harpcolumn

#Tweet Me A Gig

January 31, 2017

Twitter might not seem like the first choice in social media these days, especially when the current political administration is using the forum with unpredictable and controversial methods. It’s so much easier to post rants on Facebook or share funny memes on Instagram.

But when you look at the power that 140 characters clearly holds, stop and think how this could benefit your business as a musician.

What better place to directly contact anyone – venues, industry professionals, celebrities! They’re all just a Tweet away, and if you use a few careful steps, you could be booking your next gig.

Several years ago, I took to Tweetland in an effort to find a Valentine’s Day gig in a new town. I researched restaurants that offered a special dinner menu and then directly pitched them my services, using their handle (@yourusername). Within minutes, I had a reply from Flyte World Dining & Wine, which has since been my standing gig every Feb. 14th for the past three consecutive years.

Here are some points to remember when crafting your Tweets:

  • Use emoticons (like musical notes) but don’t overdo it. One or two may grab attention; more than that just looks fussy and wastes valuable characters
  • Include a blog post link, website, photo or video whenever possible to maximize your 140-character limit
  • Use a social media dashboard like Buffer, Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule posts and monitor activity
  • Know your Twitterverse (SMH!) and keep hashtags short and to the point (#harpsrock)
  • Use search.twitter.com to type in keywords and find people searching for a phrase (“wedding harpist”). Reply to them!

Twitter is a valuable tool that, when used correctly, can boost your connections, increase website traffic, and ultimately book gigs!

Have you booked a gig using Twitter? Share your stories in the comments section!

 

 

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