How can we get Barry trending on Twitter?

@Franaway was so kind to pass this article along to me about Trending topics:

How Twitter Trending Topics Work and How to Influence Them

Take some time and read it, but here are the key points:

EVEN THOUGH THE VOLUME OF TWEETS DOESN’T MATTER WHEN TRENDING TOPICS ARE CONCERNED THE NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE TWEETING ABOUT A SUBJECT DOES MATTER

Put simply it’s far better to have 100 people tweet the same hashtag consistently over a longer period of time then to have 10 people constantly tweet the same hashtag. There is a simple reason why this is true and why it happens which is because it gives a better over view of what the world is talking about, not what a few are interested in.

THIRDLY CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY!

Strong trending topics are created by lots of people talking about the same thing consistently over a long period of time, seems simple doesn’t it? Of course it does but most importantly it’s a very natural way to register what the world is really talking about.

AND LASTLY TIMING IS EVERYTHING

Major events and popular TV shows monopolizes the trending topics and for good reason, these are talking points that unite and divide people and encourage conversation, they also meet every single criteria set out above as they promote consistently large amounts of tweets from a large volume of people over a prolonged period.

Looks like we're meeting ALL the criteria. Pass the word along and get as many people joining in as you can.

See you Tuesday,

Texas Fan

What is a #Manilow Chat on Twitter?

Think of a Twitter chat as an online flash mob where a group of people convene at a certain time and engage in a form of choreographed mass communication before a group of unsuspecting bystanders. It's exciting, interesting, and captivating. At times, you don't know where to look! You can either choose to stand by and watch or, in the case of a Twitter chat, join the insanity. Chats typically last one hour.

The easiest way to join or follow a chat is to use a Twitter tool to track the tweets by the chat's designated hashtag (ex: #Manilow). The most important thing to remember to do is to use the chat's hashtag when you want to join the dance - contribute to the conversation.

To make things simple, here is what you do:

TweetChat 


Use TweetChat to stream tweets by the designated hashtag for a particular chat. For example, to join #Manilow, go to TweetChat.com, sign up with your Twitter account id, enter the name of the hashtag to follow (Manilow) and converse in real time. All of the related tweets will appear in a TweetChat Room on your screen. When you submit a post/tweet, TweetChat will automatically append the chat's hashtag so you don't have to remember to do so.

What's the number one mistake a newbie makes during a Twitter online chat? Forgetting to add the hashtag to the post. But if you use TweetChat, you won’t have to worry about it!

Thanks to Kelly Queijo of Smart College Visit and the creator of #CampusChat for this simple explanation of a Twitter Chat. She’s going to join us next Tuesday so introduce yourself and welcome her into the Manilow world!

Here are some of my tips:

• Don’t worry about keeping up with every single post. Respond to the ones that interest you.
• Don’t forget to RT (retweet) often to help with the trending and to let others in your feed see the conversation.
• If it goes too fast for you, don’t be too concerned. Just read, RT and enjoy the conversations. You don’t have to converse with everyone and you can even make your own statements related to the topic (Barry’s new CD).
• Follow the lead of the co-hosts (myself and Patti) and comment on any questions we ask or comments we make.

That about covers it. If you have questions, simply ask during the chat, and someone will answer and help you.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Tuesday, July 19, 5PM and 9PM ET

#Manilow Twitter Chat

Our Goal: Talk about the new album and get #Manilow to trend on Twitter, thus creating a buzz about 15 Minutes.

See you there,

Texas Fan

Can we get a WOOT for Manilow!

That's right--a big fat Texas WOOT and HOOT AND HOLLER for the one and only BARRY MANILOW and his chart topping success-15 MINUTES.

Ousting David Cook from the #1 spot last week, positioning his album ahead of (wait....) Beyonce, Adele and YES, even Lady Gaga. If you ever wondered it would be possible, you don't know this guy's music. And for those of us that do...and knew all along...let's GIVE A HIGH FIVE to Barry and his fabulous lyricist Enoch Anderson for showing the world that good music NEVER goes unnoticed. Oh yah...and a BIG FAT RASBERRY to Clive Davis!

