I caught a portion of the 140 The Twitter Conference LA on Ustream a few of weeks ago. I watched part of panel session: The Music Panel: Lessons from Engaged Artists. Participating on the panel were Mark Nubar, Curt Smith, Andrew Blair, Jeff Yasuda, and Chamillionaire with moderator, Steve Broback. There were some really good takeaways on how to participate on Twitter. The panel members were in agreement that you need to be human and personal with fans, so they can get to know you. I agree and think that there are two ways to do go about sharing yourself, whether you’re on Twitter or on any other social network.
The most common way to share information is to offer details about your music career, provide downloads of song clips, show videos of your band playing, discuss your music and its meaning, talk about tours and the fun adventures you encounter. This gives meaning to your music brand and lets your fans learn more about your music personality.
However, the less frequently approached route is much more meaningful. It really lets the fan into your world. Wouldn’t it be great to connect with your fans and share a piece of yourself? Here are a few tidbits of information that I would love to know about my favorite music artists. If I was engaged in a conversation with a musician or able to view content that is more personal and shows his/her human side, it would make the bond with that artist even stronger. What fan wouldn’t want to know the answers to the following questions?
- How did you get started in your career?
- Where did you get your inspiration? Was it from another musician or was it a close friend or family member?
- What was your first big break?
- Is there anything that you would have done differently if you had to do it all over again?
- What was your happiest moment?
- What is your favorite genre?
- What is your favorite group or who is your favorite artist?
- What is your favorite song and why?
Of course, on the web there’s always a fine line between what you share personally and what should be kept private. However, if you engage in conversations and share content that let your fans learn more about who you are, then you allow them to experience what it’s like to be a part of your music world. When you share yourself through social networking, the result is a stronger relationship with your fan base.
Tags: PR 2.0, Social Media, Social Networking