I've been a part of the online world for so many years now. I started my online career playing on the Red Dragon Inn, a local BBS role-playing game (now long since dead) in 1986. I was four years old. Since then, I've traversed The Sierra Network, merged with the ImagiNation! Network, played on Prodigy, America Online, Erols Dialup Internet, and finally finding my way to a broadband Internet connection.

In other words, I've been around the block. So, I've seen the Internet, websites, community portals, blogs - the whole shebang. It's my opinion - a street-educated opinion - that Metallica really needs a different plan of attack when it comes to their online presence.

Before I get into my ideas, let me say that this probably isn't going to fly well with a majority of Metclub members. I base this assertion on the idea that Metallica needs to open themselves up, through multiple online routes, for free.

Metallia's Spot

First, let me explain that I think Metallica has unfairly become the bastard children of the digital generation. They took a rather painful PR hit because of the Napster incident, the PR blogging gaffe by Q-Prime, and the removal of Mission: Metallica videos on YouTube. In other words, they've closed their doors in a digital world that believe "information wants to be free."

I'd like to take a moment and interject a point of view here that I think is often missed by both Metallica and Q-Prime in their discussions about how to market Metallica online: the vocal minority of Internet users (as opposed to the silent majority) does not trust Metallica.

Metallica attacked - rightfully so - something that these users embraced and loved. It was a new piece of technology that showed promise and opportunity, and a new business model that showed potential for huge profits.

Instead of taking advantage of this potential, Metallica squashed it. It's a similar situation to how the recording and movie industries are reacting to Bittorrent and introducing bills in countries across the world to attempt to squash that piece of technology (and that has been received with a much more vocal resistance than Metallica has met).

This is the problem of the digital divide. Sure, mom and dad not understanding how to work their phones is one thing, but this "digital divide" that exists at a high-level managerial point of view.

On one side we have big business looking at this technology in fear, and attempting to kill it, but creating content in a known business model.

On the other side we have a group of geeks, nerds, and enthusiasts who create and use these new technologies and ideas - but in the process they're destroying an old business model.

One side is creating, the other side is destroying. The sad truth in all of this is that both sides view the other as destroying: the Internet is destroying a business model, while businesses are destroying new technologies.

What Metallica Can Do

Metallica is always going to carry the stigma of being "that guy" - the guy everyone knows exists, but doesn't want to talk about; however, this damage can be mitigated by doing three main things:

First, YouTube. Metallica has their own YouTube account - MetallicaTV - but they don't use it. Yeah, the videos are up there, as well as the promo for Mission: Metallica, but ... they just really do anything with the account. In fact, they do so little with the account that a channel search on YouTube for Metallica brings up MetallicaTV as the fourth entry on the list - ouch.

I propose that, instead of using Mission: Metallica as a traditional promotional tool they should have turned it into a video blogging tool. Instead of locking the videos into the Warner Bros. streaming server, the videos should have been uploaded and placed on YouTube, and the content mirrored on MissionMetallica.com.

If you're a Metclub member, you'll instantly notice why I said you would hate this idea: there's no platinum access. Because of YouTube's open access (ie: they do not restrict content), there cannot be a "separation of power."

While Metclub members would lose the platinum access, there's a large plus side to this: Metallica gains a serious edge in the open-content market. "But, Jason," I hear you ask, "wouldn't that lead to copying and redistribution of this content?" The answer to that is: YES! The single best way to market content in the digital world is to let people copy it.

Second, get fresh content for YouTube. The videos are nice to be able to watch (and I'd like to be able to watch them in high quality, hint hint), but YouTube relies on fresh content, not some 20 year old videos. So, where does this content come from? Well, you could try and create original content just for YouTube, but that's annoying, time consuming, and isn't really good for the bottom line.

Instead of focusing on just "videos for YouTube" you focus on "content for the Internet." An example of what I'm talking about is something like Ustream.tv. You stream something live on UStream - while recording it at the same time. That something could be anything: a meeting, a jam session, anything. Once it's over, you take the recorded version of that and place it on YouTube, and then you blog about the event with the video embedded in the blog post. One piece of content, three avenues of exposure.

Third, Support the Community. Yeah, yeah, Metallica has a website and a message board - they even have Metclub. And, they occasionally have short moderated chats online. In truth, Metallica's community isn't maintained by Metallica. Hell, the majority of entertainers do not maintain their own communities: their fans do it.

Instead of trying to maintain a community - which is a herculean task in its own right - let the fans continue to take control of the community. Instead of centralizing everything, keep it decentralized. In essence, don't do a damn thing to the community, but do support them - make blog posts about how x site has some awesome wallpapers, or how y user made this kick ass video cover of a song, etc ...

It's a hard pill to swallow, but by giving fans power you're giving yourself a significant opportunity to grow online.

Fourth, get Metclub involved. The fresh content is nice, but it gets boring when nobody else from outside the project is involved. the best way to do this would be to get Metclub involved. If they're jamming, get a couple of Metclub members involved with a contest.

Finally, Keep doing it. This strategy only works when there's a consistent flow of new content pouring out of the Metallica system.

It's not that simple

It's never as simple as you think it is, and proper execution of an "open" model is essential to being accepted by the online world; however, with time, patience, and energy, it's possible.

Can Metallica do it? I hope so. If rumors are true that they're exploring options outside of the recording industry, then I hope they consider something like this. It isn't easy, it has a load of technical hurdles, and it's unproven on as large a scale as Metallica. But, I think it can be done.

Now I just wish someone actually read this blog ;)