Pumped,

Texas Fan

Shameless promotion for 15 minutes

I love this guy but he's SUCH a geek (in a good way of course).

Texas Fan

Billboard Top 200-Great News!

According to a press release today:

For Immediate Release

Barry's new album debuted at #7 in the Billboard Top 200 and was #2 on the Independent album chart.

Three words: WAY TO GO!

This is fabulous news for the fans (and for Barry and his team!)

Texas Fan

The "question" controversy

It happened. An interviewer, Gayle King, asked the dreaded question: Are you in love? And Barry, true to form, answered, "I am in love...with my music." But Gayle wouldn't let that go. She said, "I mean with a two-legged person." Here it comes. The answer all fans have been wanting to hear (even though they would never admit it), "Yes I am."

You would have thought the fan world would be all abuzz about the admission. Especially those fans who "knew he loved them" or were convinced that "one day he would fall in love with them." But nope. The uproar over the interview was that she had the audacity to even ask the question. How dare her? And once again, the defenders of things Manilow jumped on the bandwagon and began their attack.

Sadly, they missed the best highlights of that interview:

1. He is happy. You could tell when he answered the question, he smiled. And when he talked about his album, you could tell how proud he is of his work.


2. He answered the question. He didn't have to answer it. He's dodged it before. But he chose at this point to answer the question.


3. He put her in her place. He told her that he doesn't allow just anyone into his private life and only if he chooses to let them in are they privy to his personal information. Basically, "any other information is none of your business."


4. He turned the interview back to the album. He's a pro and he knows how to answer questions. He's perfectly capable of handling himself in any uncomfortable situation, especially from the media.

I agree with YBA's comment on the subject. These interviews would make great clips filtered together to make a promo for his album about fame. Gather them together, put the music from the album as the background, and post it on YouTube. It would go viral in a heartbeat!

Can't we just let him enjoy the ride?

Texas Fan

15 Minutes: A Fan's Review

I'm not really equipped to give this album a critical review. I'm just a fan. I've listened to Barry's music for years. There are some albums that are at the top of my playlist and other songs I enjoy listening to when the shuffle brings them up. Any fan who has been around for many years knows that Barry's original music is far and above superior musically to any of the cover songs he has been doing lately. And this album does not disappoint.

I'm not a musical expert, but I know what I like. I know that the best reviews will take the album song by song, but for me, this new work is all about the album. It's about the story it tells. It's about taking us through the steps to fame, what happens when you get it, and what happens when you lose it. If you take the songs separately, you miss the whole point of the album--it weaves a story with lyrics and music. You can't just read pages from a book and understand the plot. You have to read the entire book. It's the same with this album. You have to listen to it all together to appreciate it's genius.

What do I love about the album?

• I love Enoch Anderson's lyrics.
• I love the guitar/rock sound in the songs.
• I love the emotion you can feel in the songs (anger, frustration, sadness, regret).
• I love the way the musical melody from some of the songs recurs throughout the album in other songs.
• I love how the music fits the lyrics (in every single song).
• I love the power in Barry's voice and the shear joy you can hear as he sings these songs.
• I love the musical transitions as they carry you through the story.
• I love fades and the repeats in some of the songs, enhancing the point of each song.
• I love Nataly Dawn and her eerie rendition of Letter from a Fan (she was the PERFECT choice for this song).
• I love the quotes that were interjected in Winner Go Down.
• I love Slept Through the End of the World and Trainwreck (these songs are GENIUS!).
• I love 15 Minutes and Work the Room (for the shear rocking excitement).

Enough from me. I'm sure there will be tons of reviews in the next few days (especially from the fans). But that's my two cents tonight. As the days go by, I'm sure I'll find even more gems within this concept album. Just as I have with 2AM Paradise Cafe and Here at the Mayflower.

I know I'll have these songs in my head tonight when I go to sleep, but I can't think of a better soundtrack to dream by--

Texas Fan

The Manilow Media Blitz--what's different this time?

