Twitter and Internet Music Marketing

I'm sure you've heard tons of news, press and argument about a little known (but, seriously addictive) microblogging site. Now, I won't go into the intricacies of microblogging (suffice it to say there are a plethora of e-books, available online, describing the magic of this NEW MEDIA powerhouse), but, I will introduce you to some of the advantages of having a Twitter account.

To Follow, or not to follow

One of the first concepts you become familiar with when you become a part of the Twitter community is FOLLOWING. FOLLOWING is essentially listening in on the conversation of whomever it is you have chosen to FOLLOW. Initially, it's difficult to decide who to follow and who not to follow. It's really quite an easy task, once you've put some thought into it. The first thing you really have to do is dfine your purpose for being on Twitter. In the case of an aspiring musician, hip-hop/rap artist, producer or DJ, you might decide to FOLLOW music industry (or who you might think) "twitterers" exclusively. The simplest way to accomplish this is to find @iamdiddy. On Twitter, @iamdidy represents Sean "Diddy" Combs (he's freely given his Twitter account info on shows such as, "Ellen" and "Larry King Live"; along with @aplusk - Ashton Kutcher). Using @iamdidy as a starting point, you simply play an intense game of "Six Degrees of Separation".

Talk the talk

When you've FOLLOWED a few "tweeple" you may begin to notice bits of convesation that capture your attention and beg you to repsond. Before you jump in with your latest Mixtape project or links to your newly redesigned Myspace page, start with more run-of-the-mill conversation. Steering your conversation toward a more social direction gives you an opportunity to be recognized as an individual, FIRST. Talking to get to know who you are talking to is the easiest way to be heard and, after a short time, it builds an audience for your announcements of your NEW PROJECTS. It also helps to know some of the Twitter customs, such as: #followfriday, shout out and the wide variety of Twitter slang. #FollowFridays are a GREAT way to get introduced to an entire circle of "tweeters" (recording artists, models, CEOs, entrepreneurs -- everyone on Twitter -- participates in #FollowFriday). #FollowFridays are a traditional Twitter custom where, essentially, you # (hashmark)FF and list everyone you're FOLLOWING who you think might be of interest to anyone FOLLOWING you. It sounds more complicated than it really is. Try it out you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

Give, Give, Give, Share, Take

The great thing about Twitter is the unmistakable formula that defines the roles of the creative entrepreneur (artist) and the end user (fans/consumers). It's jsut as simple as the subheader which leads to this paragraph: Give, Give, Give, Share and Take. GIVE information; GIVE tips; GIVE reviews; SHARE useful resources (on the internet, via a news report, etc.) and the, TAKE whatever info/tips/reviews/resources you find useful. It's the free-flow of conversation that results in the most precious jewels of info. Be patient and don't be so concerned with what you want, instead, relax and be a GREAT "tweeter". Consistently, giving valuable information, tips or insights yields it's own rewards in the long run. Be generous with your smallest complaints about a new resturant that you heard about in your favorite magazine and if your FOLLOWERS are "in the loop" they'll know not to hit that particular spot after the evening's #tweetup (Sry, I can't help myself -- twittalk is one of the funniest things I've seen in a while).

Quiet Time

Before you take these few hints and go all willy-nilly on Twitter, you have to understand one thing: TWITTER is the industry's PERSONAL SPACE. More times than not, if you find yourself on TweetDeck; watching tweet after tweet pass, you'll notice that Twitter serves as a personal speaking space for a great deal tweeters. Some tweeple speak specifically to their FOLLOWERS, others enjoy speaking to everyone within tweet-shot about whatever event they're attending and what's REALLY going on behind-the-scenes. Still, you should take care in "pushing" your wares on anyone who you are FOLLOWING and PLEASE try not be extremely disappointed by @chamillionaire not responding to your fervent requests to listen to your demo. Like I just said, TWITTER is a personal place (which also happens to allow indies direct access and communication with some of the industry's tastemaker's and power players); DO NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE of this access! Instead, utilize your Twitter access to develop relationships and cultivate those Twitter relationships, turning them into opportunities for you to make a FORMAL presentation or to acquire an email/AIM/Yahoo Msgr/phone number (essentially, a more direct contact) before you turn into a "groupie". A simple analogy: If you worked at McDonald's and only had 24-hour shifts, everyday you were scheduled to work; you wouldn't necessarily want to talk hamburgers and fries as soon as you got home. On the other hand, you wouldn't mind if someone asked you how your day was (so that you could tell them about hamburgers and fries). It's really that simple.