As a musician, it’s not enough to have facebook, myspace, iLike, YouTube and last.fm accounts and profiles. To really engage your fans, and the public, it’s essential to have a twitter account and a blog. twitter is great for short form content, sending quick shoutouts to your fans, posting twitpics from the stage and the like. Adding a blog into the mix will allow you to post more long form content with more detail. And since it’s a blog, don’t limit it to a diary or journal of events. “Personal branding” is a bit of a buzz word these days (thank you, Gary Vaynerchuk), but it really holds true for independent musicians. Your fans (and the general public) are visiting your blog to not only learn more about your music, but also to learn more about who you are. Leverage this opportunity and invite everyone in to learn more about you by blogging about current events, your childhood and your opinions on other topics. You’ll bring non-fans into the mix, and they might even check out your music while reading your thoughts on the RIAA.

The idea is to use your blog as a marketing tool. Not just for your single, EP or album, but for your (ahem) personal brand. As a musician, let’s face it: you are a brand. Not in a Jonas-Brothers-manufactured-pop-star kind of way, but if that’s your name on the CD (or on your D2F website <wink>), then that’s what your fans are buying. So use your blog as a tool to market yourself not only to your existing fans, but to new ones as well. Write about things that appeal to anybody, with your own twist, of course. Realize that it’s a two way street now, and encourage fans to leave comments. Build a community around yourself by engaging your fans and writing about valuable topics. Below I’ve listed some ideas and examples of this concept. Please feel free to add your own in the comments.

1. Current Events - Moby on the RIAA

With the recent guilty verdict in the RIAA vs. Jammie Thomas case and penalty of $2,000,000, everyone and their brother in the music biz had an opinion. Even Moby. He realized that this topic requires more than just a tweet; 140 characters are just not enough to formulate and support an argument on this topic. It doesn’t have to be a 5,000 word essay either. (Moby’s blog post was just 151 words.) But he took the time to write a short, concise blog post on the topic, and he received quite a few replies as well.

Be aware of current events inside and outside the music industry and write about them. Don’t wait to write about them in your next song. Use your blog to start a discussion and welcome your fan’s comments.

2. Touring - David Byrne’s In-Depth Journal Entry

Ahh, the classic journal style blog post. These can work, but just use them sparingly. Most fans have read enough about where their favorite artists happen to be and how much they hate the bus, etc. But if you can add pictures and a certain flair (such as the one only David Byrne can), fans will be more interested in what your experiences are like. Give your fans something more than just a rundown of the events. Adding high quality pictures and some videos will help keep them engaged and they’ll feel like they’re really getting a behind-the-scenes look.

3. Photo and Video Blog - Kanye West’s Blog

There are lots of creative types on the web with Tumblr or Wordpress photoblogs, but some of the most creative people I’ve met have been musicians! How cool would it be if a musician scoured the web for cool photos and videos? Well, Kanye West has done just that. Short on opinion and commentary, but heavy on the imagery. You really get a feel for Kanye’s style and what he digs. I encourage you to do the same, if it’s your thing. If you have an interest in design, fashion, art or any other creative outlet besides music, scour the web for them and post links on your blog. It will show that you’re more well-rounded and, again, will help keep your audience engaged and feel more of  connection to you.

4. Day to Day Schedule - Tom Howie’s Schedule

This may sound a bit mundane, but how many other musicians do you know blogging about their schedules? Posting your typical day-to-day schedule for other musicians to read will help establish you as benchmark for what other musicians should be doing day-to-day.

5. Endorse Other Bands - John Mayer on Passion Pit

I’ve already talked about how important endorsements can be for upcoming acts. But don’t wait to be called upon to endorse a fellow musician or band. I’m sure you’re constantly listening to new music; it’s how musicians typically operate. If you see a promising upcoming act, post a link, embed an MP3, just somehow mention why you like them and how you found them. They’ll appreciate the exposure and it’ll establish yourself as a tastemaker for your community.

In summary, the idea is to write about things that will appeal to the general public, as well as your fans. Blogging is a wonderful marketing tool, and if done right, your readers (fans) won’t even know they’re being “marketed” to. As Derek Sivers recently said, “‘Marketing’ is another way of saying ‘being considerate’. It’s all in how you talk with people.” So talk with your fans, not at them. They’ll appreciate you even more for it.

While the ideas in this blog post are all mine, the impetus came from a great friend, Christopher Carlson. I was brainstorming ideas to blog about, and he suggested this one. Thanks for the suggestion, Chris. It’s a great topic I hope we all can discuss more.