Building your social media presence as an independent artist can seem like a daunting task, even if you’re well versed in the digital world. With so many different artists and brands in the mix, it’s more crucial than ever that you create a social media marketing strategy that will help you Rise Above the Noise.
But where to begin?
Even the most innovative and touching content is worth nothing without an audience. The first step in building your following is to determine where your fans can find you! Let’s go over some of the larger social media channels and some best practices to keep in mind.
How many social media channels do I need?
Quality always trumps quantity. It’s better to choose two or three channels and post high-quality, engaging content consistently rather than spreading yourself too thin, forcing you to resort to spammy content. An authentic, consistent connection is key.
Focusing on a couple of platforms allows time to create higher-quality content tailored specifically to those platforms. Plus, it’s a lot easier to keep an eye on conversations when they’re in fewer places.
How does an indie artist decide which social media channels are best? Here are some points to consider:
Identify your social media goals
It’s important to answer, “What do I want to achieve on social media?” From there you can establish goals and objectives and then measure performance.
A couple of examples to consider:
- If you want to attract new interest, then start with a platform with wide reach, led by Facebook.
- If you want to keep in touch with fans, look into social channels that offer direct messaging, including Twitter and Instagram.
- If you want to sell merchandise, use a visual-oriented platform, starting with Instagram.
What social media channels are your target audience using?
Different styles of music are popular with different demographics – the same goes for social media platforms.
For example, hip-hop listeners skew younger and are more ethnically diverse than most genres. If you’re a hip-hop artist, look to TikTok and Instagram. On the other hand, if your genre attracts older fans, it’s worth focusing on Facebook.
If you’re already using social media, then check your existing data to see what works. You can check the Facebook Page Insights to see who is viewing and interacting with your content:
Better yet, Intercept Music offers easy access to all the marketing metrics you could ask for. Find out which posts generate the most interest – and which strategies could use some improvement. Your engagement dashboard can even reveal clever suggestions, such as the best time of day to post.
If you’re starting fresh or you want to check potential new channels, the Pew Research Center provides some useful data on the demographics of social media use.
For example, in the US:
- People of all ages use Facebook: At least 70% of Americans aged 18-64 have used Facebook. However if you’re reaching an older audience, Facebook is the only platform that has majority reach among people aged 50-64.
- Younger people have more diverse social media choices. People aged 18-29 have used Facebook and Instagram in near equal proportions, and a substantial portion of this group also have used TikTok and Twitter.
What resources are available?
At this stage, it’s essential to consider the number of social media channels that you need to achieve your goals.
Consider where your fans are, then think about your budget and skills. How many channels can you realistically manage with your marketing budget? As an indie artist, your definition of a budget will likely include your personal investment of time writing compelling content and designing an attractive posting.
For example:
- If you have a small budget, then you may only be able to start with one channel.
- If you have limited resources, you may need to factor in the cost of 3rd-party assistance. If you decide to use Instagram, for instance, you’ll be competing with world-class visuals.
It’s okay to start small – just keep the focus on high-quality content.
What are the key social media platforms?
When it comes to social media, you’re spoiled for choice with the number of channels to choose from, but common sense suggests sticking to sites with the largest audience.
Facebook is the most popular social network in the world with over 2 billion monthly users.
Video content works best on Facebook – organic engagement is highest on video posts. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Videos, Stories and Facebook Groups gained in popularity. As always, the gateway to audience interaction is to produce quality content.
Pro Tip: Data from Tubular Insights showed that the top-performing videos were either in square or vertical (portrait) format because they take up more screen real-estate compared to widescreen format:
Hot on Facebook’s tail is Instagram, and it’s become an important social network for artists. As a media-heavy app, it’s important to post high-quality media.
Both short and long-form videos perform brilliantly on Instagram. Stories are the most popular type of content on the channel, and Instagram Reels are catching up. Remember to use hashtags in your captions, as they help your posts net a wider audience.
With a limit of 280 characters, your message on Twitter has to be on-point. Tweets that include images, GIFs, memes and videos are more likely to generate interaction than plain-text Tweets.
Twitter is great for sharing thoughts, asking questions, creating polls, and promoting tours or shows. Don’t be afraid to show off your merch, either.
TikTok
TikTok is known for short, user-generated videos 3 to 15 seconds long and short looping videos between 3 and 60 seconds in length. Blooper videos and how-to tutorials routinely get millions of views.
There are almost 700 million monthly TikTok users worldwide. But before you hit the record button, consider your audience. TikTok users tend to be younger than those of any other platform. Tailor your approach to your fans.
YouTube
Depending the scorecard, YouTube is either the first or second most popular social media channel. Music videos are incredibly popular on YouTube.
Your YouTube channel might work best when used in conjunction with another social platform, but Shorts and Community posts let you interact with your fans just the same. The platform is ideal for in-depth videos, such as “behind-the-scenes” stories of your life as an artist.
5 tips for generating effective content ideas for social media
In need of some content inspiration? Here are five ideas to get you started:
1. Jump on hashtag trends
Building content around what’s popular right now is a surefire way to remind your fans that you’re looking at those trends, too. Feel free to hashtag non-music topics as long as they reflect your genuine interests. Keep on top of today’s trends and be sure to follow your favorite artists, influencers and passion points for additional hashtag inspiration.
2. Repurpose your content
Repurposing content allows you to get more use from the work that already extracted your blood, sweat and tears. That longer YouTube video, for example, could spawn content pieces tailored to the unique characteristics of your other channels. Repurposing content is also a great way to breathe new life into older content.
3. Share your Behind The Scenes story
Slick visuals and witty verbiage don’t hold a candle to authentic, human stories. Your fans want to know the people behind their favorite music, so pull back that curtain and reward them with the real you. Show them the passions that drive you and the struggles yo