Written by Matt.

Budding, growing, and successful artists use social media and digital marketing as one of their key promotional efforts. Ever since the dawn of social media, back in 2004 with MySpace, it has been the go-to for artists. People like Lily Allen, Kate Nash, and Justin Bieber all launched their career from good social media marketing.

The main reason this source of marketing is so widely used is that it is free. Kids in Glass Houses used it to great effect to go from small-time band to full-blown global superstars because MySpace became their marketing tool.

With the rise in popularity, it is harder to make an impact though. But not impossible. There are still new artists growing and making waves. Les Fo’plafonds spring to mind as a band making waves in the new era. 

Social is now less about content, more about originality. 

Back when it was less popular, the key to Social Media was to just be there. Show your face and you’d get attention from anyone. Now because the platforms are all so saturated and these places are just pure content factories with clickbait titles (Hello, Tasty) to play on algorithms you need to think outside the box. 

What really grabs attention in the modern age isn’t whether you can sing or not, yes that comes into play, but it’s about whether you can bring unique talents to the world too. That’s what matters to people. Do you play the guitar? So do thousands of others. It’s not original enough. 

Two examples I like to showcase for this unique spin on taking something talented and turning it into something eye-catching. Vinheteiro, who takes playing the piano to new, and occasionally creepy, levels by staring into the camera and riffing on some well-known songs and Ten Second Songs who shows off his vocal talents by taking songs and making some pretty awesome covers in different styles.

I’m not suggesting everyone do this, but it’s important to think about what you can bring to an overused topic on social. Lots of people can sing, but what do you bring that’s original? 

Playing fair with others to widen your reach

Social Media is named very literally. It’s a medium of communication that is social, it enables you to interact with the medium in a way you wouldn’t be able to with TV and Radio. A lot of people forget this aspect in the modern era of social media but as a fledgling artist, this is sometimes “make or break” as the saying goes.

Grouping together for duets, online concerts, and other joint activities doesn’t mean you lose fans. When done correctly and effectively it combines several fanbases with a shared interest in the genre, creating a larger fanbase for each contributing artist.

Celebrating others successes and working together is a key driver to success, not just in the music industry but other industries too. Brands are quickly cottoning onto this and as a result, we are seeing more of them jump on this bandwagon. 

There are also things on Twitter, where you can join group #chats. In the UK there are loads of local chats, #HandmadeHour is one that I see most often. But music-related ones will exist and will help get you involved with others and grow your name, or brand, it’s important. 

Utilizing networks geared towards creativity

It is an immediate reaction when you think about creating a social media presence you aim for those that are most popular, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. But there are many more niche communities around that you should also consider.

Soundcloud, for example, is known for being popular with the rap community. But there is a bigger community of other artists littered throughout this network that would give you exposure and you won’t need to do much.

These networks exist across the internet, designers have Behance, artists come together on DeviantArt, it’s smart to find somewhere you can build your own niche community and get supported by fellow musicians. 

Momentum and activity 

There is nothing more annoying to me than someone name squatting. It happens a lot on social media where someone will sit on a specific username because its cool, unique, or related to something you want to do and then leave it dormant. 

Artists will do this on networks they never intend to use to keep safe, but in all honesty, it isn’t required. In the modern era of social media with verification and other means of assuring fans of “fake news” there is no need to sit on accounts. 

This rant has a point though when you create a social media account the one thing you need to do is remember to use it. Creating an account and putting out a couple of posts then forgetting about it does you no favours and loses trust more than gains it. 

Overall, the main key to marketing is momentum. The good brands you see keep news and activity flowing, you will always see the Coca Cola or McDonald’s brands out doing things. Even if you are small it’s important for you to do the same. Don’t let people forget you are putting out new music, getting involved with others in communities, and continue making noise. It does get you noticed. 

Many thanks to Matthew Chapman who manages marketing for small and medium-sized enterprises. Please visit his personal blog: eightbitmatt.xyz