9 Pieces of Advice for Musicians on Social Media
A step-by-step guide to establishing and growing your social media presence
By Katie Philo

When I was growing up in the 90s, I had to write a letter to a distant PO Box or call in to a radio station to speak with my favorite musician. Now, you can slide into a DM or mention them with a few taps. Social media has become a place for artists and musicians to showcase their work, creativity and, ultimately, connect with their community. Establishing a presence on social media ultimately empowers artists. They have a direct line to their existing and new audiences, and power over their personal brand in new and exciting ways.

I’ve spent the last decade working in digital and social media for some of the biggest BBC brands, and most recently, Pitchfork. I’m currently a Senior Social Media Manager at Pitchfork, which ultimately means I work with a team to optimize and manage the music publication’s presence across an array of social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. As you can imagine, I really love music. And I wanted to share some of the knowledge I’ve gleaned during my time in social media and music, in case it can help you. Here are nine things to consider when getting started:

     1.    Be consistent with your handles, bios, and branding

First things first, people need to be able to find you easily. If possible, secure the same account name across multiple platforms so that people do not mistag you and that they can find you easily (and know it’s you). Get a clear photo, use your album or single art to clarify who you are, link to your website or Bandcamp (or wherever you want to send people). It might feel weird to think of yourself as a “brand”, but that’s ultimately what you’re building. If you can, select a username that very clearly states your name and could not be confused with anyone else.

     2.    Cast your net wide to begin

There are a lot of social platforms! And managing them can take a lot of time! So, it makes sense to figure out not only how much time you can spend managing these accounts, but also how you want to use them. From an SEO (what people find when Googling you on the internet) and audience expectation, I would recommend starting out on all the key social accounts (N.B. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), just to ensure you claim your usernames and can start establishing where the best place to connect with your audience is. Be sure to set up “professional” accounts where you can, to establish what the account is for (i.e. on Instagram, select “Musician/Band”). 

      3.    Get creative with your content 

It’s difficult to have a social media presence without content. You can assume that if someone is following you, they’re really into your music. And with the pandemic waning and live music returning, there are more opportunities for artists to get out in the world to capture content. Here’s some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Links to press coverage: Whether it’s a local or national story, show people where you’re being talked about! 
• Promoting upcoming shows: The people following you may live in a city you’re playing soon, and they’ll likely want to know about it. 
• Photos or videos from shows: Not everyone is at the stage in their career where photographers are a part of the show, but everyone has an iPhone or pretty good cameras at this point. Think about artistic friends or fans who might want to come shoot the show in return for some exposure… but make sure you have them credit where credit’s due in the caption.
• Photos or videos from the studio / wherever you make music: People love to see how things are made, so why not try breaking down a song or show how you achieved a specific sound.
• Parts of your life you feel comfortable sharing: Social media is all about connection and what makes us human. From morning routines, pizza with friends, or your very cute cat, don’t be afraid to show the things that make you human.
• Any exciting news or announcements: From upcoming releases or collaborations.  

     4.   Every platform is different, so treat them this way

It’s useful to think of each platform as its own entity, deserving of its own strategy and content. If you’re just starting out, I’d spend some time experimenting on each of the platforms to get some data and learnings behind what works for you and your audience. As a general rule:

Facebook: Audiences tend to skew a little older, but you also have the greatest scope for reach given that the majority of the population is on it. The algorithm can be tricky to navigate, so don’t overpost. Focus on the content that really matters. Less is more with Facebook, and I’d really focus on the highlights.

Twitter: It’s fast-moving and funny. Yesterday’s tweets are long forgotten and usually, people consume content in a more chronological, time-sensitive way. If one of your band is particularly hilarious, why not give them the reins to be witty?

Instagram: It’s a visual platform. Great videos and images are the holy grail. The feed is where you should share your best, more evergreen content (the algorithm means that some people might not see it for two days, and if you’re posting about a show that night… they might miss it). You can use Instagram stories for this more time-sensitive content, given that they expire in 24 hours. 

TikTok: It was originally a music platform and it’s full of creativity – it really is a natural home for artists and musicians. The audience tends to be younger, so it’s a great place to connect with Gen Z and show off a different side of your personality. 

       5.   Keep an eye on what is and isn’t working to fine-tune your strategy

Once you’ve been posting regularly for a few weeks, I’d recommend delving into the insights on each platform to work out what’s working. At this point, you might want to start defining your goals. Are you trying to drive sales or streams? Or are you building a community and looking for engagement? You can use these goals as a way to determine which platform has been doing that best for you. 

You could be investing time and resources into something that isn’t paying off, so get comfortable honing your strategy and content over time. There is no perfect posting cadence, and you’ll settle into your flow based on what you can put in and what you are getting out. And don’t worry, you don’t need to be a data analyst to assess the broad trends. You could simply keep an eye on post-performance by checking out how many comments or likes they get whenever you’re scrolling.

       6.   Be community focussed 

Social media is meant to be social after all, and we should never lose sight of this. It’s designed for people to have conversations, so make sure you start them and are a part of them too. Whether it’s asking for fans’ input on merch designs or for them to share their favorite photos from shows or engaging in lively debate about the best album from the 2010s, you’re building a community of like minds who have the opportunity to connect on your platforms. 

Many social media algorithms are designed around engagement in some capacity. The more engagement your posts get, the more people who are likely to see them. So every time you post, think about how your audience will relate to it. The secret to good engagement is knowing your audience and knowing what they care about, and therefore, want to talk about. Ask questions! Care about the answers! Be sociable! 

         7.   Collaborate with other artists to grow your exposure 

Growing your social presence can be challenging when you’re just starting out, in the same way, that growing the audience for your music can be. While you can follow all the best practices on social media, there are other ways you can give your accounts a boost. If you’re making music, the likelihood is you know other people making music too. Why not join forces and produce some content together? Whether it’s an Instagram live, tagging each other in Instagram stories, you’ll immediately gain exposure to their audience too (bonus if they have a large following).

Similarly, think of all the other accounts that could feature you or give you a shout-out. Whether it’s a local venue you’re playing or a local publication, be sure to tag them in your posts (so they can reshare), or provide them with photos and your username, in case they want to share. Social never sleeps and we all need content, so they will likely be very grateful to have some content sent their way. 

       8.   Think about other platforms, too 

It’s tempting to think of social media as the big four platforms, but in truth, there are lots of other platforms that brands have less of a presence on. Think about the other places you may find an audience. For example, Reddit and Discord are great places to foster a community and find others who share similar interests, however niche they might be. You definitely don’t want to add too many platforms into the mix, but be wary of putting all your eggs in the Meta basket. 

        9.   Have fun! And when it isn’t fun, it’s ok to hit pause. 

Being online can be hard, and sometimes you just need to hit pause for your mental health. Remember your worth is not defined by the number of likes you get on a post. As someone who has to spend an inordinate amount of time on social media as part of their job, I recognize the importance of drawing boundaries as a means of self-preservation. 

If you have an iPhone, you can set limits on the apps you spend time on, you could also a lot certain amounts of time each day to managing your accounts and then log off, you could also turn off notifications so you aren’t a slave to your phone… and if you’re feeling particularly bold, you could turn off your phone or delete the apps for a short while. People have become more comfortable expressing themselves online, and your audience will appreciate your authenticity and vulnerability if you tell them you’re taking a little break from social media. It’s meant to be fun and the biggest secret to success on social media is treating it this way.