Much has been written about Twitter, and many things will continue to be written about the seemingly ubiquitous micro-blogging service (especially if these rumors are even slightly true). As of 16:00hrs EST on April 2, 2009, Google finds 43,058,597 blog articles on the topic–a number nearly impossible to comprehend, but it goes a long way to demonstrate both the popularity of the service and the immense number of people who are trying to determine how to use it to their advantage.

Musicians are no exception–this spreadsheet lists hundreds of artists, bands and other music-related Twitter users (and it continues to grow exponentially), all of them trying to determine how to use the service to reach fans and spread the word about their art.

So is Twitter just another social media fad, or is it an important tool to reach new fans and interact with your audience?

The answer is “yes.”

Twitter is the hip social media thing to do right now, but after you peel back the hype and “trend-spotting” news reports (and actually start to use the service!), you will discover that Twitter allows for interaction unlike any other type of social media, and there are specific benefits to musicians that no other service can offer, especially when it comes to connecting with fans.

You Should Be On Twitter

The secret to Twitter’s utility lies in its (a)brevity and (b)immediacy.

On Twitter, you only have 140 characters to express yourself, so every letter matters (this sentence happens to be exactly 147 characters long, to give you some perspective). No fluff, no hype–only the essential, and because of that, it allows you to connect with fans and potential fans in a very direct manner. It also forces your creativity and personality to shine through–if your updates consist of thoughts like, “At the grocery store,” “Reading email,” or, “Buy my record,” very few people (if any) will want to hear what you have to say, but if you inject your personality into the few characters that are available to you, people will be interested in hearing more.

Immediacy is the other aspect that makes Twitter so essential for independent musicians.  In fact, Twitter is most effective when used in the immediate present, rather than for documenting the past as you would in a blog or on your MySpace page.  Because of this immediacy, Twitter presents intriguing snapshots into precise moments, allowing people a perspective no other media can  provide.  As such, you can pull your fans into your world, sending out immediate updates as you record an album, or taking them along on tour as you look for something to do between cities, creating an experience and loyalty that an MP3 can not.  You can also receive real-time feedback and comments, whether you want to know which mix of a track you should use, where to perform in a given city, or even whether or not you should change your band name!

Use Twitter to Find Your Ideal Audience

Twitter is a ridiculously effective way to find your audience, but it requires that you be a real person in order to do so successfully. Don’t simply sign up for an account, post a few updates, and expect the followers to come beating down your door–you need to reach out to others and actively participate in the conversation.  Remember, if people care about you, then they will want to hear your music, and the same people will eventually become your music’s champions.  On the contrary, if you constantly send nothing more than the Twitter equivalent of spam, saying, “Download our new E.P.” (as several artists actually do each day), people will quickly tune out, or worse, not even bother following you.

When following people, follow them because they interest you, not because you are trying to trick them into liking your music. Be authentic in your updates–don’t reveal every detail of your day, but also don’t hesitate to say when things are not working out; it sounds corny, but just be you, and people will feel a connection.  Reply to people, and let them see that the person updating your profile is actually you (and not some record label intern).

Follow other musicians and artists, and you will see what attracts people and what does not.  @questlove, @imogenheap and @trent_reznor certainly do not need any help attracting fans, but they are excellent examples of what to do if you want people to follow you, fans or otherwise–they are real people in their updates, they interact with their followers, and they provide the immediate glimpses into their lives that are the life-blood of a successful Twitter user.  They also take full advantage of Twitter to transform their followers into fans and keep their name and music in conversations, even when they are not releasing anything new or touring.

Turn Your Followers Into Fans

Twitter is an amazing way to turn casual followers into fans, as well as fans into super-fans, especially as they begin to feel a real connection with you and, thus, your music. The secret here lies in the consistency and quality of your updates–be active and regularly update your profile, but continue to focus on updates that bring fans into your world and gives to them an experience and interaction that they could not get otherwise.

