[forth_loft]

Hey guys!
So... I am interested in your opinions on using social media to make your music popular. I have been seeing some young people achieving a lot from starting a Youtube channel or other social media platforms, not necessarily starting from music, but from something else and then make the transition, after already having a broader fanbase. My question is- Do you think this is the right approach to use? Also, what do you think can be done to help in building yourself as a musician and/or a brand? I want to do it but I don't know where I should start from...

[Boydie]

I have quite strong views on this topic based on lots of academic study and experience of business, marketing, digital marketing, sales, the music industry

Also, what do you think can be done to help in building yourself as a musician and/or a brand? I want to do it but I don't know where I should start from...

The first thing I would say is that there are lots of tried and tested techniques used in mainstream marketing that can be easily replicated (and enhanced) for social media so I my first piece of advice would be to not "re-invent" the wheel and don't try to come up with a plan on your own

Spend a bit of time doing some research in to some of the "tools & techniques" being used by others - and I don't mean just other musicians/bands but also look at the big product brands (Coca Cola, Apple etc.) and then how some of their smaller competitors compete with them

Some the approaches/concepts may even be considered a bit "cliché" but the basics still work

I would, however, say that the single most important thing is having AMAZING songs - songs so amazing that people will go out of their way to share with others - this is how social media can work for you

An "ok" song performed in an "ok" way will not achieve this

An amazing song performed on a mountain top or whilst falling from an airplane (with a parachute) may prompt people to share with their friends

There are lots of things you can do to support/promote your song(s) but IMHO the SONG itself and the performance needs to be AMAZING

[Martinswede]

Hi!

Regarding your question about building a fan base I'd say it's important to identify the primary product. If A does X and then starts doing Y instead, the people who like A might stay, but the ones who liked X will go somewhere else.

I suggest you ask yourself how you consume music. How you find new music you like and tap into that mind set. How would you discover yourself. What marketing strategies do you 'fall' for? Of course this won't relate to statistics but the point is just to get those thoughts going.

Martin

[forth_loft]

I fully agree with you. There is nothing wrong with going through the path that someone else has already been. That's a good idea- to look at what I am interested and apply the same techniques but as an artist. Thanks guys

[cowparsleyman]

Boydie talks a lot of sense.

You have to start off with not just good songs, but fantastic songs, that people will gladly part with their hard earned cash, then you have to decide what is successful, quantify what you are prepared to do to get there, often nowadays bands get told exactly what they can expect from fame, fortune, commitment, how it feels to have a different relationship with friends, I would encourage you to listen to Ed Sheeran on Desert Island Disks, he reveals a bit of what it's like.

The pedigree of fame and fortune isn't a good one I'm afraid to say. It's also something that you can't give back when you don't like it anymore.

If you are really successful then you end up letting lots of people down, Korea wants you, but so does LA, and Germany, Japan...

You can get there but it helps if you have all the support, the marketing, advertising, promo/merch, radio/TV airtime, not just in the UK, if you play Country then you might need to tour the southern USA, that costs a shed load of wallop, and if you haven't sold any units, then you have to borrow it against future sales etc.

But first you need songs that are brilliant, and an image that suits the music, and that people can relate to in any language, you whole persona needs to be a cross between a brand and a Hook, and companies will treat you as such.

hope this helps

cpm





 

[Boydie]

But first you need songs that are brilliant, and an image that suits the music, and that people can relate to in any language, you whole persona needs to be a cross between a brand and a Hook, and companies will treat you as such.

I really like this paragraph - understanding and accepting this is a big step

[RealKevM]

Hey guys!
So... I am interested in your opinions on using social media to make your music popular. I have been seeing some young people achieving a lot from starting a Youtube channel or other social media platforms, not necessarily starting from music, but from something else and then make the transition, after already having a broader fanbase. My question is- Do you think this is the right approach to use? Also, what do you think can be done to help in building yourself as a musician and/or a brand? I want to do it but I don't know where I should start from...

Interesting thread.
Take a look at Damian Keyes Youtube channel, this guy is spot on when it comes to marketing yourself on social media

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Cross marketing has potential and it's tempting to do that to lure in listeners of your music, just need to be careful you don't alienate one from the other to the viewer if that makes sense. Perhaps varied videos/content related to your music such as regular video logs, asking questions to engage viewers. Competitions are always popular, you don't have to give away anything expensive, it could be to design the artwork for your next release for example.

In this day and age good social media is a must, Youtube is the second largest search engine behind Google. Instagram is insanely popular, Twitter and Facebook are also great tools for getting your music and persona out there.