You’ve probably heard about Twitter in conversation or on the news – you may even already be using it yourself. If you’re not, you should definitely consider signing up. According to Nielsen Wire, Twitter grew from 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009, a whopping increase of 1,382%!
So, what’s all the hype about?
Setting up a Twitter account takes about 5 minutes. All you need to do is come up with a username and password, then fill in your website address (if you have one), add a “bio” in 160 characters or less, choose your location and language, and presto – one Twitter account ready to go!
You can search for other Twitterers from your own address book, or do your own research to find those with similar interests. Here are a few online directories I’ve used to help find people on Twitter: Just Tweet It, WeFollow, and Twitter Grader. If one of your contacts isn’t already using Twitter, just wait a week or two – with the amazing growth rate of Twitter, they might have joined by then!
Tweets (much like status updates on Facebook and MySpace) are limited to 140 characters. Think of them as text messages. Not only does it take less time for you to SEND messages to your followers, but it also takes less time for you to READ messages.
Tweeters (users) can twitter via mobile phones – by web or text messages – and information is disseminated very quickly. Other Tweeters can retweet (forward) messages, which can help spread whatever message you are Tweeting.
Twitter is also light-hearted and fun. There is a whole different terminology and even the most serious minded people seem to crack a smile as they tweet about everything from tweetups to tweeple, creating their own twistory as they go along. For more Twitter terminology, click here.
One expert on the topic of social media is Sarah Evans. She authors a great blog about PR and social media called PRSarahEvans.com. You’ll find plenty of good information on her site, but to help you get started, I found these two excellent articles about Twitter: How to Build Your Twitter Community and How NOT to Build Your Twitter Community.
Now that you’ve got the tools to get started, go forth and twitter away… soon, you will find yourself part of an ever-growing community of tweeters creating your very own online twistory… Be sure to tweet us at twitter.com/SweetgrassMusic – we’d love to hear from you!
If you would like to read more about Twitter, here are a few books to check out:
- Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time
by Joel Comm (foreword by Anthony Robbins)
- Twitter Revolution: How Social Media and Mobile Marketing is Changing the Way We Do Business & Market Online
by Warren Whitlock
- Twitter Tips, Tricks, and Tweets
by Paul McFedries (available May 11, 2009)
(P.S. If you’re STILL not sure if Twitter is for you, click here for a great article by Ariel Publicity explaining why musicians should use Twitter.)
I found this great article on why to use session musicians for your demo recordings and wanted to publish the link for everybody:
http://tunecore.typepad.com/tunecorner/2008/07/the-advantages.html
It is so true …… and guess what, the time you save by having your songs recorded by professional session musicians will make up for the extra money you may have to budget.
Give it a shot, you won’t be disappointed.
PLUS, session musicians make great friends, too.
