Smart Twitter Promoting

Way Cool Jnr hosted a guest post from Andrew McMillen earlier this year on how bands should best utilise their Twitter accounts. You should check that post for some useful tips and cautionary advice, such as “don’t over-follow people,” and “reply to every @mention you receive.” All of that is important Twitter etiquette on which you will be judged and against which your success as a Tweeter measured.

As Andrew said, offering a free download via Twitter is a good way of connecting with those following you, and if you’re famous enough/your content is interesting enough to generate coverage on its own then then this may even attract some new followers. That said, another way to offer that same content and also guarantee your name pops up on new ‘Tweetdecks’ is by ‘charging’ fans a Tweet.

This isn’t revolutionary stuff, but it’s yet to see a mass uptake. I assume it’s because people have limited their outlook on what function those 140 characters can have. Beyond just sending information and updates to previous fans, encouraging people to Tweet back places equal value on what the fan writes to you just as much as what you write to your fans. You could say that you’re getting 280 characters for half the price and with a much broader readership.

So what’s the principle behind it?

The idea is a fairly straightforward one and not that far removed from what Andrew reported earlier but with a slight twist. Simply, rather than posting direct links to downloads etc on your Twitter account, you request that a fan mention you in a reply tweet in order to get the bonus content (or something similar). Companies like Culture Jam have recently brought a ‘Tweet-to-download’ application to the market, what they call a “new value proposition” that equates tweeting with paying in the form of incidental and fairly effortless exposure.

This is far from a large expectation on the fan’s part, and it will mean that not only will fans be accessing your content through Twitter as before, but that your band will be popping up to all their followers (possibly even multiple times depending on cross-over) and is a simple but effective way of getting attention.

Here are 5 reasons why this is a good avenue for promoting your band:

1. Your name will spread more. If you post a simple link then followers need only click-through to get the content. Some may post courtesy ‘thanks’ tweets, but your content is limited largely to only those that already follow you. While this arrangement will undoubtedly keep your fans happy, there is little reason to suggest it will draw in new followers the above method will.

2. It reaches new fans via a more ‘reliable’ channel. Unscrupulous social-networking musicians have made users wary even of the most genuine Tweeter. Even if you follow Andrew’s advice, it’s still expected that in reaching out to people you are transparently promoting your own work, which makes you something of an unreliable witness. When someone is alerted to you and your online presence via a mention from their friend, it comes from someone they already know and trust, and without the agenda that the band themselves undoubtedly have. This endorsement feels more genuine because IT IS more genuine, and thus is more likely to convert to new followers while reflecting well on you as a band.

3. It’s effortless for the fan. Admittedly, not quite as effortless as simply clicking a link, but if they’re perusing your post then it’s fair to assume they’re already logged in and simply have to hit ‘reply’ to fulfill your requirements.

4. Offers more engagement for the fan. As much as fans like free stuff and new content, they also like to interact with the band and become participants. Promoting exclusives this way encourages fans to contact you directly and makes them incidental marketers of your band in the process.

5. Your name and online presence accrue value. Unless you’re a super obscure indie band then being talked about is actually a good thing. Like all aspects of popular culture, the more you are talked about and recognised, the more purchase and appeal you have. Diplo probably won’t need this strategy since 37, 000 followers says more than a few hundred mentions, but it’s the same principle of value at work (and who knows, maybe he wants those extra followers anyway). Until you wield such a bloated online profile, the ‘tweet-as-pay’ method is a good way of demonstrating to new fans that you are worth paying attention to.

So, next time you want to give away a remix/live recording/free ticket via Twitter, consider adopting this approach and observe the coverage it breeds. If you do try this out - or have already - then please let us know your thoughts on it in the comments section.

I have a forthcoming interview with Dew Process’s digital media manger Carney Nir, who recently ran one of these campaigns with Yves Klein Blue with Culture Jam. I’ll be interested to hear her take on why this is a good way of promoting your band online.