reach it.

Make today become the first day of the rest of your life…

Be Proud of Yourself

“I’ve checked you out, son. You’re a smart lad. But you keep very, very bad company.”

There is no shame in working to raise collateral, it is down to you how you manage your finances and your time so that you can progress.
It is the weak that get locked in to an establishment so long that their dreams become non-existant and they become part of the office furniture.

Have a Plan… and Stick To It

Everyone knows those graduates that spend years at University pushing for that top end degree, then when they graduate they can’t find work.
They finally manage to get a job in an industry irrelevant to their field and BAM… five years passes and what’s happend?

They have become a Customer Services Supervisor!

WAHEY………. SCORE! Enjoy paying that student loan back!

If you stick to a basic plan and are passionate about your dream, you will never get complacent with a dead end job as you will always know what you are capable of.

Note down where you see yourself in 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 24 months.
Then break that down even further…

• How are you going to get to your 3 month goal?
• Who do you need to contact?
• What do you need to set things up?
• Do you need to raise any finances?

Well I’m honored. But for me this is all over. I’m getting out. What was true then is true now. Have a plan. Stick to it. So I’m sure you must have lots to discuss… but I have no business being here. I’ve got someone to meet. Adios, amigos.

But why is Twitter so important to the marketing campaign of an artist?

Are the artists that are not utilising Twitter to it’s full capacity missing out?

Are they jeopardizing their career also?

I read a blog post recently written by DJ Semtex. He touched on some key points that Musicians and Artists should follow if they are serious about a career in this industry and the post picked up some interesting comments from both sides of the spectrum.

I then decided to investigate into 10 Reasons Why Musicians and Artists Must use Twitter.

We have all heard cliche terms like “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” right?
Well i say “it’s not what you know and who you know, it’s what you do with what you know and who you know.”

With Twitter you actually have the opportunity to understand how a person’s mind thinks, by the way they construct their short messages. You can witness their daily activities and you have the ability to network with them if you can work out what makes them tick. It’s all about knowing how to Influence the Influencer…

As Andrew Davis of The Worst Kept Secret states, “They say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Well, the way to a DJ’s turntable is through his ego.”

What’s the point of being in this industry if you’re not going to interact with your fan base?

Your fans are your market and will make or break your career. So many artists make basic fundamental errors by failing to engage with their market and thus are disconnected. If you make the effort to be at one with your fans, they will embrace you like you are the most popular person at school.

Since the rise of Social Media over the last few years, the platform for you to go from zero to hero with the expense of minimal finances has been getting bigger and bigger. But it appears, the more resources available, the more complicated people make life for themselves.

Twitter keeps it simple; hashtag # your regular tweets to associate trends and focus on utilising your core followers to retweet for you. Heard about the 80/20 rule?
No. Click here.

140 Characters to write isn’t a lot of effort and with modern technology, we have Twitter and every other networking capability in the palm of our hands.
So use it your advantage. Once you have your target market on your side, the rest is history.

The days of watching the news, listening to radio and reading newspapers for daily updates are long behind us. Twitter is now the forefront of daily gossip and headlines; by following the people who are always up to date on their gossip and by paying attention to the trending topics you will always be on top of your game.

Yes it’s no hidden mystery that Google records all of your tweets. Scary? Slightly.

We know the Internet is one huge archive of your life that will NEVER get deleted. Anything you say on Twitter can be found in Google so be careful if you don’t want your life story brought to you in ten years.

Unfortunately when you use sites like Bit.Ly or Tiny URL for your links; Google can’t find them.

Yeah Twitter is a Social Networking site mainly used for networking and communication; but as a traffic source it can supply a large proportion of the links to any website.

By using tracking sites like Google Analytics linked directly to your home page or self-hosted blog, you can clearly monitor where your traffic is coming from and what keywords work and don’t. Use this to your advantage and tweet hot content, blog posts, videos, links and your homepage regularly.

The Internet is the gateway to personal branding, giving you the ability to qualify yourself to your market as whatever you want them to view you as. Check out this post i wrote with tips on ‘building a personal brand using social media.’

Start by capturing your perfect Twitter Handle (name). If you can’t find your perfect name try this site Tweexchange where you can buy names that are currently taken.

