{"id":354,"date":"2009-10-16T12:16:42","date_gmt":"2009-10-16T12:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp\/?p=354"},"modified":"2009-10-16T12:16:42","modified_gmt":"2009-10-16T12:16:42","slug":"lifes_a_twitch_part_2_the_publ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/2009\/10\/lifes_a_twitch_part_2_the_publ\/","title":{"rendered":"Life’s a Twitch, Part 2 (The Publicists)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to @cjpr<\/a>: Christina Jensen, Christina Jensen PR; @CarnegieMatt<\/a>: Matt Carlson, Carnegie Hall; @dotdotdottweet<\/a>: Steven Swartz, DotDotDot Music; @SarahBaird<\/a>: Sarah Baird, Boosey and Hawkes; @BklsweetMedia<\/a>: Amanda Sweet, Bucklesweet Media;  @glennpetry<\/a>, @seanmgross<\/a>, @PhilipWilder<\/a>: Glenn Petry, Sean Gross and Philip Wilder, 21C Media Group; and @mlaffs<\/a>: Maura Lafferty, New Century Chamber Orchestra for their help with this. Now stop Tweeting and answering blog questions and revise some bios!<\/p>\n

These interviews were conducted via carrier pigeon, i.e. e mail. <\/p>\n

___________________<\/p>\n

How long have you been using Twitter?<\/b><\/font>
@cjpr<\/a>: <\/i>Since March 2009.<\/p>\n

@CarnegieMatt<\/a>: <\/i>About seven months.<\/p>\n

@dotdotdottweet<\/a>: <\/i>Since last winter – don’t recall exactly when I started, but it was definitely BO (Before Oprah).   <\/p>\n

@SarahBaird<\/a>: <\/i>I began listening in March 2008 but didn’t join the conversation and start tweeting until March 2009. <\/p>\n

@BklsweetMedia<\/a>: <\/i>One week!<\/p>\n

@glennpetry<\/a>: <\/i>We began using Twitter last season 2008-2009.<\/p>\n

@seanmgross<\/a>: <\/i>I signed up for Twitter over a year ago, but I didn’t start actively using it until about six months ago. <\/p>\n

@PhilipWilder<\/a>: <\/i>I began my life as a tweeter about 9 months ago.<\/p>\n

@mlaffs<\/a>: <\/i>Since April or March?<\/p>\n

Were you motivated by personal or professional reasons? <\/b><\/font>
@cjpr<\/a>: <\/i>Professional.<\/p>\n

@CarnegieMatt<\/a>: <\/i>I was initially motivated because Carnegie Hall was planning its own Twitter account (now launched @carnegiehall<\/a>) as part of an expanded social media effort. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. That said, my feed is really meant to be a personal account – I comment on non-musical matters as well, and it’s linked to my personal email account. If I could do it again, I suppose I wouldn’t have picked @carnegiematt as my handle since it’s not reflective of everything you read there.<\/p>\n

@dotdotdottweet<\/a>: <\/i>Mostly personal – thought it might be fun. Its promotional potential wasn’t immediately obvious to me. <\/p>\n

@SarahBaird<\/a>: <\/i>I was curious about Twitter and I appreciated the ability to see trends and participate in conversations, share experiences. The major impetus for me to join was SXSW. I was heading to Austin and knew that I’d only be able to see about 20 of the thousands of showcasing bands, and meet about 20 of the thousands of interesting people. So Twitter was a way for me to tune into the larger conversation and tweet-up with people who were zipping around to different venues. I’d say it’s personal-professional for me. I tweet as Sarah-Baird-Who-Works-for-Boosey-&-Hawkes. So a person who follows me isn’t following a company megaphone, but the same person they’d see if they were my colleague, working in my office. None of my personal friends follow me on Twitter (who aren’t involved in the industry).<\/p>\n

@BklsweetMedia<\/a>: <\/i>Professional but just like most things in my life, those boundaries are blurred.  I actually sent out a tweet last week about DC Green Works and my great meeting with them about bayscaping in my yard.<\/p>\n

