Ariel Publicity

How Save Time Updating Twitter, Facebook & MySpace

Christina Duren who is the PR director here at Cyber PR wrote this great piece this week and I liked it so much I added my 2 cents and I’ll share it with you.

It comes at a great time because practically every artist I have met and spoken in front of over the past few months asks the same question:

How can I save time while keeping up with all of my Social Media profiles?

The Internet now offers way too many social networking sites to help boost your career in music, it can become overwhelming to handle each and every one.

Ariel’s Down & Dirty Twitter Short Cuts: How I Connect with Thousands of People in 7 Minutes A Day

I use it like an addict uses drugs…  Here’s how I simplify my Twitter life:

Update your Twitter status from your mobile phone with Texting

Updating your Twitter status from your mobile phone is so easy to do – no Apps or smart phones needed!

To text from your phone in the USA, send messages to 40404 and they will immediately go into your Twitter feed (and your Facebook if you link it!)

Here’s How: Under your setting link on your Twitter account click “devices”. Enter your mobile phone number. You will have the option of receiving tweets to your phone from favorite people automatically or just monitor them online (I receive Direct Messages only to my phone)

TIP: To follow someone on Twitter from your mobile phone text follow then their username like so follow CyberPR

TIP: To message friends that follow you from your cell phone you can type “D” (for direct) then their username. Like so: D CyberPR and then it will come directly to me

Link Twitter to Your Status Updates on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2231777543&b&ref=pd

Just install and Voila!

Link Twitter to Your Status Updates on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/synchttp

Syncing up is easy…Go to the Sync tab within My Account.
For right now Twitter is the only app available for synching but that will be changing soon.

A Few More Timesavers To Know About:

Ping.fm
Ping allows you to update over 55 social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and your blog all from one easy to use website simultaneously

Log on and create an account here: http://ping.fm/

Once you have created your account under the social networking tab you will add in each of your online accounts usernames and passwords (Twitter, Facebook etc.)

After each social networking site has been added onto your Ping dashboard you simply type in your message in the area that says: “Type Your Message Below” for each Social Media site you want to use and click Ping It! Each sites micro-blog and status update will automatically be updated all at one time.

You can also use the settings tab to control which Social Media platforms your updates get delivered to.

Artist Data – Update All Your Tour Dates  & Social Networks All At Once
http://www.artistdata.com

This works a lot like Ping but Artist Data is focused on Musicians specifically! It allows you to update your tour dates at Jambase, Eventful, Sonicbids as well as MySpace Facebook and Twitter.

To get started click on Sign Up – Its easy peasy!

Link your Flickr account to Facebook Photo page
http://www.instructables.com/id/Upload_Flickr_photos_directly_to_Facebook_photo_al/

I Love taking photos and on Flickr I tend to upload many more photos than I do on Facebook.  The reason for this is where there are other die-hard photo fans on Flickr and on Facebook I just add my highlights and photos which are tagged with friends names.

I trust these tips will help you!

Click to continue...

Corey Denis is a woman I admire deeply. She and I have an interesting history. She worked at What Are Records? the label I started out at. But she arrived after I had already left, so we never actually had the pleasure of working together during the time. Corey is nothing short of a genius at marketing bands and artists.

She is brilliant because she thinks about both sides of the fence from the both the artists and the fans perspective.

I’m thrilled that she was willing to be interviewed for this piece. Enjoy her responses.

1. Why is it important that artists participate in social media?

At the very least, learning how to participate in social media will give artists a chance to take advantage of new online tools, which may actually enhance their current projects. Singles, videos and tourdates can be released via new outlets, fans (new and old) will have a new method of communication with artists, and artists will have a new set of tools by which to market their craft. In the face of both an unstable music economy and the evolution of the new music economy

2. Name 10 sites you think all artists should have a presence on?

- myspace
- twitter
- facebook
- youtube
- flickr
- ning (network)
- imeem
- blogger (so you can comment on other blogs)
- vimeo
- qik

3. Do you think it’s important for artists to be on as many sites as possible all over the Internet, or should they be selective and only sign up to the ones that they are actively using?

It can’t hurt to have a profile on as many sites as possible, but if you don’t sign in or know how to use the networks, or understand how to integrate all the sites together, then the profile will not automatically generate any exposure for you other than the top tier of popular artists who sell millions of records per month. An artist could viably create 50 profiles and optimize search-ability online, but it’s crucial to consider what a person will find once they get to the profile. I advise artists to start with 3 networks and to use & manage them correctly and actively, or hire someone who can do it – then increase to 5, 10 and so on.

4. What would your recommendations be for the busy artist that only has 30 minutes a week to dedicate to social media?

Set aside a small budget to hire someone to help, and treat them like an additional band member. If you only have 30 minutes to spare then the concept of “your time is money” should make sense to you – and if you want to sell music online and are not Britney Spears, it’s worth your time & money to bring on this additional band member to increase your visibility, discoverability and sales online.

