So we asked readers about how they have used social media – Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc. – to promote music. Here is the first response in the series:
What is your name and position?: Isha Edwards, Brand Marketing Consultant
What is your band/or company name?: EPiC Measures LLC www.epicmeasures.com
What tips do you have to help musicians develop a social media following? : Two tips artists should consider when building a fan base via social media: 1. Do not launch selfish campaigns and 2. Narrow your target audience.
Oblivious to most fans is the fact that they are 100 percent responsible for providing an artist with financial, and therefore professional and social leverage to succeed. Artists take heed: Don’t blow this natural crowd sourcing-type opportunity by making fame and numbers (albums sold, hits to website, followers/friends on Twitter, FaceBook, and MySpace or YouTube subscribers) your primary objectives. If your goal is longevity, product quality outweighs quantity as does relationship-building, i.e. connecting with fans.
Contrary to popular opinion, number of fans does not automatically equal number of sales. In fact these days, even mainstream artists have more fans than album sales—how much more for indie artists?
Unlike air and water, all music genres are not universal. Therefore, know and pitch to your primary, secondary and alternative target audiences often. Create a comprehensive, brand-driven marketing plan that aligns with your target audiences–not music industry standards. This will ensure that you are differentiating your product and can readily stand out in a market where supply exponentially outweighs demand.
Can you give examples of creative uses of social media, specifically blogs, Twitter, MySpace and Facebook?: Successful artists effectively connect with their fans. Their creativity is in the product:music, performance, presentation, etc.(see response above).
Has this resulted in music or ticket sales?: Yes
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