Staying in touch with your fans has always been important, but now it’s easier than ever. Using Twitter is an incredible way to share your art, as well as build a platform to influence. Let’s be honest… the more (positive) influence you have, the more albums you will sell. Below are 5 things you should do, and 5 things you should not do which should help you grow your Twitter account.
1. Do Promote Your Twitter
Make sure your people know you’re on twitter! Make it visible everywhere—your website, your e-mail signature, your newsletter, your business card, other social media, your merch table, your videos…. everywhere!
2. Do Be Personal
Having an administrative person sharing content on your social media is certainly okay from time to time, but it’s never a replacement. Social media needs to be both media and social! Be yourself—real, personal, personable. Let people in. Share about yourself, things you love, interesting articles, videos, new music, give your opinion. Fans like to feel connected to your tastes—especially if you share the same taste. When you don’t, good music will make up for it.
3. Do Engage With People
Twitter is great for updating people, but don’t turn into a news ticker. Additionally, don’t rely on tweeting to get more followers. Remember, this is social media! Interact with people—engage fans, answer questions, thank them. It pleases them, and is always a good look for you. Lastly, engage with other artists and celebrities. Both people you don’t know, and especially with people you do know.
4. Do Favorite Tweets
Clicking favorite on a tweet from a fan, is a digital high five! It also lets them know that you read it. Of course interacting with a reply is even better—you want to seem human and not robotic—but a ‘favorite’ is expedient and extremely low impact for the busy artist lifestyle… and it’s certainly better than nothing at all!
5. Do Give Things Away
While none of us will ever replace Oprah Winfrey, giving (valuable) things away is an iron clad way of getting people excited. Whether it’s the first person to reply, a certain number of re-tweets, or some other call to action—prizes are a great incentive and motivator for people to follow you on Twitter.
1. Don’t Use Bots
Following thousands of people on twitter, when we all know that no one can possibly stay up on all of that content, communicates, “I’m not serious about this, I just want to boost my numbers.” It’s a bad look. Follow people you really know, really want to keep up with, or really want to engage with—while staying away from bots and other automated processes.
2. Don’t Spam
Seriously, no one likes spam. You know this—you hate checking your inbox, timeline, or other networks and finding spam! Why would you do this to someone else? Even Kindergartners know this truth. They call it the “Golden Rule”. Which is actually what Jesus taught in places like Matthew 7:12, but it has been repackaged to be more palatable for public schools.
3. Don’t Be Narcissistic
We’re all guilty of this—especially me (see what I did there). Share content you know your audience will love, but don’t focus on yourself. Don’t take yourself too seriously either. A good rule of thumb is to share what you find interesting rather than what you are doing (i.e. I’m at the gym, I’m going to bed, Look at my outfit).
4. Don’t Buy Followers
This is cheating and communicates more about you than successfully utilizing any of these tips will ever make up for. Engagement is the most important way to measure your social media success. Someone may have (purchased) 800,000 followers, but average 2 favorites and 1 re-tweet. Something smells phishy.
5. Don’t Be Argumentative and/or Negative
Taking a dump on Twitter followers might feel good for half a second, but you will immediately regret the decision. What you do on the internet will last forever. Twitter is not a good forum to air out dirty laundry, be negative, or use cutting words. Doing so will result in confusion, strife, and of course, unfollowers.