|
 Twitter-ing Your Music
and Google Alerts...
Article by David Nevue - August 2008
Back to Internet Music Promotion 101
As most of you know, I'm the author of the book How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet. I've been marketing my own music online for what, 13 years now (since 1995)?
One
of the aspects of Internet marketing I'm working on for the next
edition of my book (the 2009 Edition) is the impact of social media on
marketing music. Now, every year there is inevitably a "buzz" about the
this or that - some big new something that is the rage in online
marketing. Well, right now it's social media.
And so one of the things I have been exploring is the viability of
using social media to promote ones music. And one of the tools I have
just started using is Twitter.
Now,
for those of you who don't know, Twitter is, essentially, a micro-blog.
You have just 140 characters to type in what you're doing right now,
your comments, capsule reviews, link recommendations and so on. People
who like you and who are interested in you (say fans, friends, your
mother-in-law) can "follow" you and watch your every move, your ever
public thought, and whatever else you want to put out into the micro-blogosphere.
Is
Twitter good? Is it bad? I don't know, but it's kind of fun. And it's a
bit addicting for some strange reason. Can addictions be good?
Another tool that I use regularly is Google Alerts.
I use this to monitor certain keywords., and Google notifies me
whenever the search engine indexes a keyword or phrase that I'm
monitoring. Of course, one of the keywords I'm watching is my name, David Nevue,
because I want to see who's talking about me and what they are saying.
Usually, this is a good thing. Sometimes it's not. Do you really want
to know what people say about you when they think you aren't listening?
:) I'm always listening. What can I say, I'm a control freak. It's part
of why I'm successful (because of my dogged do-it-myself determination)
and also, unfortunately, why I can't sleep at night.
At any
rate, I am notified by Google Alert whenever anyone posts any page
anywhere that includes my name and Google indexes it. It could be a
blog mention, a CD review of my music, a playlist, or someone giving away my MP3s illegally. If it gets into Google, I know about it.
I
mention this because of a pleasant surprise I discovered with Twitter
this morning. Now, I've only been on Twitter for a week or so. I
probably should have been involved with Twitter sooner, but the reality
is, there are a zillion things going on out there on the net and I can
only investigate so many and still keep my business running (plus I am
first and foremost, a musician - there is this thing called practice
and performing I have to do!) So I only want to spend my time on the
marketing opportunities that are here to stay for awhile. Well, Twitter
has, in my opinion, become one of the biggest successes of the new "Web
2.0" social networking experience. It has become so successful, in
fact, that it's actually had a number of technical problems keeping up
with it's popularity. Remember how unreliable MySpace was in it's first couple of years? Well, MySpace has gotten a lot better, hasn't it? Well, Twitter is going through those same growing pains now.
Here's the point of all this (my, I'm taking a long time to make my point!), I've been on Twitter for just a week now and I've got about two-dozen people following me. Hey, it's a start.
Someone
Twittered about me yesterday and guess what? Already that Twitter has
been indexed by Google. I know this because of my Google Alerts
account. Someone mentioned me yesterday and boom, there it is a day
later in the Google search engine results for my name. I was shocked at
how quickly that happened.
What this means....
Everything
you type in Twitter gets indexed (or has the potential of getting
indexed) by Google into their search engine results. That makes Twitter
a VERY useful marketing tool for those of you who are search-engine
aware. If you enter specific keywords into your twitter communications,
those Twitters may be found by people searching Google on that
particular keyword.
So, for those of you using Twitter, be aware
of this. When you Twitter anything about your day, be as specific as
you can and use keyword-rich content. If you're preparing for a concert
gig, for example, when you mention that on Twitter, include the name of
the gig venue, so that when someone searches for that Venue name in
Google, there is the chance that they'll discover you.
There are
so many ways you can target Google searches using Twitter, and then
draw people to your own Twitter page and then, hopefully, to your
music. Just ponder this, and then, as you twitter, consider ways that
you can get specific so that
your Twitter messages might benefit you on the search engines. This is
NOT to say that you should use Twitter as a spam machine (if you do
this, no one will bother following you on Twitter), but just that, as
you post your daily routine, think of ways you can include specific
keyword text that people may be searching on.
