Continuing from last week’s “Part I”, this article delves further into a number of effective strategies for networking online. Focusing predominantly on social media, below are tips and tricks for increasing your engagement and meaningful interactions. Please note, as explored across these posts, these activities and strategies require time, effort and consistency in order to yield the best results. Try to avoid making comparisons with larger bands or those who appear to have garnered immediate success overnight. It is usually not the full story, as the hard work, connections and financial input is typically not shared publicly.
Most individuals and social media users are very aware at this point that each social media platform has its own algorithms and that these can change over time. It is not unusual to find that a tried and tested method may become less effective when a platform implements changes. It is necessary, therefore, to be aware of this and be able to adapt. If a once impactful method no longer carries the same results, don’t be afraid to try something new. The suggestions below are useful places to start and provide easily implementable practices. This list is not finite, and you may discover and develop your own strategies over time.
Enhancing Engagement
Make use of each social media platforms’ features. For example, Instagram’s ‘Collaborator’ tool is a great way to have your content viewed by wider audiences – why not collaborate with your photographer or videographer on posts? This is a great way to support them and showcase their work, as well as increasing your reach. Connecting with fellow bands in your local scene or beyond for a series of posts sharing each other’s music can also be effective.
Interact with music journalists and other industry professionals. As discussed in last week’s article, always present yourself professionally when interacting with others and be respectful. Engaging with posts from industry professionals, and sharing genuine, relevant comments can be a useful way to get your name out there.
Find any relevant fandoms and engage with them. Once again, linking back to *who* your audience is, engage with those in relevant fandoms, communities or shared themes that overlap with your band.
Engage with other bands and artists. Connect with those in your local area, but also interact with bands and artists who you are a fan of, those who influence your own music or who you admire. Finding bands similar to you in terms of genre or concept can also assist in helping you grow your own audience by engaging with them. Remember, keep it authentic. If you cannot think of anything genuine to comment, it is best not to.
Ask friends and family to interact with, comment on and share your posts. This may seem simple, but it’s an easy way to boost your social media algorithms. Consider also connecting with other artists by supporting each other through engaging with and sharing each other’s content.
When active online, there are a few aspects to be mindful of. News topics can often operate like trends on social media. Be careful if you choose to engage with them and ensure you are obtaining information from a reliable source to avoid spreading any false news. Negative topics, both global and personal, can sometimes be relevant to share, however, again, exercise caution as too much negativity can be off putting. For many people, social media is used as a means of escapism. Do not be tempted to buy followers or engagement. It is at best ineffective and at worst reputation damaging. Choose instead to invest in your art and professional marketing and PR services.
This article seeks to demonstrate some of the simple activities that can be undertaken in the here and now to help begin to boost your engagement, and increase your audience growth. There will be elements of trial and error. Be aware that you may need to be consistent with your engagement for a short period of time before seeing more noticeable change. Don’t be discouraged if the results are not instantaneous, that is an unrealistic expectation. Consistency and time is most important for success.
Read the previous articles in this series:
i. “Taking Your Music To The Next Level”
ii. “Putting Your Best Foot Forward”
iii. “Making Connections: Part I”
If you are interested in our hybrid marketing and PR services, find more information available HERE. For any C Squared inquiries please get in touch with Cori (corinne@csquared.info) or Curtis (curtis@csquared.info) to discuss how we can help.