Promote Your Music With These Top 5 Essential Social Media and Technology Tools

<p>What are your goals as a musician? What are you hoping to attain? In promoting your music, it's time you became familiar with and started to use the TOP FIVE indispensable social media and technology tools that every independent musician must have in their marketing toolbox today</p><p>Do you know what they are? They are:</p><p>1. <strong>Ego Searches</strong> - Have you ever Googled yourself? I know that this questions may bring a smile to your face? Have I what? Isn't that a bit personal?</p><p>By entering your name, or the name of your band in your browser, you can determine what kind of a web presence you have. Although a mastery of Search Engine Optimization skills is something that you will have to work to acquire, there are things that you can do starting today that will get your name up on the internet, and to use an old phrase commonly associated with the theater and the movies, etc, as it speaks to getting your name on the marquee -- you can "get your name up in lights." At least for internet surfers.</p><p>The single most important thing you can do is start by creating a regularly updated personal blog. This is similar to an online daily journal. or diary. And you can regularly post on a social networking micro-blogs such as Twitter. Both of these are regularly indexed and archived by the search engines.</p><p>These two steps will not only put you name into Google Alerts, Technorati (the internet's largest blog directory) and Summize (now owned by Twitter), but help you stay on top of who is talking about you everyday, know what they are saying and how you can connect with them. Then connect with them. Many of these same people will eventually become your biggest fans.</p><p>2. <strong>Video</strong> - People love video. Video is viral. Whether rough footage of your practice sessions or grainy footage of the crowd at a show, it doesn't matter. Figure out how to get video footage up on the web and on multiple platforms so people can find it and find you.</p><p>There are supposedly over 100 different sites on which you can now post video similar to Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, etc. And there are more added every day. The wider you distribute your videos, the more likely people will see yours. The more people see your videos, the more they will want to see you live, buy your CDs, etc.</p><p>Although posting regularly on these sites may seem daunting, you can manage things by using tools such as Videomogul.com. This site not only enables you to post to more than one website at a time, but it keeps track of how many hits each of your videos receives as well.</p><p>3. <strong>Podcasting</strong> - Become familiar with the music podcasting community and can get your music out there for people to play. Become friends with podcasters. Engage with a digital PR firm that specializes in music and work with them to get your music into the hands of these podcasters and played on every show that exists.</p><p>A brief search on Google will give you not only books, magazines, and websites on podcasting, but if you Google "Podcast Directories, you will find out that there are thousands of people throughout the world that create regularly updated podcasts for which they are looking for your music.</p><p>4.<strong>Marketing</strong> - Accept this fact: As a musician, you are a business person first. You sell a product--your CDs or digital downloads; and you offer a service -- entertainment. Don't be shy. You know how good you are and its important that you tell everyone else. Thus you have to be your own marketing department as well.</p><p>Set up an e-mail newsletter and encourage fans to sign up at shows. Ask for their names and email addresses at every show. Put your URL (and your social networking name as well) on everything you do from t-shirts, to posters, to every e-mail you send out. Embrace the web fully and when you are curious if a new service is right for you ask your fans or someone you trust. Invite everyone you meet to both email you and join you on, for example, Twitter as well.</p><p>5. <strong>Communications</strong> - Don't let fan letters go unanswered. Take some time every day to engage with your fan base wherever they are. Reply to e-mails, engage them on your micro-blogs, and answer their questions. This will build a deeper connection with them. If they like you personally, they are more likely to like your music, and want to see you.</p><p>There you go, five indispensable tools. Become familiar with them all and use them regularly.</p><p>This article was written by David W. King. Follow us as we explore the best ways to Promote Your Music on the Cheap. Subscribe to our RSS feed at <a target="_new" href="http://www.promoteyourmusiconthecheap.wordpress.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.promoteyourmusiconthecheap.wordpress.com</a>.</p>