Guest Post: Twitter Tips for Artists Who Don't Really Use Twitter

Social media can be a bit overwhelming at times and it can be hard to keep up with considering you've got everyday life demanding your attention.  Not to mention the time it takes for you to make and market your music to pursue your dreams.  It's easy to gravitate to your favorite social media platform and let the others fall by the wayside until it's time to promote that new project or new show coming up.  Needless to say, it's a bit hard to get some traction on those tweets if you've been neglecting your audience until you need them. Here are some tips to stay moderately engaged and make the most you can from minimal use of the platform.

COMPLETE YOUR BIO

Take the time to fill out your bio. This space is limited to 160 characters, so be sure to use it wisely as well as creatively. Choose keywords that are relevant to your artistry so that people who come across your profile will know what your talents are and those that search for those keywords are able to find you. 

Bonus Tip: Just in case your avatar is still the egg, now is a great time to choose a photo that represents you & your brand if you want those who find your account to take you seriously.

TWEET AT LEAST ONCE PER DAY

Some users utilize third party platforms that unfollow people who aren't active. Tweeting or retweeting at least once a day will keep your profile active, preventing you from getting caught up in those filters and will hopefully help you maintain most of your following. It also helps you remain visible to your followers. If your schedule is so hectic that you can't find 1-2 minutes to hop on Twitter, make use of a social media management platform that will allow you to schedule tweets while you are away (i.e. Hootsuite, Buffer, Everypost, etc.).

Bonus Tip: If you begin a tweet with a username, it's only visible to that user and your mutual followers. If you want the tweet to be visible to everyone that follows you, begin the tweet with a word or symbol.

TWEET MORE THAN JUST YOUR MUSIC & SHOWS TO FOLLOWERS

The 80/20 Rule for Twitter is a good rule of thumb to use for the content of your tweets. Only 20% of your tweets should be promotional. The other 80% should be a combination of sharing news about the industry, having conversations with your followers and letting people get to know the real you. This adds value to your tweets and gives people a reason to pay attention to you, making them more likely to listen when you tweet new music and show information.

Bonus Tip: If you use the social sync function of third-party apps (Facebook Pages, ReverbNation, Soundcloud, etc) that automatically post to Twitter for you, be sure you are not tweeting the same information multiple times in a row due to automation. If the app tweeted your new song to your followers, there's no need to log in to Twitter and compose another tweet with the link. Repitition can cause your followers to tune you out.

These are just some of the basics to help you maintain your Twitter presence. If you want to dive deeper into and are looking to grow your audience, there are quite a few articles with advice on how to gain more followers. Check some out and find what works best for you. Have additional tips you've found beneficial? Feel free to share them in the comments below.