Facebook is one of the most important social media channels for any artist. Boasting over 2 billion daily users, it is likely that a majority of your audience is going to have a Facebook account So it goes without saying that a page for your band is a must. It should feature everything from tour dates to behind-the-scenes content to album promotion and should almost act as the information hub for your band.
Facebook’s algorithm for what content is shown where is constantly changing, often putting more emphasis towards relationship building between users which means that commercial pages and content is often pushed down towards the bottom of the user’s news feed. This makes it imperative that the content you post on your page is relevant and engaging. The more people who react to your content, the more likely it is that future content will organically appear again in the future. Just make sure that the content you are putting on your page is varied and resonates with your audience so well that they can’t help but like and share it. The good news is that music videos were amongst the highest shared content in 2017, suggesting that videos of your band performing would go down a treat. Also, be sure to ask questions of your audience that encourage responses. Ask them where they’d like to see you play next. Post a video of your drummer and ask them what they think the best drum solo of all time was. Get them talking and get them talking on your page.
Instagram is the quick-fire social media that allows you to post ‘day in the life’ style content. Posts of riders, tour stories, and event prep may all seem like boring posts to you but to people who aren’t in the industry this type of content is a glimpse into a whole other world. What you may think of as ‘mundane’ shots are actually turning your everyday life into promotional material. It may not even need to be music related but it is important to make sure that it is relevant to your audience and promotes you as an artist and personality.
Instagram is a great platform to encourage user-generated content. Ask fans to take pictures of your gigs for you to repost on your socials and get yourself tagged. These posts get yourself exposed to your audience’s followers and is a superb way to reach a new audience.
Hashtags are very effective on Instagram and are another tool that should not be forgotten about. Using a hashtag means that your content will appear under that tag when other users search for it. Hashtags like ‘#bandpractice,’ ‘#guitarsolo,’ and ‘#drums’ make sure that your content is seen by people who are interested in that area of music but have not yet been exposed to your band. This really helps to expand your reach and can yield very impressive results if done correctly.
Instagram is also a great platform for teasing your new releases. Get some artwork and a 30-second section of your song and you’ve got a great teaser to quickly put online to the masses.
Twitter is where lots of online conversations happen, and you’ll want to make sure that you are part of those conversation. This is where the tone of voice we mentioned earlier becomes particularly important. You may use your personal account to take jabs at politicians and partake in social commentary but is that how you want your band to be seen?
You can be very free with twitter but remember that it represents your band, not just you. Having said that not everything you post has to be music related. Just keep in mind that it’s got to be relevant to your audience.
Twitter is also an excellent tool to stay in touch with your fans. Take time to share stories and reply to your fans’ tweets, perhaps even send video responses. Include their name to make it that much more special. As we’ve said, engaging with your fans is a surefire way to keep your audience interested in your content and keep them coming back.