There are so many things
you can twitter about and then relate back to your music. Popular
movies you see, celebrities, artists who sound like you, books you
read, political events and so on. The key with Twitter is that you have
just 140 characters to do it! That can be a challenge. But it's a fun
one - sometimes fitting your thoughts into 140 characters feels very much like solving a crossword puzzle.
One another thing...
This
blog should be the perfect reminder that EVERYTHING you type ANYWHERE
online is being archived somewhere, permanently. So for those of you
with privacy concerns, this is yet another heads up. Watch what you
say. Nothing you do online is truly private.
And yes, (hopefully), people are following you.
-----
David Nevue
is the founder of The
Music Biz Academy
and Whisperings:
Solo Piano Radio. He is also a professional pianist,
recording artist, full-time Internet musician, and author of the book, "How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet."
|
|
|
Submit An Article for Consideration!
Would you like to submit an article for publication at MusicBizAcademy.com? If you have music-related expertise
you'd like to share with other musicians including career tips, how to's, or general music business-related articles,
please feel free to send them our way. We'll be glad to consider them. Submit your article! |
|
|
|
untitled
|
Follow The
Music Biz Academy
on Twitter. Get instant notifcation of new music promotion tips tips, music business articles, resources and news. It's all business, all the time.
Subscribe FREE...
to the Music Biz Academy newsletter! Music promotion tips, articles, site recommendations, and industry news will be delivered
to your inbox. Details Here.
How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet
This easy-to-read guide to music promotion teaches you how to effectively sell your music online! Learn what works
and what doesn't from a musician who's now promoting music on the Internet full time! More....
Get Educated...
Master the Music Biz!
Online Courses. Many Programs. Learn Day or Night.
Details Here.
Our Top 20 Articles
21
Songwriting Tips
How
to Write an Artist Bio
Mastering
Your Music
Improve
Your Press Kit
Sell
Your CDs Online
Performance
Contracts
What's
a Record Deal About?
Inside
Record Labels
A
Legal Checklist
How
to Write a Press Release
Record
Distribution: 25 Tips
Guerrilla
Marketing Tips
How to Make a Living w/ Music
Internship
Do's & Don'ts
Starting a Music Business
Reasons
Demos Are Rejected
Artist/Band
Interview Form
Facts
About Music Licensing
Planning
A Radio Campaign
Tax
Tips for Musicians
Lots
More Articles...
The Complete Guide to Starting
a Record Company
This
wonderful book guides you step
by
step through the process of starting up your own independent record label.
It
includes vital advice on how to retain lawyers and accountants, construct budgets, sign artists, navigate
artist contracts, find a distributor and how to develop and
execute an effective marketing plan.
More...
MySpace
Music Marketing
With tens of millions of registered
users, MySpace.com has become a
godsend for countless independent artists. If you're not promoting your music on MySpace yet, you
need to start - right away. Everything
you need to know, including tips
and tricks, interviews with successful
MySpace bands, and how to fine-tune
your MySpace profile for maximum
punch. The perfect "how to"
guide for MySpace beginners, especially!
More...
Music Is Your Business
Christopher Knab and Bartley F. Day's expanded edition of "Music Is Your Business" is filled
with more insights into the business side of being a successful
musician or band. Included are chapters on both Internet and traditional
music marketing methods. The essential legal issues you need to
know are explained as are music contract tips, how to license your
music, attract
distributors, get radio airplay and create a
demand for your music. More...
How to Be Your Own Booking Agent
Jeri
Goldstein’s award-winning
resource for artists and musicians is artfully organized into 510 pages
of savvy advice, realistic methods and action plans for the performing
artist. The book is a step-by-step guide through virtually all aspects
of the music business. It's a fantastic resource, a MUST-READ and a
favorite here at the Music Biz Academy. One of the best, most in-depth
books written about how to run your own music business. More...
Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook
This is your guide to independent music success secrets, featuring over 175 ways to thrive and prosper with your
own band or record label. Goal setting, networking, lists of distribution channels, offbeat promotional ideas.
It's all here! More....
The Indie Bible
With 350 pages containing over 10,000 contacts, including music reviewers and radio stations, The Indie Bible
is a resource for songwriters and musicians who wish to have their music heard, reviewed, or considered for radio
play. More....
All Content © 1996-2009
Midnight Rain Productions.
All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy |
|
