Plenty of posts exist about how to rock Twitter as a musician. One of my favorites is by the ever-so-smart Laura Fitton (co-author of Twitter for Dummies).
Instead of following suit, I thought a more interesting post would revolve around how to complete #FAIL at using Twitter.
If you need basic information about Twitter check out this, this, and this.
Oh, let me count the ways!
#FAIL 1 – Don’t post an avatar, fill out your bio, include a link to your website/myspace/imeem/soundcloud page, or list your location.
If I don’t know who you are, where you are, who is tweeting from your account or where I can go to find out more about you, why should I believe that you are really you?
I have to call out @DaveJMatthews for being slightly guilty of this. You figure out pretty quickly when paying attention to his tweets that he is in fact the REAL @DaveJMatthews, but it would certainly help to have a link to their homepage or a brief bio explaining that upfront.
In this case his very lopsided follower count helps me believe in his authenticity. Funny how that one can work for or against you….
#FAIL 2 – Send an auto-DM thanking people for following you
It may seem nice. It may even seem polite. I’m sure you think it’s “following the crowd” and “helping to spread my music to far away places!”. Really? It’s just annoying. I’m following you, clearly I’m interested in keeping up with what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, and who you are. I don’t need to be explicitly thanked for that interest, just give me interesting stuff to follow and I’m satisfied.
Plus, it fills up my inbox and it’s not a genuine communication. Chances are if you say “Hey, thanks for following! Check out my MySpace page!” I’ve already been there, done that.
#FAIL 3 – @message people en masse, requesting that they check out your “new super-awesome thing!”
Don’t be fooled by the medium or the funny @. This is SPAM. I don’t follow you (in most cases), nor do I appreciate being lumped in with other people (who usually don’t have anything in common with me). In fact, I’ll block you without thinking twice if you SPAM me like this.
Twitter is personal. If you want me to check out your “new super-awesome thing!” why don’t you ask me on a one-to-one level (a regular, and nicely-worded, @ message will suffice)??
#FAIL 4 – When you tweet, tweet ONLY about your music. Include links in every. single. tweet.
Yes, I like your music. That’s why I follow you on Twitter instead of only keeping up with you via your SoundCloud, MySpace or Facebook pages. However, I also want to learn more about you.
I expect more from you on Twitter! I expect YOU to come through.
I can find your music elsewhere, and I may not mind the occasional tweet about it (especially if it’s something new, a new remix, or an old favorite). However, I relate back to my original point – I want to learn more about you on Twitter. Your music doesn’t teach me anything new, and no matter how much I like you, the constant links get old (sorry, they do).
#FAIL 5 – Tweet incessantly. Only about your music.
This is a continuation from the above. On top of only tweeting about your “newest tracks!”, make sure to do it once a minute or so to make sure I really can’t miss it.
Hint: I’ll block you after a few minutes, even if I’m a really huge fan. You’re cluttering up my Twitter stream and no, my Twitterverse does NOT revolve around you!
#FAIL 6 – Point your followers to your MySpace page. Over and over and over again.
Chances are, this is where I found you to begin with. Why redirect me there unless there’s something new? Correcting punctuation doesn’t count as “new”, either.
#FAIL 7 – TWEET IN ALL CAPS. THIS HELPS YOUR TWEETS STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD AND IS CONSIDERED SUPER-AWESOME!
This one needs to be explained? Really?
#FAIL 8 – Never @reply people. Never DM people (manually), either.
I follow you because I like your music and want to interact with you on a more personal level. I don’t want to be one of the unidentified masses, grouped in with your thousands of other fans or friends on MySapce or Facebook. I want to have a more one-to-one relationship with you on a service that isn’t overloaded with spammers or every single person I’ve ever known. Therefore, I follow you on Twitter.
I may want to ask you a question. If you don’t follow me, the only way I can do this is an @reply. If you do, I can DM you (and hope you’re not so overwhelmed with auto DM’s that you actually pay attention to them coming in). I have an ego, and I’d really like to know that I’m being heard. I’d love a reply. It makes me feel important, even though it takes just a few seconds of your time.
You see, to you it’s all about you, but to me, it’s all about me. Show me you care, show me I exist to you!
#FAIL 9 – Follow thousands of people without tweeting or following anyone back.
I blame this on media and marketing in general. The “old way” of thinking about things is funnel-based. If I follow 2,000 people (Twitter’s initial limit, in case you were wondering), out of those about 200 will pay attention to what I’m saying, and a further 20 will buy my music when I tweet about it (since it’s the only thing I tweet about).
The “new way” of looking at things is less funnel-based, and more like a tree. If I follow 2,000 people that’s fine, and 200 will probably really pay attention to what I saw. But what about when they RT (retweet) my tweets? This info then goes out to their networks, and usually results in more followers! If I interact with them they may become fans, and may even buy my music (or my t-shirt, depending on what I’m selling).
It’s not a pure funnel anymore. It’s like a tree, with branches and leaves extending in every which direction. It all relates back to me (the trunk), but I have many more ways to extend my reach than simply aiming for a high follower #, and I have a great tool to enable those followers to spread my message for me (saving me, the musician, a lot of work).
#FAIL 10 – Automatically Tweet everything you post to Facebook.
Extra #FAIL points if your FB updates exclusively point me to your MySpace page.
The true problem with this is that it shows a lack of effort. Tweet a bit ON TWITTER – mix it in with your #FB updates.
Care to share any of your musician-related #FAIL stories??
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