Social Media Principles for
the Independent Musician
Texas Music Coalition - May 19, 2007

About
• PR guy for 25 years
• Social Media for the last 4 years
• Blogger with.... 4 blogs
• Journalist.... columnist “Express-News”
• Content producer

Musician who loves music
• drummer for 40 years
• learning guitar
• I’m on Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc.
• helping my guitar teacher on Social
Media
• Hang out at RedBone Guitar and do fun
videos and product reviews

Two Core Principles
• #1. The Social Web not substitute
traditional PR; complements and
becomes part of your overall
communications strategy
• #2. Must tie to messaging, strategy,
metrics, business and creative goals, etc
• end result is that you should combine PR /
Social Web to elevate communications

My Personal Music Social
Media Strategy...
my concerts
content
product
reviews

Traditional PR
• Messaging
• Press Releases
• Outreach
• Pitches / Causes
photo of telephone by Alan Weinkrantz - shot @ SpaceCity near Moscow (c) 2008

How I’ve used the power of social web to get
media coverage, gain credibility and
demonstrate thought leadership for myself, my
clients, Redbone Guitar, and my guitar
teacher, Steve Owens

My video product reviews at Red Bone Guitar

First to market on YouTube gets your
thought leadership

Prized possessions I can share with the world

BB King in San Antonio

The Who in L.A.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Going to the Social Web
• Complements PR efforts
• Gives your company or management a
human voice
• Impacts search results
• Makes the pitching process more
efficient
• Lets you be “found”

Fun at home...

Helpful Hints
• Think like a journalist
• Your message really matters
• Tone impacts all mediums

Tips...
• Build great content that is media friendly
• Target specific outlets in trade, business,
vertical media
• Don’t be afraid to pitch

Tips...
• Populate yourself and your content on
Twitter, YouTube, Blog, FaceBook,
Wikipedia, etc.

Copy of presentation
• online today:
alanweinkrantz.typepad.com
• copy and share with others
• this is just what I believe and seems to
work
• your mileage may vary

Contact
• Alan Weinkrantz
• 210-820-3070
• alan@weinkrantz.com
• @alanweinkrantz - Twitter
• google.com/profiles/alanweinkrantz
• FaceBook, LinkedIn too!

Thank You And Rock On
© 2009