Twitter is a social networking application that lets people "follow" you on daily activities via RSS feed, mobile phone text messages, instant messenger, or web.
For an example of how it works, check out my page. And if you want, feel free to "follow" me.
Most of the time, it gets really annoying when people post a message about every part of their day and exactly what they're doing...eating cereal, walking up a flight of stairs, getting a bikini wax, etc.
ZZZZZzzzzz... Nobody cares!
But, with that said, Twitter is still a great way to reach out to people. And since the messages are sent via mobile phone and you can reach people when they're out doing things, it's a great way to reach people about live events.
My idea...
Set up an account on Twitter for each city that you play. For example, if your band is called Band XYZ, and you play Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta, I'd set up three accounts:
1. BandXYZ-Nashville
2. BandXYZ-Memphis
3. BandXYZ-Atlanta
Then, when you have a gig in Nashville, you can send a message to "BandXYZ-Nashville" and let everybody know.
Have you gotten my new audio book about networking? In it, I talk about the importance of building rapport and how "multiple touches" can help to speed that up, even if it's something quick, such as a message on Twitter.
By the way, if you haven't gotten this audio book, you can download it free with the form on the righthand column of this site. :)
Back to Twitter, rapport, and promoting local shows...
Just booked a show in Nashville? Let "BandXYZ-Nashville" know about it.
Playing tonight in Memphis? Send "BandXYZ-Memphis" a reminder, a few hours before the show.
Did you record the show you did in Atlanta last night? Let "BandXYZ-Atlanta" know they can download it on your website. Have some photos of the show posted? Let them know that too.
As you can see, it's easy to reach out to people, multiple times, with content which is relevant to them. As people who "follow" you can see other people on the follow list, Twitter is also a great place for fans to connect with other fans.
Interested in more ways to use Twitter? Check out my Twitter page and "follow" me. When I come up with new ways to use it, you'll be the first to know.
NOTE: Don't give up on your email list and also your postal mail list. Not everybody uses Twitter and you want to reach out to as many people as possible. And while I'm on the subject of "old school" ways to connect with folks, if you really keep up to date on all the latest music marketing stuff, make sure you subscribe to the feed.