Since my good friends (YBA and Lori) are doing an excellent job keeping everyone up to date on the latest appearances, I'm going to let them be the "go-to" blogs for the links and Facebook posts. If you want to watch some of the appearances, check them out!

I thought I'd throw in my two cents about this media blitz and how it differs from the ones for the cover albums. And since I'm infamous for "sharing my unsolicited opinion", why break the mold? I just finished watching the clips from the George Lopez show, while spewing a mouthful of diet coke onto my iPhone as I watched.

What makes this media blitz different?

1-Who is this guy? Remember a few posts ago I said this after listening to the QVC presentation of the album. Now I'm saying it after watching several of the interviews. He is grinning from ear to ear, excited about talking to reporters and interviewers, displaying some of that Manilow wit I've heard about from years gone by, and more relaxed than I've ever seen him with the media. And the STORIES he is telling--isn't it great to hear some NEW tidbits after all these years???

2-Way to use social media. Ok, so it was barely around for the last few cover albums, but MySpace has been. Way to use it to promote the album, create contests for the fans, and spark the conversations on Facebook and Twitter. The candid posts from Barry are the icing on the cake.

3-We don't have to hear about Clive. I don't know about you but I got sick of the "Clive" reference. Yah...I know he's a genius. Yah..I know Barry was grateful for his advice. But seriously, Clive is NOT the reason for Barry's success. It is his widespread appeal and his willingness to make his audience "feel" his music. If you don't believe it, watch his appearance on The Talk--those women were putty in his musical hands.

4-When you believe in something, it shows. His passion for this album is coming out not only in the music, but in the way he promotes it and himself. You can tell he's not doing any of them out of obligation, but out of pure excitement for the quality of the album.

5-Way to get the fans involved. The contests, the Facebook posts, the album signings, and keeping them abreast on all the media appearances. From what I've heard from some of the fans who have been around for years, this is reminiscent of the past years when the new albums came out and the fans got involved in the promotions.

6-All the radio appearances. From what I'm reading about iHEARTradio and the Manilow station, it sounds amazing. Then there has been the BBC radio segments on the great masters and the Sirius Love channel weekend. It's great to hear his music on the radio again and have people call and say, "hey, I just heard a new song from Barry; did you know he has a new album coming out?"

I wish I could head to NYC for the CD signing, or had the time to watch and keep up with all the marvelous appearances. But as YBA said, I will be living vicariously through those who can and look forward to reading about it online.

The excitement builds for the 14th!

Texas Fan

Who is this guy?

I told my Twitter peeps...you might not recognize Manilow tonight on QVC because his new 15 Minutes music is ROCKING AWESOME. That's right--AWESOME. If you think you know Manilow, think again!

Where do I begin? The guitar solos, the rocking feel of the upbeat songs, the gut-wrenching ballads that can rip your heart out. And that's just from the few songs we got to hear tonight. I can't even begin to imagine what the entire album will be like when it all flows together.

This album is why the fans kept begging and pleading for original music; and Barry hit this one out of the ballpark...home run...bases loaded...bottom of the 9th!

And Barry...wow...you could see his excitement. He was like a kid in a candy store. He is so proud of this album and has every right to be--it's beyond amazing, it's spectacular!

So let's shout it to the world--Twitter, Facebook, on our blogs. MANILOW ROCKS!

Pumped,

Texas Fan

P.S. The fans knew he had it in him all along! Who is this guy? It's MANILOW!

BUY THIS ALBUM: QVC Presale

A great interview/chat with Barry

The media blitz continues and here's one of the best interview/chats I've ever heard. Why? Because the fans asked some great questions. If you have 30 minutes, be sure to listen to it.

http://www.1067litefm.com/pages/live/

The more he talks about this album, the more excited I'm getting about the QVC preview!

Til later,

Texas Fan

Footnote: Here's another great interview:

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2011/may/25/barry-manilow-performs-live/

Fame...can you take it?