@glennpetry<\/a>: <\/i>I would say we were motivated by both personal and professional reasons, which is why we maintain both “personal” and “professional” Twitter accounts.<\/p>\n

@seanmgross<\/a>: <\/i>I use my own Twitter account mainly for personal reasons.  I let my
\nfriends and “followers” (although I don’t like that word…it makes me
\nsound creepy, like I’m trying to be David Koresh) know about a new
\nrestaurant that I discovered, an interesting article I read, or
\nsomething unusual or funny that happened to me that day.  However, I
\ndon’t share anything that is too personal, since my Tweets can also be
\nseen by colleagues and clients. For our company, I oversee a separate 21C Media Group Twitter feed<\/a> that is one of several ways that the press and public can elect to receive information on our clients (other ways include our website, news release emails, RSS feed, and Facebook page).  Each tweet includes a one-line news item and a link to a news release on our company’s website.  It’s not meant to be the most interactive Twitter feed.  We encourage our artists to Twitter on their own if they are interested and have the time to commit to it, as this is where the true power of Twitter lies.  Our feed is engineered to be more of news feed, like CNN’s but with a much more singular focus.<\/p>\n

@PhilipWilder<\/a>: <\/i>Since I travel tons for work, as well as my life as a “bi-coastal”, it initially seemed to be a good way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues. Now, I have a good amount of followers – friends and strangers – and have many discussions with them over Twitter and through email when 140 characters isn’t enough.   Of course, 21C posts daily Tweets on breaking news about our clients too. Mine are more of an inside view from Behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

@mlaffs<\/a>: <\/i>Initially, I wanted to get to know the tool and the user base before even considering using it for my company, since I’ve seen a lot of arts organizations mis-use social media. Since then, the relationships that I have built have offered both personal and professional value.<\/p>\n


\nHow often and in what ways do you interact with members of the press on Twitter?<\/b><\/font>
@cjpr<\/a>: <\/i>Occasionally
\n– mainly passing around links to interesting articles. I have never
\npitched anyone on Twitter. I would say the majority of my interactions
\nare with musicians, other arts professionals, and some people I only
\nknow on Twitter. I’ve also found it very useful for finding out what’s
\ngoing on in my neighborhood – for example, when the Schnitzel Truck is
\nstationed in my ‘hood, or when there’s a free concert in a gallery
\nnearby.<\/p>\n

@CarnegieMatt<\/a>: <\/i>I
\nfollow some writers just to find out what they’re currently into and
\nwriting about, sometimes commenting and retweeting if I particularly
\nlike a story or tweet that they’ve written.   <\/p>\n

@dotdotdottweet<\/a><\/i>: Just about every day, in all the ways Twitter offers — direct messages, messages, @ replies, RTs.<\/p>\n

@SarahBaird<\/a>: <\/i>I
\nlog into Tweetdeck in the morning (my NASA Command and Control Center)
\nand leave it open all day while I’m at the office. I have different
\ngroups set up for colleagues, press\/writers, composers, biz news,
\npr\/new media interest, etc., so I can easily follow different types of
\nconversations. Often I’m just listening, taking the pulse of the day
\nbut if I feel moved I’ll join in. I post press releases first on
\nTwitter before sending to my e-mail list, so that journalists who
\nfollow me get some added value. I also use Twitter to share interesting
\naudio\/video links, factoids, and composer news that wouldn’t be best
\nserved in a press release. Like when I learned that Donald Trump
\nincluded an entire paragraph about the genius of Steve Reich in his
\nlatest book. Perfect for Twitter.<\/p>\n

@BklsweetMedia<\/a>: <\/i>I might respond to them if I see an interesting tweet but thus far, it’s been infrequent.<\/p>\n

@glennpetry<\/a>: <\/i>Quite
\na range for this answer.   Sometimes numerous times in a day, sometimes
\ndaily and at a minimum numerous times throughout the week on Twitter,
\nboth passively (ie, we’re reading each other’s tweets) and actively
\n(ie, responding to tweets).<\/p>\n

