6 Essential Social Media Tips for Aspiring Musicians

Are you a musician looking to climb the charts? Perhaps you are trying to get a gig with a new band, and then again, maybe you are just starting out and are looking to build a fan base. If so, are you looking for social media tips to help you get your name and music out there? Before getting into all that, there is one thing you may want to know. You have chosen the right marketing path! Believe it or not, musicians have an advantage over most other professions simply because of what it is they do. They make music and social media is where it can be found. Let’s talk about that for a minute.

1. And, Who Are You Again?

Before you launch any social media marketing campaign you may need to remember that people may not know who you are. You may have a loyal local following and that can have a ripple effect, but that may take a bit more time than you are comfortable with. If you are about to release a new single and want the prerelease to be heard, then start with an artist bio on a social media/social networking site like LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is technically a social networking platform where professionals connect, it is social and that’s what matters. 

That said, if you don’t know how to write a music artist bio that will have effective SEO impact, then check out the blog we just linked to. Pirate is an innovative way to record your music without paying a year’s salary to get in the studio. They are designed to be used without the high cost of technicians but come outfitted with high-end studio equipment. Just about everything you need to lay down a track is right there at your disposal. You might want to bring your own guitar, but other than that, everything is there waiting to be powered on. Also, there are Pirate locations in Los Angeles, New York, and new ones about to open in Chicago, Houston, and Dallas.

2. Bare Bones Beginnings

One of the most important things to think about prior to launching a social media marketing campaign is the fact that it is just what it says it is, “social.” This means that you will have to stay active and connect with your followers. In the beginning, that may not be too awfully difficult because it’s relatively easy to connect with only a handful of people. However, once your audience begins to take on that snowball effect, gaining in momentum as well, there will come a point where it is impossible to keep up.

This is why you should start out big, but small at the same time. By starting big, we mean creating profiles on a couple of the most popular social media sites. That would be Facebook and YouTube. It will be far easier to connect on Facebook but YouTube has an advantage that an aspiring musician would need. You can upload videos of your work which should generate comments to which you can respond. YouTube is also the second largest search engine, so that will work in your favor as well.

3. Create a Plan

Of course, writing an artist bio and joining social media are both part of your social media campaign but you have to have that information before you can determine how best to chart your course. Although it may seem like a haphazard approach, there is a method to the madness, namely that all social sites are not created equal. Some, like TikTok, tend to cater to a younger crowd, whereas Facebook attracts people of all ages, as does YouTube. Is there any wonder why those are the two largest social sites? Now that you have created your bio to tell the world who you are and what you do, and have chosen the social platforms to interact on, let’s get a few tips on how to use those social sites. 

4. SEO – Have We Come Full Circle?

If you remember, way back up in the first tip we mentioned SEO but didn’t explain how that fits in or why it’s important. That was done intentionally to slide it in here where it will make more sense. SEO, Search Engine Optimization, in its simplest definition, is the optimized use of keywords that people search for. Let’s explain it this way. Your genre is HipHop. In East Albuquerque there is a teen looking for the latest HipHop releases. If you want that teen to find you and your music, it’s important to use the term “HipHop” in your author bio and on LinkedIn. If it’s not there in the content somewhere, you can go back and add it now. The point being made is that when someone searches for your genre, they will be directed to at least two social sites now if you’ve employed your genre. And, that in itself, may keep them on your pages long enough to kindle an interest in hearing your tunes. 

5. Strategic Use of Social Media

As mentioned above, you can’t just create a social profile and then let your page sit there unattended. The whole point is to connect with your audience to keep interest alive. Your followers will attract followers who will attract followers and before you know it you just might have a global audience. Wouldn’t that be nice for the launch of your first tune being ‘sold’ commercially? Just think about having a readymade consumer base who are already interested in what you do. They have heard a sample of your music on YouTube. They have chatted with you on Facebook and have become cyber friends. 

6. Keep the Love Alive

Each of the above tips is important and vitally necessary. However, no love endures if the flame goes out and this is, perhaps, one of the most important tips you’ll read today. Imagine for just a moment a couple going into divorce court. The judge wants to know what those “irreconcilable differences” are and the only answer they can give is that they simply don’t talk anymore. They both come home from work, eat a hasty dinner, and then migrate to the couch to be their very best couch potato selves. The judge then asks how they consider that to be irreconcilable. Can you guess what their answer would be? “Your honor, how can we reconcile anything if we aren’t talking?” And, that is a very good answer, indeed.

Your Key Takeaways

What you should have gotten from all this is that social media is absolutely the best way to attract the attention of an audience who listens to your genre. You may be a relative unknown at this time but like any other relationship, it is nurtured through conversation. In the beginning they learn a little bit (artist bio) about you and then you invite them over to your home (social sites). As the relationship continues, they learn that there is always something new to learn about you and as you keep pumping out songs, they continue buying or downloading them. Imagine. It all started out with learning how to write an artist bio. Aren’t you glad you did?