In his blog “Viral growth trumps lots of faux followers,” Seth Godin aims to debunk the myth that when it comes to social networking, the more followers you have, the better.

Godin reminds us that in the new climate of social networking, producing quality content is still a better method for success than simply striving to have the most followers. Just because you have 200,000 followers does not mean that any of them are actually paying any attention or visiting your page.

Rather, Godin argues a better strategy would be to start with a small number of followers who are actual fans, then produce quality content that those fans be excited to pass along. This should not only cause more long term growth, but result in a move valuable type of follower that is not just a number.

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If you aren’t using Pandora Radio, you are missing an amazing chance to share your music with new fans.

Pandora is the largest and fastest growing radio platform in the world with 45 million registered listeners and growing in the United States.

Pandora offers a unique opportunity to independent musicians – Pandora prides itself on selecting music using a level playing field, where music is considered for inclusion solely based on quality.

Once music is selected for inclusion, the unique musical identity of a song is analyzed through the Music Genome Project. Those attributes are then used to create personalized stations for each listener based on their musical tastes.

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I had the opportunity to ask Pandora founder Tim Westergren some questions about the role of independent music at Pandora. Here’s what he had to say:

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If you really want to give yourself the best chance to succeed, make an impact, and get noticed you need to be different.

Some people can just be so special at playing guitar that they will stand out no matter what – hello Jimi Hendrix and those folks – but that is the exception. Just about everyone plays guitar, which means there are more ultra-talented guitar players.

The better way to make it is to compete in an area with less competitors. If guitar is your calling, then so be it, but if you have a choice, find the most obscure instrument around and become amazing at it.

Then see what happens…

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As I watch some bands move up the ladder and others sort of stagnate, I often begin to notice the importance of Branding.

Some bands really get it, and others don’t.

What do you want your band to be known for? What do you want others to think about attending one of your shows? Or think about as they are going through your website?

You know, sometimes you need to be the person to slip these thoughts into someone’s head, or at the very least you need to set the tone.

Will shows always be a fun party? Or a mix of serious and fun? Do you want things to feel consistent, or different every time? (Different every time still falls under the category of “Branding”)

Think about it, then see if you are consistently projecting the image you’d like to be projecting at your shows, on your website, twitter statements, etc.

After all, the most important aspect of branding is being consistent about it.

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