@seanmgross<\/a>: <\/i>Since
\nin my job I alternate between wearing a marketer and a publicist’s hat,
\nI find Twitter–and most social media–is more effective in energizing
\nfans and the “classical music community” than it is the press. 
\nHowever, there are also members of the press who follow us on Twitter
\nand Facebook. <\/p>\n

@PhilipWilder<\/a>: <\/i>I
\nhave interacted directly with a few members of the press on Twitter.
\nHowever, most interactions have been a bit passive so far like
\nretweets, etc… It’s difficult to quantify the professional advantages
\nto Tweeting, but I can say that I have many new sets of ears all over
\nthe world. They respond to things I write, give me tips on cities where
\nI travel, share their opinions about artists I’m about to hear and
\nsometimes ask to meet in person. I’ve been invited to parties, concerts
\nand even asked to host an online radio show by new Twitter
\nacquaintances too. In a way, it has allowed me to practice public
\nrelations in its purest form.<\/p>\n

@mlaffs<\/a>: <\/i>Twitter
\nhas been a great equalizer for me. I interact with members of the press
\njust as I do many of my other contacts and friends. I never sought them
\nout specifically, but I came to value our relationships. I hope the
\nvalue and advantage that these relationships have brought to my work is
\nreciprocated for the other parties.<\/p>\n

Do you feel you’ve ever gotten a feature or a review for one of your clients or projects exclusively via Twitter?<\/font> <\/b>
@cjpr<\/a>: <\/i>Possibly
\nonce, but it’s hard to say. There is an elusive critic whose personal
\ncontact information I don’t have, who follows me on Twitter. He
\nreviewed a concert I Tweeted about, but it’s possible he heard about
\nthe concert another way too. <\/p>\n

@CarnegieMatt<\/a>: <\/i>No.
\nAlthough it may one day become a tool for such a use, I still feel that
\ncommunication via e-mail, press release, or phone is the professional
\nstandard.<\/p>\n

@dotdotdottweet<\/a><\/i>:
\nVery hard to tell — anyone I’m communicating with on Twitter is
\nprobably getting my propaganda through other means as well.  However,
\nimmediately after I was on the Bang on a Can Marathon Live Twitter
\nTeam, I received inquiries from two new potential clients — a
\ncompletely unexpected bonus.<\/p>\n

@SarahBaird<\/a>: <\/i>I’ve
\ngotten at least three stories directly from Twitter. A story about
\nSteve Reich\/Twitter, a review of a recording, and connection with the
\nwriter of a major composer profile in the UK.<\/p>\n

@BklsweetMedia<\/a>: <\/i>Not yet.<\/p>\n

@glennpetry<\/a>: <\/i>I couldn’t prove that we have gotten a feature or review exclusively via Twitter.<\/p>\n

@seanmgross<\/a>: <\/i>It’s
\nhard to tell if our being on Twitter actually results in more press
\ncoverage, but what we do know is that it is certainly effective in
\ngetting our information out there virally. Arts organizations often
\n“retweet” our posts when they pertain to artists who are performing on
\ntheir series, and people occasionally comment on our Tweets and ask us
\nquestions about our clients and services.  In summary, I do feel that
\nTwitter has made the world a better place.<\/p>\n

@PhilipWilder<\/a>: <\/i>Not yet!  <\/p>\n

@mlaffs<\/a>: <\/i>I
\nsecured two online articles through relationships built on Twitter, but
\nthe communication was obviously not exclusive to Twitter.
 <\/p>\n

How
\nmuch of any given day do you spend on Twitter?  How much of any given
\nday do you spend writing and sending out press releases?<\/font> <\/b>
@cjpr<\/a>: <\/i>I
\nenjoy Twitter and Tweet regularly about what I’m working on or what I’m
\nreading, and I like to see what other people are Tweeting about – it’s
\na good way to stay informed. But I don’t have enough time to devote to
\nit to get very involved in discussions with individuals on Twitter –
\ngoing back and forth in conversations. Someone will @cjpr me and
\nsometimes I won’t see it for 24 hours – so I feel like my responses are
\nalways delayed, and I feel some Twitter guilt. The majority of my day
\nis definitely spent on other forms of communication – such as writing
\nand sending out press releases.<\/p>\n

