Everything Twitter Offers, I Need More of:
Basic Ways Musicians Can Make Practical Use of Twitter
Kanye West trashed Twitter on his blog recently, with an all-caps exclamation of his disinterest:
“EVERYTHING THAT TWITTER OFFERS I NEED LESS OF.”
Um, Okay. Well. While this may be true this may be for Kanye West, most musicians and artists could probably use a little bit of what Twitter has to offer - at least for now. Especially considering it’s free and actually very easy to use.
If you don’t have Twitter yet, maybe you should get it.
Twitter Can Help You…
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Develop a Direct Line of Communication with Your Fans
Thousands of people are now on Twitter, actively seeking out their favorite artists to follow. They are actually asking you to share your news, from tour dates to new releases, or even just what you’re doing today. Twitter is an opportunity to deliver this information fast and from the source.
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Build Traffic to Your Website
A Twitter profile page doesn’t leave a lot of room for clutter - you get to list a link to your homepage and a very brief bio. When new people click on your profile, one of the first things they see is that link, and it’s the obvious next place to click to find out more about you.
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Keep Current on Industry News
Twitter is filled with useful information. By following your peers in the industry, you can keep track of new releases, upcoming shows and important announcements. Technical bloggers also regularly post links to online tutorials, new equipment reviews, and other professional tips.
None of this sound useful…?
There’s still one good reason why every artist should still register a Twitter account:
Registering Keeps Your Identity Safe from Namesquatters
If you don’t get your name now, somebody else will Twitter has experienced massive growth this year, and before long, your name might get grabbed by somebody else (See: Kanye West). Even if you don’t think you have time for Twitter now, you may be able to later pay a publicity agent to tweet for you if you change your mind.
The Basic Setup
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Choose the Right Name
Make it short and sweet. We only get 140 characters per post, so if people want to mention your name, they don’t want it to take up 37 of them. Make it as close to you can as your professional name, but without any extras. Try an acronym if your name has multiple words. If your name has alrady been taken, try adding an underscore _ at the end, or a number. Or both. If your name is long or difficult to spell, consider a nickname that people can easily remember.
Example: Native Intelligence = nativeintel -
Get Listed in the Directories
WeFollow.com and other online directories let you list your profile name with a few relevant tags, so other people can find and follow you. #Music might be obvious, but also pick something more specific in an area where you will stand out.
Making New Connections
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Find People to Follow
After registering in the directories, go back and search through the categories that interest you to find new people to follow. Start with media outlets, blogs, and industry publications. Following them will fill your home feed with useful new information that you can Retweet to the people who follow you.
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Use the RT : Retweet!
Hot topics on Twitter spread quickly with the feature known as Retweet. When copying someone else’s post, add RT @TheirName at the beginning or end. Twitter automatically converts the @Name into a link to that person’s profile. This helps your followers identify like-minded new people to follow, such as your friends! If you post interesting info or links, you can begin to expand your audience exponentially as others retweet your messages.
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Remember - You Have an Audience
When posting to Twitter, especially if you become interested enough to add it to your phone, there is always the danger of becoming a little too candid with a public audience. Remember to consider that anyone out there could be following you, from your mom to those guys over at the record label. Be yourself, but be reasonable. Don’t say anything you wouldn’t say onstage or at a party full of strangers. That said, it’s still important to be yourself. People can tell when you’re faking it.
Have Fun with It!
Twitter can be a way to start connecting with people all over the world, building your fanbase and providing unlimited networking opportunities. You can express yourself and keep up with your community as much or as little as you like. You might find yourself discovering hot events happening at the last second, fun people to meet up with, or other useful ways to enhance your ‘real life’ too.
