Jon McLaughlin – HuffPost 5.18.12

Mike Ragogna: What advice might you have for new artists?

Jon McLaughlin: I was thinking when you brought up the whole social media aspect, I think that maybe a couple years ago, I felt like if you were signed to a major label, they should have control over a lot of the aspects, like it’s a team effort on all fronts. I don’t feel that way anymore. I always have a lot of people telling me good advice, which, if you’re signed to a major label, is great. If it’s a right fit, that’s great. But always be in the mindset that you’re independent. I think especially when it comes to your social media and whatever avenue you have to have a direct connection to your fans, you need to hold those cards close to your chest and really always be in control of that. Even though now, when times get busy since I’m signed to a label, they’ll help with getting some promotional things out via Facebook and Twitter, I do 99.99% of all the social media stuff because it’s just too much of a personal side of you and it needs to be you.

MR: How do you maintain yours? How do you keep up?

JM: There’s an ebb and flow a little bit, you have to cut yourself some slack sometimes. You can sometimes feel like it takes a certain personality. I’m not a Perez Hilton and don’t have something to say all the time. You really have to view it as an extension of your self. If you want your fans to be connected with you and you connected with your fans, you gotta just let it be organic and treat it as a conversation that’s open. I personally think it’s the greatest thing in the world, the fact that Twitter and Facebook are there and at any moment, anybody anywhere in the world can send me a message and it literally vibrates on my phone, I think it’s awesome. I think it’s great. It really serves me well in my career in a tangible way.