Then work out how to brand your Twitter Page for your followers. Both Twitpaper and Twitterimage can help with that.

Make your bio clear, precise and link to your BEST website, NOT your Facebook page. (Rookie error!)

How can you expect a Record Label or Company to take you and your music seriously, if you don’t?

Check out a post Mashable wrote on Twitter branding for further reference.

Both fundamentals 8 and 9 are about using the very strong Twitter Search Engine http://search.twitter.com. If you don’t use this, get using it. The advanced search options allow you to search for keywords and phrases, all in real time!

Meaning when you post a link, question or topic, you can monitor exactly who is responding and what they are saying. Try it out and type a few words that you want to search for. It is a VERY POWERFUL TOOL!

Remember those days when you would wish you could know what everyone thinks about you?

Well the Twitter Search Engine option gives you that sixth sense. Take the time to search for keywords about you, your brand and your market. Knowledge is power!

Like Google, where asking the right question will give you the right answer, Twitter works very similar, but you have to ask the questions your fan-base want to hear. Give them the option to have the engagement for further conversation and play to their mindset.

You want to get them talking so use your head. If you ask the right questions and give comprehensive answers you will very quickly become a popular trend for interaction.

Also catch me on Twitter.com/iAmLuca and if you like the content you read on my site, you can subscribe via RSS Feed or via Email.

As always this is my personal blog and is meant for light entertainment reading and not be quoted or used in professional practice. See my disclaimer if you have any issues.

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While i love working on some exciting projects, freelancing and helping out others with advice and support so that they can connect the dots to achieve their dreams; i am searching for an opportunity that can provide a steady income and put me on that path for a prosperous career.

To date i have signed up to 15+ recruitment sites/agencies, sent out over 50 applications, with specifically designed covering letters and CV’s… but, i have had no success as yet.

So here is the question… Do you know anyone that can help me find a job?

What Kind of Job am I Looking for?

Over the last few years i have been involved in the Music/Entertainment Industry utilizing Digital Marketing and Social Media to create leads, expand on networks and generate return on investment for both my own ventures and my clients.

I am looking to expand on this by joining an Entertainment/Music/Digital Company or Agency that is specializes in or is interested in using Digital strategy to accomplish targets and goals.

What Experience do i have?

With experience of working with large brands, such as Orange, Sony Ericsson, Channel 4, Myspace, O2, Luminar and Comic Relief. I have managed Entertainment Events to a consumer market of over 100,000 people, generating company profits in excess of £250,000 and distributed online content and material to millions of people worldwide using strategic Social Media, SEO and Email Marketing techniques.

You can click on my Testimonials Page to see what some of these clients have said.

What are my Strengths?

My strengths are in understanding strategy and using whatever tools i have at my disposal to get the job done. I am a deep thinker and i plan everything i do within business so that i am always prepared for any turn of events.
The last few years i have developed strategies and tactics in and around Social Media; while i do not claim to be a ‘guru or expert’, i have the knowledge and experience to make and save any company money by expanding on the tools of the Internet.

What am i Passionate about?

I am passionate about ‘connecting people’. I know it sounds cliche, but i believe that one of the most important things in life, is to use what skills you have to help others. That is why i created this blog and it is why i assist so many creative people with direction and advise so that they can also connect the dots to find their success.

The motivation for what i do comes from a life within Music having spent the last ten years in the Music Industry at both education and professional level. Music is a Universal Language and one way or another it connects everybody… Just the same way Social Media does, that is why they go hand in hand.

What am i Willing to do?

I am a very enthusiastic person and can bring energy and passion to any job. I believe that a happy team creates a happy work environment and thus creates success in the workplace and ultimately a happy client.
I am willing to start at a low level position to grow through the ranks, learning the specifics of what the company/organization is built on.

I believe that due to my flexibility, strong work ethic and commitment, I can be a smart investment within the appropriate company or project. All you need to do is pick up the phone and ring me, pass my contacts onto someone you think may be interested or drop me an email/comment and i can assure you, you wont regret it.

To get hold of me:

Email: info@iamluca.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 7849 975 561
Twitter: @iAmLuca

For more information, i have a CV available upon request that will elaborate in depth on each of the points raised above.

I can also be available for an interview at any time. Thanks for reading and i hope to hear from someone soon!

Luca