If, like me, you grew up in the world of dial-up internet and AOL Instant Messenger, the wide range of social media options available to us these days might feel overwhelming. And perhaps, for the average person, there’s no need to download every social media app available to consumers. For musicians, however, there’s not just a need, but an expectation. But why?
The most obvious reason for artists to be active on as many social media platforms as possible is simple: that’s where the fans are. Music Industry How To claims, “if people don’t immediately go follow you on social media, it’s too easy for them to forget you and move onto something else”. That’s never good! As an artist, you want to reach more fans and stay fresh in their minds. Plus, social media can give you a great platform to announce anything from new merchandise to a new album, and everything in between. You can reach thousands, or even millions, of people at once with one Facebook post.
Another benefit of social media is that you control the narrative entirely. You can control what you post, how often you release new content and every aspect of your account. It’s fun to post behind-the-scenes photos of music videos and the making of an album, and fans will appreciate a peek behind the curtain. But you don’t have to share everything with everyone, which is why controlling your social media presence as an artist is so important.
Okay, I hear you saying, I get it, I need to get on Instagram and Facebook, but what about TikTok? That doesn’t seem like an app I need to use to connect with fans, right? Wrong, dear reader! According to Octiive, “TikTok is the way to reach the music fanatics”. The app not only uses your music to allow fans to create quick 60-second videos of themselves lip-syncing and dancing around, having a blast… it also gives you, the artist, the freedom to be silly and show off a side of yourself your fans may not have seen before.
Finally, most social media apps are easy to link together. You can share links to your Soundcloud, Spotify, or YouTube channel right on your Instagram story so that fans can just click a button to be taken to your newest release. You can create a video on TikTok and add it to any social media feed. There are so many ways to cater to your audience and make it easy for them to access every post you create and every video you drop. So go out there and get social!
If you would like more in-depth examples of how to grow on social media, check out our episode of the Turntable featuring artist BerNycole!
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