One common tip that many music marketing gurus will tell you is that, in order to be successful on social media, you need to be “authentic” But what does that mean?
One of the first things to be aware of when you are going to use social media is that being authentic isn’t a tactic. If you look at your social media marketing as a tactic, you are going to fail. Why? Because it comes across as inauthentic instead of genuine.
Some common mistakes that we see are:
- Liking every single post that someone makes and leaving emojis. This is a common tactic that people use to try to get someone to notice them.
- Sliding into someone’s DMs with a compliment. Now, this isn’t ALWAYS a bad thing, but I would venture to wager that 99% of the time, when someone slides into your DMs with a compliment, it’s a tactic. Most of the time, you can tell the person who is complimenting you doesn’t really know anything about you and is just trying to get on your radar. It looks and feels fake.
- Constantly DMing people to ask how they are when you aren’t actually friends with them.
All of the above are common mistakes, but they can be fixed!
In order to use social media successfully, you need to keep the following in mind:
- The purpose of social media is to connect with other people. It’s not to sell, and it’s not to advertise. There is a time and place for both, for sure, but the main purpose and reason for being there is to actually talk to other people. Yes, you want to promote yourself, but that’s secondary. Remember, those usernames are actual people, just like you.
- People don’t like to be manipulated or used. If you’re going in there and trying to use all sorts of music guru “hacks” and “tactics,” you’re going to come across as extremely inauthentic, and people will start to avoid you.
- You need to be interested in other people. Take the focus off of yourself and try to focus on others. Don’t just spam out your own posts. Actually take the time to see what other people are doing and comment. But here’s the key: don’t comment and like things as a tactic. Only do this with things you are genuinely interested in. Why? Again, it comes off as tacky and manipulative when you just mass-like things to “get attention for yourself.”
The key lesson? Remember that when you’re using social media, you’re dealing with other people who have thoughts, feelings, and emotions, just like you do. You don’t like to be spammed, and neither do they. You don’t like to be used, and neither do they. Just remember that social media is best used and most successful when you use it free from tactics and are actually using it to build connections with others.
Some suggestions:
- If you hear a song you like, comment on the post or send a DM and let the person know that you actually enjoyed it. Don’t bother them beyond that. Just be real and let them know. It’s always nice when someone expresses appreciation.
- If you’d like to connect with an industry person don’t spam them, but instead, follow them on their socials. If they follow back, send them a DM saying hello and introducing yourself. However, don’t just start DMing them. Actually treat them like a real person and not as someone you’re just wanting something from.
Be authentic when you use social media and look at it as a tool to make real meaningful connections with people.