The Independent Musician's Guide to Social Media

By Charles Holmes

If you had told me four years ago that my first job out of college would be running a company's social media, I would have laughed in your face. And yet, here we are: social media has permeated every level of society, from middle school hallways to corporate boardrooms.

The arts are no exception. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat have broken down barriers for artists in almost every field. But for all the good social media does—connecting musicians to fans, building brands, challenging gatekeepers—it can hinder as often as it helps.

As vital as social media is for an indie musician, it also takes time, dedication, and resources that many don’t have starting out. So to help independent and up and coming artists on their journey, here are some tips to make sure your social media presence stays on point.

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2. Don't think that you’re ever too good to respond to a fan.

Number 1 rule of social media: you’re not Kanye.

Only following your well-endowed wife on Twitter won’t cut it. In the beginning, every follower counts. If someone is willing to take out time from their busy schedule to respond to your inane ramblings, you’d better hit them back with the quickness.

Fans willing to follow you before the fame are the ones you want to cultivate. Chances are half of them will say you changed once that first Pitchfork review comes in, but the remaining few will always represent your core. No matter how potentially famous you think you’ll be one day, you're still starting at the ground floor in the beginning. Taking time to respond to your early supporters is what helps you gain traction later down the line.

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4. Do build a relationship before you slide into bloggers, critics, and publicists' DMs.

Nobody likes an opportunist. Music bloggers, writers, critics, and publicists are people, not favor machines. Phrases like, “Let’s build fam!!” don’t work. Very few people get satisfaction from hungry artists clogging their DMs and notifications with links to their latest single or music video. You don’t ask a girl out the minute you meet here. There has to be some type of finesse.

Instead of trying to immediately get a blog post as soon as an influencer hits you with the follow back, try sharing their content before you try pimping your own. Better yet, when you ask for that blog post over Twitter, get all of your fans to retweet and favorite your request. Numbers don’t lie. People are a lot more willing to believe in you if someone else does first.

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6. Don't buy followers.

7. Do share your personal life.

Pusha T’s dog and Drake’s dad have Instagram accounts. Before you laugh, CJ Thornton and Dennis Graham get more engagement on one Instagram post than your band probably gets in a year. As creepy as it sounds, your fans want to feel like they’re an intimate part of your life.

If you’ve ever listened to Pusha T, you most likely understand how cruel and unforgiving he could seem from his music. Watching King Push’s love for CJ Thornton, however, gives the Virginia MC a much-needed dose of humanity. Similarly, watching Dennis Graham stunt on the Gram gives Drake fans another peek at where Aubrey gets his undeniable charm.

Any new artist would do well to learn that people won't always care about what you have to say, but add a cute puppy or a goofy parent to the mix and you’ve basically won the internet.

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9. Or don't...

Sharing where you went and what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is all well and good for some artists, but it's not the only way. Musicians have been hiding behind veils of mystery for years, but, maybe to counter omnipresent smartphones and the internet, there seems to have been a recent surge in artists sharing very little about themselves.

If you go down that route, make sure you stay consistent, you can't be tweeting moody pictures of empty rooms and artful poems one day, and then be posting memes the next.

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11. Do avoid the money phone.

Fake flexing on IG and Snapchat is the worst. If you’re a new artist, no one believes that you’re throwing racks at the strip club every weekend, or that you’re a regular patron at The Spotted Pig. Instead of coming off as successful, you’ll generally be viewed as the lowest common denominator: an off-brand poser.

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13. Don't think you need to be on every social media platform.

14. Do have the same name for every account.

Don't be TRVPXLORD5 on Facebook, vvtraplordxxy on Twitter, and gangbang72 on Instagram. That type of inconsistency is as annoying as it is pretentious. If someone wants to follow you, have the decency to make it as easy as possible. While The Beatles didn’t have to worry about SEO, you do. Search engines, like people, are a lot more kind to those that show some type of consistency in their web presence.

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16. Don’t be afraid to Lil B yourself.

17. Do be familiar with analytics.

18. Don't post about your new song, video, and tour every 5 minutes

There is a fine line between social media and whoring. Your music shouldn’t be working the corner 9 to 5 looking for a retweet, favorite, like, comment, or reblog. Treat your newest song, video, tour, or major announcement like a delicate flower; its beautiful and won’t stand up to the brutality of the elements. In basic terms, put your music out there and see what happens.

Updating your audience about your latest banger once a week is better than once every other hour. Social media is way better at communicating your life then promoting it. Fans want to see what’s behind the music, not be told to listen to it.

Artists like Grimes and Tyler, the Creator are perfect examples of musicians that have used their emotionally vulnerable and wry humor to give fans another access to their art. This type of connection means more than simply selling your art as a product.

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20. Don’t think social media is everything.

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