5. How can an artist save time by using widgets, and which ones would you recommend?

Widgets are time savers if you know how to create and use them. They enable fans to spread information more easily. The only task at hand is to copy-paste-embed on a website or as a blogpost. Think of a widget as a mini web page that can be embedded on a larger web page, or somewhere in a social network. I am a fan of the Sprout widget but since most social networks and services offer widgets i recommend simply finding one that you like best and then putting it up on your website, myspace page and facebook page. Then email your fans with the embed code and invite them to spread the word.

6. What’s the best way for an artist to get blogged about?

There are no guarantees. However, I advise indie publicists and artists who are brave enough to do their own publicity to develop a relationship with bloggers by reading their blogs, learning more about their taste and then you can write to them individually to let them know why you think they might be interested in your music. In addition, start your own blog, build a blogroll, and link to your favorite blogs.

7. Do you think artists should focus on getting played on Internet radio? Or has the scare with the RIAA stopped most Internet radio programmers in their tracks?

Internet radio is very important if you want to be heard online. Terrestrial and online radio stations have to pay for the right to use your copyrighted art on their stations. The focus of the RIAA is not to stop the existence of Internet radio, but to hold “interactive” internet radio as well as large venture funded internet radio stations accountable for higher rates. In other words, the RIAA and Sound Exchange are claiming to fight for the rights of artists and get artists paid for large amounts of airplay.

Unfortunately there are largernternet radio channels with over 20 million listeners who are actually squeezing out the smaller webcasters by claiming that they (the large stations) are also small. There are two (or more) sides to this now-famous issue and their arguments (and lawsuits) are not ending anytime soon. I highly recommend to all artists that they push for airplay online the same way you might have pushed for airplay on terrestrial radio 10 years ago. I support webcasters and strongly advise all artists to treat webcasters like they are KROQ. Know which stations are playing what genres, know the DJs, and send them music appropriately. get airplay! Then promote those stations on your website and fanlists/ emails. Support their cause to stay alive and share the love. (note: in the music industry radio play and promotion is commonly referred to as “love”)

8. When consulting with a band or an artist, what do you do for them that helps them sell more music online? How do you quantify your results? How can they?

When i consult with bands, labels and artists, I strategize digital presence. Simply creating a facebook or myspace page or a twitter account does not sell music. But learning to use these tools can greatly increase exposure and eventually sell music. In addition there are creative ways to utilize each network to target fans and potential fans. Usually none of this can be quantified financially until at least 3 months after the onset of a campaign. However, there are many numbers revealing exposure such as how many followers, fans or streams an artist accrues over a three-month period. With full engagement, I have yet to see an artist flounder when they know how to utilize the tools.

I teach artists and labels how to use these tools and help them devise creative ways to increase exposure with various tricks inside the tools. Whether it’s using a hash tag or starting a funny group on facebook, these strategies increase visibility and therefore the discoverability of your music online increases. There are ways to flood google so that you are always at the top of your own search results without ever buying an adword. I call this Music Discovery Optimization. Increasing visibility and discoverability of quality music will only increase an artist’s chance at selling music new and old.

9. Can you name five bands who are doing it right online?

Lil’ Wayne, Dr. Steel, Ben Kweller, Birdmonster,

10. Finally, if I was an artist and I had $500 of promotional money to spend, what would you advise me to do?

See #4 – if you have $500 and don’t know what to do with it, hire someone who has command of the new music climate online and can execute quickly to increase your visibility online and teach you how to twitter. If that’s not an option or you just don’t want to bring anyone into the fold, spend it on an email newsletter service if you aren’ t already emailing your fans with news.

Click to continue...

Are you too lazy to blog? Are you sick of everyone telling you that without an updated blog you are not a band? Does blogging feel like a huge, annoying, and daunting task that is evocative of being a kid again being assigned homework?

Well, fear not. I’ve got a great and easy blogging solution!

http://www.flickr.com

They say a picture says a thousand words, and it’s true.

This issue of Sound Advice will walk you through yet another handy dandy Web 2.0 site that is on my top 10 list of sites to join. I am In Love with Flickr! It’s one of the most user-friendly Web 2.0 sites and it’s owned by Yahoo so millions of potential new fans are waiting for you to discover them and make friends. Flickr works in many ways just like MySpace or Facebook. You create a profile, upload your main image, join groups, and make friends, and you can also direct message people and leave comments on any photo you like.

Photos Tell A Complete Story of YOU!

Flickr is a great way to show yourself as multi-dimensional. You can post photos of things other than your band activities (such as vacations, kids, your home, and hobbies) to show your fans you are a well-rounded individual. And if you go to conferences, this is a great way to get people to link back to you and pay attention to you (remember – the most interesting thing for people is THEMSELVES).

Create A VIP Photo-Sharing Experience For Your Fans Your photos can be marked private so only approved fans and friends can see certain photos. Flickr lets you choose which sets to share. I suggest creating a VIP area of fun / special photos that only your registered fans / friends / street team can have access to as an added bonus to link to you.

Click to continue...