Yes. I admit. I watched some of the clips. Dang Barry's voice sounds strained. That can't be good considering he has QVC in just a few days. Here's hoping all the medication he's taking whips his vocal chords into shape, or he begs off and just "lip syncs" it. Yes...I said the awful words. But hey, why push it? After all, without the pipes he can't promote the album on every single talk show in the country for the next several weeks.

I bet you thought I wasn't going to mention the apology on Facebook. Gotcha.

Yes, I read the apology for the recent cancellations in Vegas. Do I think it was sincere? Absolutely. Much like "you had me at hello", Barry had me when he started off the message "I'm so sorry" and ended it with "please forgive me".

You will recall, several of the bloggers begged (and I mean begged) Stiletto to be frank with the fans regarding past cancellations.

Why the sudden change?

1. Facebook has become a "safe" place to communicate with the fans
2. A new CD is coming out on an independent label and it's not a good time to have disgruntled fans
3. They finally listened and realized that honesty is always the best policy

You choose which of the three you believe is the real reason. Personally, I would like to think it's #3, but time will tell as the future unfolds.

Before I close, I would like to say that I hope Barry takes care of himself AND that 15 Minutes gets the airplay it deserves.

Over and out,

Texas Fan

15 Minutes Sneak Peaks

Barry explains the concept of the album and gives us a little preview of the first song.

"Letter from a Fan"....now THAT one sounds very interesting. I wonder if we will recognize anyone in the words???

Tic toc, tic toc,

Texas Fan

15 Minutes...and counting

It won't be long now. We're counting down to the release date and the QVC preview show and I have to tell you, I am PUMPED to hear the entire album. "Bring on Tomorrow" is growing on me and after spending the day listening to "Here at the Mayflower", "Paradise Cafe" and "Scores" I'm ready for the next installment of original music.

The album cover ROCKS! It's young, vibrant and exciting. I especially love the details of the camera phones in the crowd. Kudos to the designer and Barry for choosing it.

Stay posted...as time gets closer there will be more news and updates coming.

Until then, Bring on Tomorrow,

Texas Fan

Did I miss anything?

I've been a little preoccupied lately with life. My daughter is pregnant with my first grandchild. There is nothing more important than participating in this wonderfully exciting event. And I've had some health decisions that have been weighing heavy on my mind. I've been working my ass off establishing myself in a new market. Suffice it to say that the Manilow world has been the last thing on my mind.

But I spent some time browsing around the usual fan sites tonight and found that I've missed quite a bit of drama, some announcements, a request to renew my membership, and even some new pictures of the Manilow store.

1. The drama: I never miss that. It's always nice to live in a bubble and not get all wrapped up in the usual fan related incidents and melodramas.
   
2. The announcements: those hold little significance to me any longer (except another dangling carrot of the new album 15 Minutes--that will ALWAYS interest me).
   
3. Renew my fan club membership: let's see--I'll pass on that one. Honestly, I can read the announcements on the website and I don't need another BMIFC pin. As far as being able to purchase the best seats, that was never the truth. The Hilton always had better seats available than the fan club and I assume so does the Paris hotel.
   
4. Pictures of the new Manilow store: it looks like a really nice place in a really nice hotel. I'm happy that Barry is now there and that he's receiving the publicity and recognition he deserves.

It's amazing how a little distance can give you some perspective. Do I want to see the new show? Sure. It's new and I'd like to see it. Honestly, I don't miss the shows as much as I miss my friends and spending time with them. That was always the crux of my frequent trips to Vegas. Did I enjoy the shows? Absolutely. But I enjoyed the time I spent with friends and the moments that we shared so much more than the performances.

I have no idea when or if I'll ever get back to Vegas. But I still have my memories of some of the best times of my life. I'll remember them fondly and also remember that Barry was a part of them. But life is more than sitting in the front row night after night and wishing and hoping for a glance, a smile, or a handshake. I prefer to live in the real world, no matter how hard it can be at times, or how many difficult decisions I have to make. I prefer to invest in the future and not live in the past or wish for things that can never be.

Still believing that it is ALL about the music,
Texas Fan