Being a musician is all about your love for the art of sound, but connecting with fans is essential as well. Social media sites are popular among all demographics, which make it a viable way for you to stay in touch with old and new listeners. If you are not very familiar with social media marketing and you want to use it to your advantage, you should follow all of the advice here.
Write Your Own Posts
One problem that many musicians have is a lack of time. As a result, some of them hire others to write their social media posts for them. If a fan really knows you, they will notice this right away, and it may sway their loyalty. While you are probably very busy, it means a great deal to them when you are willing to take time out of your hectic schedule to talk to them. That will give you far more points than a canned post created by someone who barely knows you or your music.
Respond To Fan Comments
It can be pretty easy to start talking TO the fans so much that you forget to talk WITH them sometimes. Sure, you want to tell them all about the fun you are having and your upcoming album, but they want to know that you are listening as well. The reality is that it is probably not possible for you to respond to each and every fan comment, but peeking your head in and responding to a few will let them know that you are listening and they matter to you.
Market Yourself More Than Your Brand
No one wants to go to your social media page and they are constantly bombarded with album cover shots that urge them that release dates are imminent. If they are true fans, they already know this, so there is no need to constantly repeat this information. Sharing personal information is far more compelling to them than reading something they can find out anywhere.
For example, letting them know that you attended a popular party last night is fine, but it is not as interesting as hearing about the dinner you made your mom for her birthday. Being down-to-earth and allowing them to see you as more than a song is a great way to appeal to a wider audience.
Start Asking Questions
This goes back to the idea of listening to your fans instead of talking to them as if they are your own personal cash registers. One way to engage your fans is to ask them questions in your posts instead of always making statements. For example, you can say something like, “I cannot wait to go to the beach this weekend, what are your plans?” This will open up the lines of communication and establish a rapport, and this will ultimately boost your popularity.
Don’t Join Every Single Site
There are some people who think that the best way to use social media is to join every site there is. That is not a great idea since it is not likely that all of the people who are in your target audience use all of them. You should pinpoint the ones that are likely to be frequented by them instead of signing up for every site that you come across.
For example, if they spend most of their time on Facebook, tumblr and Twitter, you should sign up for those three only. There is no point in spending time on other sites if people who listen to your music will not see it. It is best to choose the most popular sites and divide your time between them. Doing this is far more effective since you will not waste time on sites that will not help you in any significant way.
Post Regularly (But Not Too Much)
There is nothing worse than seeing an account from a musician that posts sporadically. How can you expect people to continue paying attention to you if you are not offering them a reason to? It is best to post at least every day or two, or people may get bored and spend their time connecting with other musicians. On the flip side, posting far too much is never a good idea. Especially since it implies that you have nothing better to do. For an artist, that is a bad sign.
Take Notes from Other Artists
If you are not sure of the best way for you to behave on social media, you should look to other artists for cues. This is a great idea, particularly if you follow artists that are very successful in the same genre as you. This does not mean that you should go to their pages and copy everything they do minute for minute, but you should certainly use them for inspiration.
Now that you have all of these tips at your disposal, it is time for you to go out and put them to good use. If you are just getting started, this should help you lay a great foundation. In the event that you are already an established artist, this will certainly help you get the boost you need. As with anything else in life, there may be a little trial and error needed before you are able to be as successful as you are meant to be.