Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog

News, notes and ideas on music marketing, self-promotion, artist empowerment and more

September 25, 2009

12 Most Popular Musicians on Twitter & What You Can Learn From Them

Yep. It seems everyone is using and promoting Twitter these days. And for good reason. It's the easiest social networking tool to set up and use on a regular basis.
In addition to actors, authors, and politicians ... a LOT of musicians are using Twitter to stay in touch with their fans. Here's a list of the 12 most popular music people on Twitter, based on the current rankings at Twitterholic.

I can hear you now ... "You call some of these people 'musicians'?" I'm simply reporting the rankings of Twitter people known for their music-related activities here. I make no judgements as to the value of what they offer.

As you can see from the list, old school pop stars are in abundance. They still have the biggest platforms.

You may not get to a million followers on Twitter, but ... you CAN take a look at how these celebrities are using the service and learn from them -- both what to do and what NOT to do.

So take a peek at the various Twitter streams below and see what ideas you can borrow and use to connect with your fans -- regardless of how many of them there are right now.

1) Britney Spears
3,330,629 followers

2) John Mayer
2,299,576 followers

3) Diddy
2,018,633 followers

4) Miley Cyrus
2,006,200 followers

5) Coldplay
1,923,552 followers

6) Ashley Tisdale
1,892,961 followers

7) 50 Cent
1,675,703 followers

8) Mariah Carey
1,658,698 followers

9) Ashlee Simpson Wentz
1,588,340 followers

10) Dre'
1,568,410 followers

11) Pete Wentz
1,505,220 followers

12) Lily Allen
1,481,838 followers

Note: Some acts that fell just short of making this list include MC Hammer, Sara Bareilles, Mandy Moore, and Taylor Swift.

Also check out this ridiculously comprehensive list of Artists Using Twitter.

-Bob


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posted by Bob Baker @ 12:32 PM   0 comments

September 21, 2009

Is Your Music 'Findable' Online?

Last week I read through Mark Penn's book, Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes. It's a fascinating read based on some in-depth research, but one microtrend in particular caught my eye ...
It's a category of consumer that Penn refers to as "New Info Shoppers."

From the book:

"A whopping 92% of respondents said they had more confidence in information they seek out online than anything coming from a salesclerk or other source. They believe the information they find, not the information that is spoon-fed to them ..."

Consider that again: Smart consumers these days trust what they find -- or discover -- on their own first and foremost!

Another passage from Microtrends:

"An astonishing 70% of Americans now say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make their buying decisions."

Admit it, you often do this yourself before spending money on a product or service. Which begs the question ...

How 'Findable' Are You Online?

When someone searches for your band name, your song or album titles, or your genre ... what do they discover?

Here are just some of the ways savvy customers find the info they're looking for today:
Finally, what steps can you take today to improve the odds that you'll be found and revealed in a positive light via the online avenues listed above?

Your mission: Go forth and make yourself and your music findable!

-Bob

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posted by Bob Baker @ 9:03 AM   4 comments

September 16, 2009

Get an Earful of Ideas & Inspiration

I don't know about you, but I love reading books, magazines and blogs. But I'm also a big fan of using audio for learning. If I'm driving, exercising or just wanting to get some inspiration before drifting off to sleep, listening to useful spoken word audio content rules in my book.

For a few years now I've been producing my free Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast. And lately I've been creating shorter episodes and posting them more regularly. I encourage you to listen, download or -- best yet -- subscribe to the podcast feed.

In fact, if you have iTunes open on your computer right now, click this link. It will take you right to the Artist Empowerment Radio page, where you can hit the Subscribe button and get every future episode automatically downloaded.

Here are the most recent podcast episodes and topics:

1000 True Fans to Make a Living?

Music Publicity: What's Your News Hook?

The Millionaire Mind for Artists

Electrify Your Soul With Dan Kimpel

Florence LaRue of the 5th Dimension

Multiple Streams of Music Income

Happy listening!

-Bob

posted by Bob Baker @ 11:20 AM   0 comments

September 14, 2009

5 Ways Google Can Help Promote Your Music

If you think this is going to be about search engine optimization or a Google AdWords campaign ... think again. Here are five things Google offers that you should consider using to connect with fans and promote your music:

1) Display your live show schedule with Google Calendar. Most people use this popular feature for personal appointments and scheduling. But you can also choose categories on your calendar to make public -- and even embed them on your web site ... AND make it easy for people to add your events to THEIR personal calendars. Visit this page for more details.

2) Help fans find your gig venues with Google Maps. This popular application is the next best thing to having a GPS system in your car. You can use it to find places you drive to, of course. But a really smart idea is to include Google Maps links to each venue you perform at, not just the club address.

Sure, fans can "map it" themselves. But why not save them a couple extra steps and provide a direct link? Learn more about Google Maps here.

Tip: Look up a venue address on Google Maps yourself first. Then click on "Link" just to the right of "Print" and "Send" to get the code.

3) Turn your web site into a social networking playground with Google Friend Connect. Make it easy for people to join your community of fans using the cool features of this Google tool. Read more about it and watch the video here.

4) Add your albums and merchandise to Google Product Search. It's kinda like Google's version of Ebay -- but there are no listing fees. Learn more on this page.

5) Power up your communications with Gmail. I've been using Gmail for more than four years and love it. Lots of features and gobs of storage space to archive years of email exchanges. You can filter and label messages, send canned responses, and so much more. Go here for more info.

Google has a lot more up its sleeve. In fact, a big one is coming later this month (more on that soon). In the meantime, investigate these five Google features and see how you can use them to promote your music better online.

-Bob


Featured Resource
Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet
70 Ways to Promote & Sell
Your Music on the Internet

Ideas, links, tips, tricks and resources you should be using to gain wider exposure for your music online

Learn More or Order Now

posted by Bob Baker @ 10:56 AM   0 comments

September 03, 2009

The Best Online Music Marketing Plan Ever

Last Friday I published a new blog post on an all-too-familiar topic: the sheer workload that indie musicians must embrace to make a true impact with online marketing.

There's no shortage of ideas, web sites or tools you can use. That's not the problem. The most common frustration I hear relates to confusion over how to manage a limited amount of time, money and energy.

Where should you start? What should your priorities be? What steps can you take to make the best use of your time?

For years I've been cranking out truckloads of ideas, tips, suggestions, success stories, and more. But what's been missing is a road map. A blueprint. A step-by-step checklist that any musician can follow and implement right away.

That's why I've started outlining a new resource called "Internet Music Marketing Blueprint - The 28-Day Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Web 2.0 and Social Media Promotion to Turbo-Charge Your Music Career."

Yes, that's a mouthful. But it accurately describes what I want this resource to deliver -- a specific to-do list for online promotion.

I already know most of want I want to include in this detailed blueprint. But to make it the best marketing plan possible, I invite your suggestions.

So tell me ...
  • What specific Daily, Weekly and Monthly tasks do you think need to be included in a plan like this?

  • What routines and habits have you personally developed to be most effective with Web 2.0 and Social Media promotion?
     
  • What specific things would you like to see addressed in a comprehensive online marketing plan?
Please leave your feedback in the Comments section below, send me an email, or join my Guerrilla Music Marketing group on Facebook and post your comments in the discussion thread there.

I appreciate your input and will keep you posted as I develop this exciting new resource.

-Bob


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posted by Bob Baker @ 12:27 PM   4 comments