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Listen up, bands: Twitter is more than just a place to wax poetic from the tour bus and gripe about broken guitar strings (and/or dreams) — it can also help you promote your music and connect with your fans.
While you don’t have to go all Kanye with your Twitter stream, hooking up to the micro-blogging site can add a whole new dimension to your act.
We talked to a ton of bands — from up-and-comers like The Limousines, to indie darlings like The Thermals, to established artists like Pete Yorn and Ben Folds — about how they use Twitter, and compiled the following list of tips and tricks.
Got some more clever musical uses for Twitter? Be sure to share your pro tips in the comments below.
1. Build a Fan Base
So you’re just about to burst on the scene, showering the populace with your synth-heavy, electropop goodness. How do you go about capturing the attention of those who will make or break you: your future fanbase?
According to Brian Levine, manager and social media consultant for the emerging act Bananas for Mowgli, “Up and coming bands with little to no released music are able to take advantage of Twitter by aligning themselves with artists who share a similar fan base or aesthetic. First thing you should do is start following these people as well as the most relevant taste makers in your genre or ’scene’ if you will. Use Twitter management tools to expand your network and be in the right circles.”
That’s what Levine is doing right now for Bananas for Mowgli, whose debut album drops on October 26.
Security: some tips to secure your Joomla! site
Written by Marc Bell
Security is important. But like the locks on your house, everything you do will not make it 100% secure.
However, every lock or 'bump' that makes it harder for a cracker to hack your site is one extra step in preventing havoc.
The amount of time and money you want to invest in protecting your site is ultimately up to you. But it should be somewhat in relation to the value of the site itself.
Here are some relatively simple tips on making your Joomla! site more secure...
6 Ways to Ensure Better Rankings in Google Instant
Written by Marc Bell
Google Instant has not killed SEO by any means, despite the rumors. It has simply changed the approach that search engine marketers must take in order to get websites to appear higher in rankings and with their best foot forward. Here are some ways that you can ensure better rankings in the new Google Instant.
1. Include a Keyword in Your Brand Name If you’re just starting out, you’re in luck. Get your primary keyword in your brand name (preferably as the first word), and you will be halfway there, as the first results of the first keyword word entered into searches will probably attract a lot of clicks, especially if your brand dominates the first few results.
2. Start Thinking Like Searchers Think With “instant” results popping up, you have to really start thinking like searchers to make sure your site is optimized for the keywords that your potential visitors will likely be searching. What is the first word they are likely to type in to find you? Once you have determined this…
If you pay attention at all, it’s easy to see how the economic crisis has reached into our everyday lives. Businesses with an online presence are going through a consumption crisis. Faced with current, real issues and future, theoretical issues, business owners and consumers are taking two distinct attitudes: no consumption or over consumption. Save it all or spend it all.
Interestingly enough, much of the compulsive consumption is happening online. With affiliate marketing, optimizers’ gone wild and social media gurus popping up everywhere, consumers are constantly bombarded by messages to buy, sign up, read and engage.
Facebook Ads Are Interesting… and Profitable
Combine AdWords’ copywriting and analytics with image-oriented linkbait, and you’ve got Facebook ads.
And it’s a new system to figure out how to compete in. To that end, I’ve combined my own experience with creating and optimizing Facebook ads for myself and clients with a survey of the existing literature out there, and created a free whitepaper and video training called “PAY PER FACE: 52 Facebook Ad Tips and Best Practices”.
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