Artists today have a lot of advantages over those of yesteryear when it comes to connecting with their fans. Between MySpace (back when that was a thing), Facebook, Bandcamp, Kickstarter, and who-knows-what-else is coming, bands have a multitude of sources for promoting themselves and their music. Each platform offers something different, and every band should make the best effort to get all their social media bases covered.
So you’ve got a lot of options, which is great. But there is one thing I can say for sure: Your Band Should Be On Twitter. Short of actually picking up a phone and calling someone, Twitter is one of the most highly effective forms of new media we use in the music industry today. Your new record/interview/blog post can be broadcast to all your followers at once and immediately become part of an online conversation between you and your fans.
Effective use of Twitter isn’t easy, which is why it’s common for artists to outsource it to promotions companies. Your content needs to be fresh, exciting and on-the-message. It needs to be funny and personable, while still being informative. Hardest of all, Twitter isn’t a one-way conversation. Everyone on Twitter expects you to talk to them if you want to be talked to as well. That means knowing who to engage, and how to engage them. Here are a few tips and tricks for the effective use of Twitter:
Don’t Retweet Everything!
It’s great that you’re excited that you’re getting mentions on Twitter, but your followers care about YOU, not your other followers. When your profile looks like a collection of retweets and no original content from you, the artist, then it starts to look like you’ve got nothing going on. Instead of simply retweeting a fan, comment on what they’ve said. Twitter makes it easy for users to follow the whole conversation, so your follower will get plenty of attention from fans too.
Twitter Isn’t A Text Message!
“kewl! Ill c u @ the show 2nite! Thx 4 <3′ing r record!” is not a proper tweet. It’s not a proper anything. Remember that Twitter is a promotion and marketing tool as well as a social platform. Effective communication on Twitter means *gasp* full sentences and real words. If people don’t understand what you’re trying to tell them, they’re not going to follow you and they’re not going to check your content. That’s BAD!
Don’t Forget Your @’s and #’s
Always make sure you’re using Twitter handles and hashtags where possible. These handy symbols maximize the reach of your tweets beyond people who already follow you. If you’re playing a venue, make sure you check to see if they’re on Twitter. If you’re playing a festival, learn what hashtags they’re using to promote themselves and craft a few tweets to hitch a ride on their publicity wagon. Avoid getting in on the endemic #ThingsYourBoyfriendShouldBuyYou or #StuffWhitePeopleSay trends. They’re a spawning ground for the barely-literate and spambots. Unless that’s your fanbase, you should be reaching out to real people who have original, interesting things to say.
Post Your Press
Always. Any press you get should get a official Tweet of Approval from you. If you’re not responding to your press, your press might stop responding to you. Not a good thing.
Build Your Network
Open for a band? Follow them. A magazine reviewed your EP? Follow them. A fan happens to be the head of Warner? FOLLOW THEM! My point is that it’s important that you follow everyone you’ve had meaningful contact with. Twitter is like one of those fancy cocktail parties where influential people go to get trashed and make important plans. You NEED to be at that party. Ashton Kutcher can get by with following ten people and being followed by 10,000, but you don’t want to be Ashton Kutcher, do you?
_
Sari Delmar is the Founder and CEO of Audio Blood, Canada’s leading creative artist and brand marketing company. Through unique media and promotional packages, Audio Blood continues to be on the cutting edge of music marketing and promotion. Their client roster includes the likes of Pistonhead Lager, PledgeMusic, Iceland Airwaves, Canadian Music Week, Riot Fest, Beau’s All Natural Brewing, The Balconies, and more. At the age of 23, Sari leads a team of 10 out of the company HQ in Toronto, Ontario, has spoken at a number of music conferences and colleges, and sits on the Toronto Music Advisory Council. . Read more from Sari at SariDelmar.com