@CarnegieMatt<\/a>: <\/i>A
\nfew minutes here and there on Twitter. Not too much really.  Of course
\nthat will change as more and more writers and musicians start using the
\nmedium. As for press releases, I spend too much time writing and
\nediting press releases,  but that time is spent on making them as
\ntopical and compelling as possible so when they are read, it leads to
\ninterest. <\/p>\n

@dotdotdottweet<\/a><\/i>:
\nTwitter: varies, but I try to look in and post a few tweets at least
\ntwice a day.  I’ve installed Tweetdeck, which allows me to post
\nsimultaneously to Twitter and Facebook, saving a lot of time and
\nenergy.  I definitely recommend it. Press releases: varies quite a bit
\ndepending on the time of the season, the kinds of projects I’m working
\non, my artists’ calendars…  But writing and sending certainly take a
\nmajor share of my time.  <\/p>\n

@SarahBaird<\/a>: <\/i>
\nI’d say I might Tweet 0-8 times, depending on the day. My position
\nencompasses advertising, marketing, publications, website, social
\nmedia, and press for B&H, so I’m not always wearing my PR hat. I
\nprobably do an average of three press releases a month and five
\neNewsletters a year, only focused on the most major news, which is why
\nTwitter is a nice outlet for some of the other news and information
\nthat might not otherwise be served.<\/p>\n

@BklsweetMedia<\/a>: <\/i>Thus far I would say I spend about 45 minutes total on Twitter.  The second question varies greatly but let’s say 1 hour\/day. <\/p>\n

@glennpetry<\/a>: <\/i>Time
\non Twitter does vary widely as well, really depending on the nature of
\nthe day and if there are Twitter-able events.   2 minutes to 1\/2
\nhour….perhaps all told in a day.   Writing and sending press releases
\nis considerably more time consuming.    A few hours each
\nday…..typically.   Now if we could keep our news releases down to 140
\ncharacters we might be able to save some time there….!<\/p>\n

@PhilipWilder<\/a>: <\/i>Every
\nday is different. Tweets have gotten more targeted and clever, so it
\ncan be easy to follow links and trails for a while each day. But
\ngenerally, I spend no more than 15 minutes on Twitter every day. Most
\nof my day is spent writing releases and materials about my clients. And
\nmany of my tweets are inspired by news releases or general updates
\nabout my clients. I also tweet about music and musicians I hear for
\nfun. Glenn Petry at 21C does the sending.<\/p>\n

@mlaffs<\/a>: <\/i>My
\njob is so varied (marketing, PR, customer service), that it’s hard to
\nsay. I keep Twitter running throughout the day, and check in on it
\nperiodically, like email. There’s no way to keep up with everything
\nthat’s going on, but I like to have a sense of what people are talking
\nabout, and try to join in on conversations whenever possible.  I’m
\nleery of just using Twitter to make my pitches or promote my product. I
\nknow that my colleagues can be turned off by such an approach. My goal
\nis to offer quality content, engage in conversations, and build
\nrelationships, so that when I do pitch something, it’s more meaningful.
\nPress releases are somewhat infrequent in my office, compared to my
\ncolleagues at bigger organizations. A typical release takes a couple
\ndays to draft, edit, and receive approval before going out. Sending the
\nrelease takes an hour or so (we do it the old way, by BCC’ing everyone
\non the press list from my email).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to @cjpr: Christina Jensen, Christina Jensen PR; @CarnegieMatt: Matt Carlson, Carnegie Hall; @dotdotdottweet: Steven Swartz, DotDotDot Music; @SarahBaird: Sarah Baird, Boosey and Hawkes; @BklsweetMedia: Amanda Sweet, Bucklesweet Media;  @glennpetry, @seanmgross, @PhilipWilder: Glenn Petry, Sean Gross and Philip Wilder, 21C Media Group; and @mlaffs: Maura Lafferty, New Century Chamber Orchestra for their help with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-354","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-main","7":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/354\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/lifesapitch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}