10 Social Media Tips for DIY Musicians

09 Mar 2016

The nuts-and-bolts of promoting your music with social media

It’s a busy life, being a DIY musician. Amidst all the booking, touring, songwriting, snapping Instagram photos, and hunting for mandolin strings at 11pm, it’s easy to forget the basics of social media marketing — or at least conveniently ignore them when your schedule is full.

So here’s a checklist of social media musts every musician should live by:

1. Respond to every comment —

Someone’s taken the time to engage with you; they deserve your attention.

2. Make sure your website is social-friendly —

Does your website make social sharing easy? If not, download one of the plug-ins that enables share buttons (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, G+, etc.).

3. Customize your social profiles —

Take the time to add compelling profile images, background images, bios, etc.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in the real world —

Your family, friends, and existing fans are the ones who can help you spread the word early on.

5. Don’t confuse your personal profiles with your band profiles —

Make sure to double check that your latest Instagram photo of a smashed guitar is going to your band page and band Twitter feed.

6. Reward frequent interaction —

Offer prizes or have a “fan of the week” title for people who regularly interact with you through social media and share your content.

7. Post consistently —

You don’t necessarily have to tweet or post something on Facebook every day (though it never hurts!) — but avoid long dormant stretches.

8. Remind people to follow you via social media —

Make sure to put social media follow buttons on your website too.

9. Have a conversation —

Don’t just promote your music non-stop. Engage with other folks you admire.

10. Don’t autopost everything —

While it’s ok to use the autopost method occasionally, try to make an effort to give each of your social media audiences a little something different.

Read the full article by Chris Robley at CDBaby.com.