We’ve got posts galore with advice to help you take action and build your online presence and artist brand through social media marketing with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
Social media is one of the best promotion tools available to independent musicians. It’s free (mostly); it gives you worldwide reach; and it helps you interact with new and existing fans of your music. But managing half a dozen social profiles can also feel like a full-time job, especially when all you really want to do is pick up your guitar, hit the studio, or play your next show.
How to make the most of Facebook songwriting groups (or, stop ruining Facebook!) (March 2018)
Brent Baxter and Johnny Dwinell discuss strategies on how to behave as a member of Facebook songwriting groups. Excerpted from The CLIMB podcast, “STOP Ruining Facebook and Your Career.”
Five things to do before pitching your music to Spotify playlists (February 2018)
Getting your music on Spotify playlists can be difficult. Let’s start at the beginning and focus on the things you should have in place before you even start pitching your tracks.
Broadcasting live gigs – platforms for music broadcasts reviewed (February 2018)
Platforms for broadcasting live gigs include Facebook Live, Periscope, YouTube, YouNow, ConcertWindow, StageIt, and Gigee. They are not all created equal.
A musician’s guide to Instagram: Posting photos your fans will love (November 2017)
You don’t need professional experience or equipment to take photos your fans will love. This musician’s guide to Instagram gives you tips to get you started on the popular platform.
The musician’s guide to content marketing (November 2017)
“Content marketing” might not sound like fun, but it works, and many successful indie musicians use it (even if they don’t know it).
How to grow a SoundCloud fan base: Tips for emerging artists (October 2017)
SoundCloud is a fantastic tool for promoting your music, but success doesn’t happen overnight. Use these three steps to grow your SoundCloud fan base and build on your successes.
5 ways to grow your email list (October 2017)
Compared to other promotion tools, email gives you a much better chance of actually communicating with your fans. Here are five ways to grow your email list, even if you’re starting from scratch.
How to get the most out of SoundCloud (September 2017)
Thousands of new songs are uploaded and shared on SoundCloud every day. Here are tips to help you get the most out of SoundCloud.
8 Tips for Emailing Music Bloggers (May 2017)
When emailing music bloggers, there are a lot of factors that go into whether or not your emails get read. These best practices can improve your chances of getting noticed and taken seriously.
Getting started with Instagram Live (April 2017)
Here are six tips to get you started using the Instagram Live feature to its fullest.
Facebook Live broadcast: Our case study show and its aftermath (March (2017)
In Part 2 of this post, we take a look at a Facebook Live broadcast and detail the problems, the solutions, and the benefits Amanda Jones & The Family Band enjoyed.
Live streaming your show: A Facebook Live case study (March (2017)
Producing a successful live streaming event takes a lot more than a smart phone and a tripod. This two-part post features a Facebook Live case study from concept and rehearsal, to broadcast and analysis.
How to segment your email list (and get more fans opening your emails) (March (2017)
Everyone says you’ve got to build your email list if you want to be successful in today’s music industry, but most people I’ve talked to have had a less-than-great experience emailing their fans. These tips can help improve your email marketing.
Vlogging For Musicians: Setup and staging (October 2016)
Once you have the equipment you need, the next step toward video domination is staging and recording. Part 2 of our Vlogging For Musicians series focuses on setting up for a professional result.
Vlogging For Musicians: The equipment you’ll need (October 2016)
For music artists looking to build a brand for themselves online, videos can factor heavily into a music marketing plan. This is part one of a two-part post with advice about vlogging for musicians. Here, we take a look at the equipment you’ll need to build you video empire.
Five tips for writing better emails (September 2016)
While social media can play an important part in your music marketing strategy, emails are a great way to target your message, provide a specific call to action, and promote yourself to industry professionals. Here are five things you can work on to start writing better emails.
Facebook marketing from A to Z (July 2016)
You can spend a lot of time on social media and Facebook marketing. This post can help you better understand and focus on important indicators in your social media marketing efforts, from algorithms to zealots, and everything in between.
