Social Media Marketing for Musicians

In today’s age, social media is not just for connecting with old high school friends or even for trying to find your next job. For today’s musician, it is an essential tool for not only marketing, but for staying connected to your core audience and to also gain new fans as well.

As to not assume that everyone is knowledgeable about what social media even is, social media sites are platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. These sites can be used not only for personal use, but it has become an integral part of a musician’s online presence. This is important because as an artist becomes larger in his or her career, their online presence will be sought after from new fans and business personnel.

CD Baby runs a very informative blog called the “DIY Musician.” This forum gives “do it yourself” musicians outstanding information on how to advance their careers and get the most out of their dollars. One post speaks about the 10 musts of social music marketing. I encourage everyone to read that article in its entirety. But, there were three main points from that article I wanted to share.

First, personalize your accounts. When people visit your profiles, they want to see images of you, not the generic picture provided by the service. Also, if possible, try to use the same username across all accounts. This makes you easily identifiable in search engine results so your fans can find you quicker. And, try to make your username as close to your band name too. If your stage name is “Precious,” it doesn’t make sense to have a username of “Sticks,” its just confusing to your audience.

Second, post consistently. The more you post content, the more traffic you will draw. But, people’s attention spans can be short. So, you need to post often, but more importantly, post consistently. Some of the most successful bloggers or YouTube moguls are those who have a set schedule of when they will release content. Their audience is aware of this and look forward to (and can depend on) new content being posted on time and on schedule. For example, post new material every Wednesday evening at 7:00pm EST.

Third, engage your audience. No one wants to have a one-sided conversation. This is just as true for social media as well. Encourage your followers to comment and talk back to you about what you’ve posted. But, that is just the first step. Once your audience starts talking, you need to respond. This keeps them engaged and feeling connected to you. These interactions are a pivotal aspect in gaining and retaining your fan base.

No one has exhibited the power of social media marketing better than Beyonce. As we all know by now, she used social media to announce a surprise album release this past Friday that literally crashed the iTunes site. 

Much can be said about the genius of this tactic and her undeniable power as an artist. But, if nothing else, it shows the power of social media to spread a message. By posting a video on Facebook and Instagram, Beyonce sent out the message she wanted about her material. Much can be learned from her and this social media marketing campaign.