Twitter 101 for Artists: the do’s and don’ts of Twitter

Below are Twitter dos and don’ts. You have probably read a list similar to this but this one is specifically for artists or anyone else in the music industry. But if you are reading this blog and have no clue of how to use Twitter or even what it is, take a few moments to watch their short tutorial video on what this site is all about.

DO:

1. DO @mention fellow followers. When you @mention someone it shows that you want to build rapport with them. It shows you are attempting to connect

2. DO Log onto twitter and tweet things that are not pertaining to music. This gives your followers a sense of your personality. So it’s okay to tweet what you had for breakfast. It is not pointless to tweet that you are on the bus stop or waiting for your car to get an oil change. Showing that you are human and not a spamming machine will allow your followers to connect with you. That is, after all, what Twitter is about.

3. DO brand yourself. Don’t be afraid to let everyone know about your brand without spamming them. For example, you can tweet about normal things but leave your company name at the end of every tweet. This is a slick and clean way of mentioning your brand without getting on everyone’s nerves. Granted the tweet has nothing to do with your brand, but it still gets the job done.
Example: “Wow! It’s hot as heck outside #idOMusic”
“Up early about to get it in #idOMusic”

4. DO share links of your music and other material. This is an easy way to get maximum exposure online. Be sure to ask for feedback from your followers.

5. DO network with other people on twitter and give feedback on music and material other people post. It will increase your chances of others viewing and listening to things that you may post.

DON’T:
1. DON’T Log on every now and then, say one word, and then disappear into cyberspace. Meaning, don’t just log onto twitter every couple of days and expect to get a great benefit from it. Twitter is a tool used to network and to stay connected. You can’t do that if people don’t know who you are. People can only know who you are if you're in their face…or online in this case. So log onto twitter daily if possible and spend about an hour at the least. Or you can spread your tweets throughout the day.

2. DON’T Spam while on Twitter. Its okay to promote and upload links about an event. However, don’t let that be the main reason of why you even created an account.

3. DON’T ignore new followers. When you are notified that you have new followers, be sure to acknowledge them with a tweet. For example, a lot of my followers tweet: “Shouts out to all my new followers today”. It is just common courtesy. And don’t be afraid to follow them back either.

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