Social Media Strategies: Posting to Popularity

They’ve always been good. I knew it. My wife knew it. A few local music buffs knew it. But when they stopped touring a few years back so singer Taylor Muse could be home with his newborn daughter, I wondered what would come of Austin-based piano pop outfit Quiet Company. Surely they would play locally, but would they fizzle out as quietly as they came? Quiet Company is a phenomenon. Tommy is Austin’s most-bearded personal trainer, Taylor has his birthday at CiCi’s or Main Event every year, Matt can geek out about a number of things (but mainly recording gear) with the best of them and Jeff looks like he’s straight out of There Will Be Blood. Oh, and they’re an exemplary sample of how social media is taking over and can work wonders for a music career -- or a business. Social media didn’t create them, it simply brought due attention to a band that had been plugging away relentlessly for years. It was either that or their “Free Hugs” sandwich sign campaigns at SXSW every year. Regardless, their efforts landed them in the ACL Sound & Jury battle (twice), thousands of Twitter followers, a coveted performance at the 2011 Texas Social Media Awards at ACL Live and ... wait for it ... a consistent gig on ABC’s short-lived TV show “My Generation” -- among other things. How did they do it, you say? They put to diligent practice some practical-but-essential social media rules and Twitterosyncrasies that can apply to the use of any social medium in business. 1. Engaging Updates Any good Twitter campaign requires content that promotes follower involvement. Quiet Company asks tons of questions, demands answers and hosts giveaways that incorporate the use of multiple social media outlets simultaneously.

Your followers need to be kept in the loop. View it not as a company-audience interaction; view it as an audience-audience interaction. 2. Social Media Events, Unique Incorporation of Social Media They hosted a Twitter Show about a year ago. During the concert, the audience was encouraged to Tweet while all Quiet Company-related messages were projected on a huge screen above the stage.
 *This tactic is also useful in business at seminars that feature Q&A sessions. Instead of standing up to ask a question in front of hundreds of industry experts, why not make a Twitter feature available? It saves time and money, and people enjoy it. More recently (and on a similar note), Quiet Company hosted a DVD release party at 501 Studios here in Austin. What better of a way to sell a new DVD than by playing your own song on Rock Band (yes, the video game)? Well, that’s what they did. Watch the video below.

3. Custom iPhone App These are surprisingly inexpensive to develop. The trick is finding and including enough compelling content that makes downloading the app worth it to consumers/fans. Quiet Company did it, offering concert dates, ticket links, giveaways, event check-ins, music listening (and buying) section and more.

4. Social Media Specialist Contrary to popular belief, it is beneficial to have only one or two social media people in your company -- less is more. For Quiet Company, their manager moonlights as a social media strategist, and does it well. It doesn’t matter who does it, but it is essential he or she plays by the rules. Don’t send mixed messages and tactics by letting everyone post updates. Here is a post about his trip to the dentist. I thought it was funny.