Online tools to help you manage the business of music (July 2016)
Read on for introductions to software and online tools that can help you better organize and manage the business of music, giving you peace of mind and more time to invest in your music.
Find the flow in your music promotion strategies (May 2016)
Success comes from the flow between your different music promotion strategies. Your social media growth, live performances, YouTube videos, email list, and music sales all funnel into and loop back to one another.
Six ways to promote your music (April 2016)
There’s no one strategy to promote your music and grow your fan base. Your music promotion should resemble a gearbox with different strategies working together to raise awareness.
15 music marketing mistakes indie artists make (March 2016)
Reaching fans is certainly easier in the digital age, but that doesn’t mean marketing is easy. Indie artists need to follow some basic marketing tenets if you want to make the most of your marketing efforts. Here are 15 of the biggest music marketing mistakes indie artists make.
How does Soundcloud promotion help your band? (January 2016)
More than just a streaming site, Soundcloud is a music-centric social network that helps to humanize the artist and focus on what’s important: the music.
7 ways your Twitter header can help market your music (December 2015)
Twitter may only allow you 140 characters, but the header image can be used for a host of music marketing initiatives. These twitter marketing tips can help build your artist brand and market your music and videos.
6 social media marketing tips for musicians (August 2015)
Social media is an integral part of most music marketing strategies. Implement these six tips, optimize your online presence, and you’ll be on your way to having a booming social media fan base.
Sell your story, sell your music (August 2015)
In your artist bio, and in all of your promotions, telling your story is a way to relate to your audience and hopefully help you connect on a more personal level.
Setting up a call to action on your Facebook artist page (July 2015)
Facebook marketing tip: With Facebook’s “Call to Action” button, you’re one click closer to converting fans to buy your CDs, merch, and tickets.
Career killing execution mistakes musicians make (March 2015)
When trying to take their career to the next level, there are common many musicians make. Keep these missteps in mind and you’ll stay on the path to success.
Create content to achieve your music career goals (December 2014)
Your online marketing strategy should include creating content that nurtures communication, engagement, and sales on your way to achieving your music career goals.
Online music marketing etiquette: tips for email, social, and YouTube (December 2014)
Good behavior and proper etiquette isn’t just polite practice for your online music marketing, it can help you achieve better results.
Six music promotion mistakes to avoid (December 2014)
Whether it’s failing to present a consistent brand, not pushing sales, or counting exclusively on social media marketing, these music promotion mistakes can derail your music career.
The musician’s social media checklist (October 2014)
Don’t get off on the wrong foot with your social media marketing. Do your research, make a plan, and connect with your target audience from the start.
Five things you can do to be better at social media marketing (October 2014)
Using a tour, album release, and other creative endeavors can help you stay engaged with your fans and followers in your social media marketing efforts.
How to measure success (with key performance indicators) (September 2014)
To keep you on a long-term path towards reaching your goals as a musician, you should have several ways to gauge the success of your music career and your music marketing efforts.
Six social media platforms you should consider using (March 2014)
These six social media platforms might not be the biggest of the bunch, but they’ll provide value in your social marketing efforts.
Four Good Reasons to Start a Musician Blog (September 2013)
A musician blog is often underutilized in an artist’s social media profile, but there are many good reasons to start and maintain a blog and build an online community.
Don’t Rely on Music Tastemakers – Be One! (July 2013)
Turning opinions into music recommendations can help you build a bigger music fan base.
Social Media Marketing – Redefining “Return on Investment” (February 2013)
Return on investment (ROI) doesn’t translate to social media marketing, as social media is not a sales tool. Let’s redefine ROI for a social media campaign.
A musician, writer, and marketer, Andre Calilhanna manages and edits the Disc Makers and BookBaby Blogs. Follow Andre on Twitter @dre_cal. Email him at andre@discmakers.com.
