Social Media and Public Relations For Artists and Musicians

You need to make the most of your time spent marketing yourself and your music. Ideally, you eventually want to have someone handling this task for you

That person can:

 

• Write news releases (on project releases, events, collabs with other artists;
• Handle your social media presence and posts;
• Deal with media wanting interviews with you;
• Set up media opportunities locally and across the country;
• Coordinate media in cities where you perform;
• Arrange photo shoots

First Step SoundCloud, Next Step the World

Many artists start out by putting up tracks and clips on SoundCloud or Bandcamp. You may be at the point where you want to go all-in and do a larger, targeted release of a project. Along with the release of the project, you will want to consider expanding your horizons on social platforms, even if you already have accounts on Instagram, SnapChat, etc.

 

To build up a base of passionate followers and get your own “hive,” you need to have an understanding of the in’s and out’s of social media. The key for your success here is “when,” not “if” to get involved with social fore you and your projects.

 

Why social media and PR matter so much for the success of your brand as a musician 

 

Let’s be clear: social media isn’t some sort of magic wand for musicians – getting you instantly on The Breakfast Club, Ebro, or on T.I.’s podcast. Social is very important and you have to be strategic about what you put out and how you build your audience

 

Being smart and strategic about your social presence is probably the best way to grow your audience and fill space at your gigs and get you noticed.

 

Think about it…

 

Your audience is most likely glued to social media already.  You may not know this but Instagram has passed a billion active users, and Facebook (although the audience is older) has more than two billion daily active users.These numbers blow the likes of SoundCloud and Bandcamp out of the water. This isn’t knocking how you may have started on those platforms, it is just realizing there are more people out there to reach.

What is PR and do you really need it in today’s market?

The short answer is, yes! There is still a place for traditional public relations in getting in front of audiences and potential fans you want to reach.

The numbers say fewer and fewer people are actually watching TV the way they used to. Now, people are used to getting their news and information on their terms. People want to discover (or find) a new artist or new personality, instead of being told what to like.

There are still plenty of blogs, entertainment newspapers, podcasts, and video blogs to take advantage of and you need to be on the most important platforms, no matter where they might be.

Here are some tips on public relations:

• Target non-traditional outlets like, blogs, YouTube shows, alternative publications, along with the ones you would normally think of.
• Coordinate the release of a project long in advance so you can position yourself on e-programs {blogs, vlogs, podcasts) timed with an upcoming project release.
• Target alternative media in front of performance in cities you are touring. For example, if you are performing in a city, time media outreach in that city 10 days before the performance.
• Use social media to let fans know about your release/tour and loop them in as soon as possible.

Did you know YouTube is technically the most popular music streaming service right now, beating out Spotify and Apple Music? Make sure you’re set with how to promote your music on YouTube can help make sure you’ve got visibility on the best channels. And of course, make sure you have your own YouTube channel and it is optimized for keywords, tags and all of the bells and whistles that make it go viral.

 

An optimized social presence can project your status as a professional. In an industry where competition is so cutthroat, having professional and optimized profiles lets people know you’re serious and professional.

The goal with social and PR is to stand out from the crowd. This means putting yourself out there more than you probably already are. 

 

Start by optimizing your profiles

When someone looks you up, they’re more than likely going to find your social profiles on Google or through Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, or Twitter.

 

That’s why it is important to have a clean, optimized profile on each platform.

 

Before worrying too much about content or creative touches, you need to ensure that your profiles tick the following three boxes:

• Make your profile or bio link count by always pointing to your latest promotion (think: new song, album, tour or merch)
• Your profile pictures and covers are the right size
• Make sure all your profile information is accurate and up-to-date 

 

Don’t neglect valuable page real estate such as your cover photos, too. If a professional vibe for your profile, without hiring a designer, don’t worry. There are a lot of tools out there like Canva to help you create your own banner, Facebook cover page, tour announcement and everything else.

Now that your profile is optimized, there’s still the issue of content.

How do you keep your social feeds active with fresh photos, videos, and stuff for your followers?

 

Keep your followers looped in

Don’t worry about doing too much self-promotion. That’s what social media is all about.

Don’t be shy about whatever is new with you and your world.

New project? New release? Did you just do a collab with someone?

Let your fans know and encourage them to share!

 

Show off yourself doing your thing

 

When people follow a band or an artist on social media, it’s because they want to feel like they are on the inside.

 

If you’re playing shows, or in the studio, or just doing whatever, let your followers in.

 

Also remember your fans can be a great source of content themselves.

 

Tag brands, venues and other musicians

 

It’s no secret tagging is a way to instantly increase the visibility of your posts on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

It never hurts to tag others in your posts, where appropriate. 

 

Interact with your fans

 

This might seem like a no-brainer, but don’t overlook the importance of going back-and-forth with fans.

Maybe they love your new song. Maybe they have a question about your latest merch.

Either way, responding shows you’re listening to them. While it might not be a big deal to you, shout-outs can make fans feel more engaged in the long-run.

Make YouTube a top priority

 

Let’s talk about YouTube.

While you might not think of YouTube as a traditional social network, it’s an insanely active community.

 As I said earlier, YouTube is the number one place where people stream music, even over Spotify, Pandora and a whole slew of other services combined.

 And, it’s not even close.