You will actually learn more about effectively using Twitter to connect with your ideal audience by signing up and following the people I have linked to throughout this article, so I would suggest that you make that your priority.  However, as you work at using Twitter to connect with your fans, here are some things you may want to experiment with:

• Debut music, videos or other content on Twitter especially for your followers and watch them spread to other media outlets
• Hold contests and competitions for your followers–everyone who sends a specific link to their followers is entered into a drawing, best suggestion for an album title gets a name in the album credits, etc.
• Determine which venues you should be playing in a given market with fan suggestions solicited on Twitter–not only will this help you book gigs in unfamiliar markets, but if you can show a promoter or booking agent that X number of fans/patrons have told you that you should play in a specific venue, they can’t argue that you are not “right” for their regular audience
• Reserve a couple of spots on your guest-list at each live show specifically for your Twitter followers, and give them away the afternoon before a show. Not only does it reward their loyalty, but it also creates pre-show buzz and anticipation in each market
• Let fans create your set-list on Twitter. Ask them what they want to hear and build the list from their suggestions
• Even better, as there are various ways to use Twitter from mobile phones, build your set lists spontaneously through encouraging fans at your live gigs to request songs via Twitter. You can even use #hashtags to track the requests.  Yes, this requires some extra practice, but imagine the excitement your fans would feel in having this opportunity!

*****

Additional Reading

• In Defense of Twitter for Musicians – If this New Music Strategies interview with bassist Steve Lawson doesn’t sell you on Twitter, then I’m not sure what will. (via Hypebot)
• Better Than Free – Wired-founder Keven Kelly on competing with free and giving your fans an experience that they can not get from a download or plastic disc.
• The Fan Economy – Social Media Strategist Bud Caddell’s excellent slide show on working within the new fan-centric economy and using it to your advantage. Spend some time with this one.

*****

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions on the most effective ways to find your audience using Twitter? Share in the comments below or, of course, via Twitter.

Don’t forget to check back later for the final post in our series on Finding Your Audience.  Too much trouble to remember? Subscribe to MusicIsMyDayJob via RSS or email and let us remember for you.

April 18, 2009, is the annual Record Store Day celebration–an excellent opportunity to both support these music-centric businesses and to promote your music to the locals. Read on to learn how…

What is Record Store Day?

This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the second Saturday every April. – RecordStoreDay.com

Why should you care?

As stated above, independent music retailers are generally at the core of any healthy local music scene. These stores don’t just sell music–they are cultural centers, acting as the proverbial water-coolers for any scene’s true music fans. Customers come to these stores as much for the experience as they do for the music, and the best of these stores deliver both in spades.

Employees at these stores are not just High Fidelity-like music snobs , but they do know their music, and most are either actual artists themselves or tied into the local arts scene in some other way.  These people eat, sleep, drink and breathe music, and as an independent musician, you need them on your side.

These stores are active supporters or local music, promoting local shows to communities of active music consumers, writing about local bands via their websites & blogs, and selling music by local artists (generally via consignment). In other words, they are an independent musician’s best friend.

Support your local record store!

That brings us to Record Store Day 2009, and an excellent opportunity for local musicians to support their local indie record stores. How?

• Book a gig at a participating store–As described above, almost every participating store will have live music performances on Record Store day, and you should be one of the acts! (In a quick informal phone poll of 10 participating stores during the afternoon of 3/9, 6 of the stores were still finalizing their plans, so there is still time!) Remember, though, that this is a gig to support your local indie store and local music fans, so don’t play the diva or expect payment. This is all about generating good karma.
• Tell all of your fans about Record Store Day, and urge them to participate–Use your email list, your MySpace page, your Twitter account, your Facebook page and any other means you have to tell your fans to get out and support their local independent music stores. If you want to use official banners and website badges, go here
• Follow @recordstoreday on Twitter, and encourage your followers to do the same! There are also many independent music stores who you should be following on Twitter, including @amoebamusic, @criminalrecords, @hoodlums, @WaterlooRecords, @ZiaRecords, @Slowtrain and @landlockedmusic
  
• Even if they don’t have room for you to perform at their celebration, be sure to spend some time at your favorite indie record store on April 18th, 2009!
• Even better, make every day Record Store Day–don’t let these essential music-focused businesses vanish! Become a regular at your local indie music store–you’ll be glad that you did…

Now it’s your turn to share: how are you going to celebrate Record Store Day? Will you be performing at a local store? Dropping money on the original vinyl pressing of Black Flag’s debut? Picking up one of the many cool exclusive releases that the stores will have on 4/18? Tell everyone all about it in the comments!