By Owen Kelly of The Indie Digest. Follow him @ojkelly.
Twitter provides a unique opportunity to everyone that has never really existed before. Not only do you have the ability to follow every minute detail of your favourite band, but you can also have a conversation with them.
It’s often been said that twitter is like a bar full of people. You can listen or jump in with any conversation at the bar. Keep this in mind when you tweet.
If you just blurt out “Click here to see my new video!” Then you closely resemble the people handing out crappy pamphlets at the train station, that end up in the bin seconds later.
Anyone attempting to promote a product, be it a song, CD, or even a book, needs to be aware the usual rules do not apply on Twitter. It has evolved with its own set of rules and etiquette. To successfully promote your product you need to be aware of a few things.
Be human.
Most importantly, drop the advertising tone. With the sheer amount of advertising we are all slammed with each day, most people especially online have developed a sixth sense, so to speak, to ignore advertising.
The rise, social acceptance, and in part necessity, of social networks has primed us for reading small bit sized “status updates” of our friends daily lives. Tweets are very much the same thing, just more publicly accessible.
As a band, you have absolutely no reason not to capitalise on this. It is a very powerful tool when used correctly. There is however, a right way, and a wrong way to do this.
The two following tweets put it in a pretty black and white manner.
@SomeBandOnTwitter
Listen to my new single “My New Song” now! [link]
@kmillerheidke
Keir and I have to learn Walking on a Dream for a thing tomorrow. It has nearly killed our marriage.
The first tweet has no real value or hook. It also has a very cold and promotional tone. Sure there is a link. But we see links everywhere, why would your (potential) fan want to click it? Oh you have a new song do you. Well so does everyone. Why is yours important to me?
The second tweet is not only humorous, but also interesting. It works on everything that makes a tweet good. This tweet doesn’t link to anything. Its not trying to sell. Merely to inform.
Now, you can actually get away with using the first tweet, just not very frequently. If you fill your stream up with tweets like the first, then you are really of no value to any of your followers. What are you giving them besides something they, presuming they are fans, already have?
What’s worse, is spamming random people. As the old saying goes, you only get out what you put in. The first tweet is not adding much, the second is.
Don’t Spam your new song/video
Whilst many of you may want to try and show everyone your new song or video, consider it from their perspective. As normal humans in a modern society we are constantly bombarded with advertising whereever we go. Some places its acceptable, twitter is definitely not one of those places.
Twitter works on our desire to be social, to keep up with what’s going on with people we care about. This doesn’t mean you cant promote what you’re doing, you should. The way you do it however, is of the utmost importance.
Remember the first tip ‘Be Human’. Well if your stream is full of tweets that are human and interesting then, believe it or not you can get away with a “New song – [link]” style tweet. The real trick is not to actively sell the link. By which I mean don’t use words like ‘Now’, ‘Click Here’ and my probably the most overused ‘Check Out.’ Not to mention avoid exclamation points if you can!
Twitter is like one big Publicity Campaign
If you need convincing about whether or not to use twitter as a band, treat it like a publicity campaign. And give it as much, if not more, time and energy than you would a traditional publicity campaign.
Regular tweeting is an investment, of both your time and energy. It also a major investment to your public profile, and can have great returns. This goes for everyone, not just bands.
By keeping regular updates on your twitter, you are staying fresh in the minds of your followers. In the same advertising methodology that sees hundreds of ads for Coke every year, it is not about selling per se. Rather its about brand recognition.
The purpose of brand recognition in respect to bands is that, when someone is deciding what to listen to you want to be one of the first things they choose.
Regular tweeting also lets your fans know that you’re alive, but more importantly that you’re doing something. It also helps keep the perception that you are still successful. After all not many people listen to bands that don’t exist anymore.
Let your fans know what you’re doing.
To keep up that pace of regular tweeting, tell us what your up to. If you’ve just finished a soundcheck at a gig, tell us. But also tell us something about that soundcheck.
What’s the venue like? Do you like it?
Are many people coming to the gig? Sold Out?
Is your voice totally nackard from the last few nights?
Or maybe you just finished a gig and it was absolutely awesome. Don’t be afraid to tell us. At the same time be wary of declaring permanent absolutes like “best gig ever”. They get old very, very fast and, they don’t add any value to your tweet. Instead tell us something that happened at the gig.
Did you fall off stage?
Someone profess their love for you? Get heckled?
Debut a new song?
We want to know. Don’t be afraid to embarrass yourself slightly, self deprecating humour is the best. As Nancy Baym said in a recent CD Baby Podcast (#59) twitter is like an extension of your inter-song banter.
That said, set your boundaries early. And remember not many people really want to see your vomit, however epic it may be. Unless you fans want to hear that.
Share behind the scenes info.
As well as telling us what you’re doing, show us what you’re doing. We fans are a hungry bunch. We want to know what its like recording that album, or how it is backstage at that festival. We want to know what goes into making that next album.
Don’t hesitate to upload that new demo to show to your followers. It adds more value to your stream. Ask for their feedback, it could prove to be invaluable.
Many bands have caught onto this which is great, but for those who haven’t show us snippets of video, show us photos of you recording or lazing about backstage.
Sharing all this info helps build a layer of trust between you and your fans, which comes incredibly handy when you have a new song. Your fans will be so involved in what your doing they will probably be chaffing at the bit to hear the it and purchase it.