Social media is a rising marketing tool that has proven to be effective for businesses, brands and companies all over the world. In this day and age, and especially in the music industry, it is fundamental for you, as an artist to invest time in developing marketing strategies, in order to put yourself on the market and build a fanbase.
Social media essentially gives you the ability to communicate directly with your supporters and engage with them on a personal level. It’s also a very easy way to reach out to fans all over the world. Use these platforms to your advantage and build a brand for yourself. This article is going to discuss the three main social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and give you tips on the best way to use them.
GENERAL TIPS
Social media essentially gives you the ability to communicate directly with your supporters and engage with them on a personal level. It’s also a very easy way to reach out to fans all over the world. Use these platforms to your advantage and build a brand for yourself. This article is going to discuss the three main social media sites (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and give you tips on the best way to use them.
GENERAL TIPS
- Post relevant content on a regular basis to show your fanbase that you’re active on the site. This will incite them to “follow” you, knowing that they’ll be receiving new content on a daily basis.
- Use hashtags. The three main platforms run a hashtag-based search tool. This is important as whoever searches a hashtag you used will be redirected to your post. In other words, if you post a picture on Instagram using #music in your description- whoever searches for a “music” related picture will be lead to your picture, as well as any other user's’ posts who have the same hashtag.
- Engage with your audience. Although as your number of followers increase, responding to everyone will become impossible, you should still take the time to answer a few comments to show your followers that you do read what they have to say. This will indirectly incite them to comment more in the hopes that you’ll answer them.
- Stay updated with social media. Make a habit to look up hashtags related to your artist or band name, to stay updated with what people are saying about you.
FACEBOOK- 1.23 BILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS
- The first thing you should do, if you still haven’t- is to create an artist page. This is really important as it is probably the first thing people will find when they Google your name. Indeed, even if you have a website, people tend to look you up on platforms they are familiar with- such as Facebook. On this page, make sure to include as much information as possible.
- Personalize your page by choosing a profile picture and a banner that represents you as an artist. Musicians usually tend to opt for pictures of them, their album artwork or even shots of them performing in front of a crowd. Be creative- be you!
- Facebook is a large platform that allows you to share pretty much anything with your followers- whether it’s pictures, videos, website links or even SoundCloud links to your music.
- Pin your important posts! If you’re performing at an event, or you’ve just released an EP- Facebook has a function that allows you to pin these posts, moving them to the top of the page so it’s the first thing people will see when they visit your page.
- Create event pages for the gigs you perform at, and share them with your friends and followers on your page. A few days before the show, increase your presence on your page by posting more often, to build up the excitement.
- If you have a marketing budget, you might consider taking a look at Facebook Ads. Indeed, Facebook offers you the possibility of inquiring paid ads, where they’ll advertise your brand, whilst charging you a fee per click.
TWITTER- 236 MILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS
- Twitter is all about real-time engagement with your fans. This is the platform designed for you to post random questions and content. Whether you’re sharing your thoughts on a product or asking feedback on your new song, you can always expect instant replies from your followers.
- One thing to take into consideration is that Twitter restricts you to a 140 character limit. This is to preserve the ‘instant conversation’ vibe of the platform. Be short and sweet when it comes to your tweets, and you’ll be just fine!
- Keep an eye on the trending topics bar- these are the topics most discussed in your area. By joining the discussion and including these hashtags, more people will find your posts, and consequently be redirected to your page (which is what you want!)
- Similarly to Facebook, Twitter allows you to personalize your account. You can pick your photo icon, background and banner. Make sure it looks fun and attractive so people are drawn to click on your profile.
- When you’re performing at venues, don’t forget to mention them (using @ mention function) so they can retweet you- giving you exposure to their followers as well. This not only goes for venues, but anyone you’re hanging with as well. The more exposure, the better! It’s also better to tweet a few times everyday, to show your followers that you’re present, and you’re there to engage with them.
- Retweeting and marking you fans’ tweets as ‘favorite’ shows your engagement, something that your supporters will appreciate as it creates a sense of proximity between you and them.
- On top of interacting with your fans, make sure to follow back some of them to create a sense of relationship, which they will value greatly.
INSTAGRAM- 300 MILLION MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS
- The good thing about Instagram is that it is basically a picture paradise. Since there is little to no text, people can easily scroll down their timeline and generally tend to visit the social media platform multiple times per day.
- Your followers will see Instagram as a behind the scene, more personal look into your life. Share pictures of you working in the studio or hanging out with friends or band mates- they’ll want to see the real you, and Instagram is the perfect way to show them.
- Instagram is also the perfect tool for visual marketing! They say a picture is worth a thousand words- so use your pictures to express the message you want to portray to your viewers. Post snaps of your album artwork, merchandise or even short videos of your music playing, along with easy links to where they can purchase your product. Make it easily available to them, so they’re just a click away from supporting you!
- Instagram is also the ideal platform to host contests. For example, have your followers Regram(repost) your pictures for a chance to win merchandise, your CD, or even a pair of tickets to your next show. Alternatively, instead of having to Regram your pictures, have your followers tag a friend who’d enjoy the prize, for a chance to win the prize. This is great because it allows your fans to spread the word about your page to people they know, which increases your exposure.