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Arctic Monkeys worked the MySpace angle to generate some buzz.

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9. Avoid spamming
While it's important to keep in touch with your fans, repeated spam is annoying, so reserve mass messaging for special events. It's far more effective to tailor your messages and gig invites to individuals or small groups of people – there's no point telling someone from Land's End that you're gigging in Dundee.

10. Make sure your social network friends are valuable
It can be tempting to add every person you come across, but when it comes to MySpace, high profile views is what makes you look good and not your friend count. Make sure you add only valuable friends who you think will like your music and visit your profile.

"There's no point telling someone from Land's End that you're gigging in Dundee."

11. Do something to stand out from the crowd
The sad truth is that the quality of your music won't always be enough to get you noticed. Try doing a blog, a quiz, a gimmick – anything that will make your website or profile a bit different and interesting.

12. Get a short, snappy URL
Your website and your social network profiles will need a short snappy URL (web address) that's easy to remember. Bear in mind that you might be shouting your URL through the PA at a noisy gig to apathetic, drunken punters – keep it fairly obvious and make sure the spelling is logical.

13. Get your songs on iTunes
Nothing says professionalism like having your songs available to buy on the world's largest online music store. Websites such as CD Baby can get your tracks online for a small charge – you can then link to your songs in the store from your website/profile.

14. Keep your social profile concise
There are all manner of widgets and plug-ins available for social networks, but while they may look flashy, having too many may obscure the important info on your profile. They can also make your profile slow to load – remember that people generally don't have much patience on the net.

For more advice, check out The Computer Music Special Beginner's Guide (volume 32) which is on sale now.