Music Marketing With Twitter Hashtags From Plan B Tracks To GoGirls Chats

Twitter hashtags are increasingly used to connect communities and focus conversations on Twitter and that includes musicians and music fans. Rapper Plan B is using hashtags in on and offline marketing to offer access to streaming tracks from his upcoming soundtrack album "iLL Manors."

While hashtags have been used in a variety of music marketing campaigns, Madalyn Sklar's GoGirls women's music community Twitter chats have used hashtags to build a more long-term community relationship.

Rapper Plan B is releasing the soundtrack album for his film iLL Manors on July 23rd in the UK. A Twitter hashtag campaign is part of the marketing mix according to an email from Atlantic Records UK:

"Fans will be able to access a selection of exclusive, unheard tracks prior to the release of ‘ill Manors’ by sending a tweet including the hashtag #illmanorsalbum. The hashtag along with the message ‘hear brand new songs from Plan B’ will be included on all offline advertising around the release, including outdoor posters, television adverts and digital advertising boards."

"Anyone tweeting to the hashtag #illmanorsalbum will receive an automated reply from the account @illmanorsalbum including a secret link to Plan B’s official SoundCloud page where they will be able to stream the exclusive tracks."

Plan B – iLL Manors

While offline use of Twitter hashtags isn't new, they are claiming that this is the "first time within music marketing that a Twitter hashtag will be included in offline marketing to deliver music to fans as well as stimulate conversation."

I haven't really tried to verify that claim but it is true that hashtags are more commonly used to focus conversations around an event or weekly show, as part of a larger marketing campaign such as #DEWeezy for Mountain Dew and Lil Wayne or for fan feedback such as choosing the artwork for Justin Bieber's single Boyfriend.

While the above uses are all ways to mobilize and expand one's fanbase, music marketer and GoGirls women's music community organizer Madalyn Sklar has shown the potential for community building with Twitter chats organized by hashtag.

RT @gogirlsmusic: Join us Thursday night for our weekly #ggchat. It's a great place to network & share info about the #musicbiz.

— Madalyn Sklar (@MadalynSklar) July 3, 2012

Sklar's use of #GGchat reveals an approach to community building that offers many opportunities for marketing for both participants and sponsors. Yet it certainly goes much deeper than a music marketing campaign alone.

If you're thinking about getting into hashtag chats on Twitter, be sure to check out her introductory post What Is A Twitter #Hashtag?.

Though one can see quite a range from the very specific short-term use by Plan B and the longer term, broader use by Madalyn Sklar and GoGirls, none of these approaches can be forced. Even the short-term uses require some sense of community or, at the very least, interest in a particular artist or music-related effort.

As Twitter's Best Practices for Hashtags article notes, even the mighty Simon Cowell had to accept that American X-Factor fans preferred their own use of #xfactor to the show's attempted use of #xfusa.

More: Karmaloop Teams With Twitter For Unique Tweet-To-Tee Campaign

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) blogs about business at Flux Research: Business Changes and about dance at All World Dance: News. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.