SOCIAL MEDIA TACTICS THAT WORK
Know Your Fan Base
You need to know “who” your fans are, what they like and what they think. If you hope to use social media effectively, you need to analyze your base––because fan bases are not all the same. It takes different methods of communication and marketing to appeal to different bases.
Choose The Right Social Network
Not all social networks are the same. And, some fan bases prefer one over the other. By knowing your fans, you can choose a social media site that is relevant to your brand, fans and music.
Share a Compelling Story
Fans don’t just want to listen to your music––they want to know about you as well. Although talking about your art is fine, don’t stop there. Take them behind the scenes. Tell them what inspired the lyrics to a song; examine issues that resonate with you; reveal some of your quirks (especially if they’re funny); and, don’t forget hobbies or jobs that might surprise them. If you’re as creative with your fan communications as you are with your music, you’ll bond with them.
Give Fans an Experience
Successful artists offer something greater than just their new music––they offer a new and personal experience not available anywhere else. It may be added-value packaging, or even some one-on-one time. Give it thought and find out what your fans enjoy.
Make Fans Feel Special
Everyone likes to be treated like a VIP. Invite a select number of fans to share some time with you. Show them how a show is put together or a song is recorded. Make them feel like they’re part of something special and they will help you succeed.
Embrace Change
The music business is evolving, and almost every day some new technological advance appears. Sure, change can be intimidating but it can also present new opportunities. So keep up with the latest developments––especially regarding the music industry––and see where they might lead you. Who knows…you might even become a visionary.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FACEBOOK ADS
Facebook Ads encourage people to Like your FB page and become a fan.
1. The ads are easy to set up and priced to fit any budget.
2. The ads can target people based on location, interests,
age and gender.
3. There are two main options: (a) “Get More Likes”––available for relatively new pages, and (b) “Build Your Audience”––for larger pages.
The amount you pay depends on how many people you want to reach. You choose the max amount you want to spend each day.
4. A bigger budget will reach more people. Example: $5 = 3 to 24 Likes daily; $10 = 5 to 47 Likes daily; $20 = 11 to 95 Likes daily. NOTE: the number of Likes is an estimate.
5. You can run your ad continuously or choose an end date,
and you can stop whenever you want.
SOCIAL MEDIA 411
Social Networks
(List of 100+ sites with description, number of users and global ranking) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites
Virtual Communities with Over 100 Million Active Users
(20 of the top sites in the world) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_virtual_communities_with_more_than_100_million_users
Hottest Social Networks
http://music3point0.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-hottest-social-network-today.html
Twitter Engagement Tips
http://www.quicksprout.com/2013/12/06/how-to-increase-your-twitter-engagement-by-324/
YouTube and Music
http://music3point0.blogspot.com/2014/04/youtubes-affect-on-music-business.html
SOCIAL MEDIA ABUSE
1. You’re Not Socializing on “Social” Networks
Unfortunately, way too many artists ignore the “social” half of the name and, instead, act like spammers. Using social media as a means of self-serving promotions kills any chance of engagement. You need to engage with fans instead of harassing them with hype, links and relentless sales pitches.
2. You’re Swayed by the Wrong Metrics
Your “likes,” “followers” and “views” mean nothing if they don’t translate into real results. Instead focus on: (a) Your mailing list; (b) How many people you meet at your shows; (c) How many actually buy a CD or other merchandise. You need to convert folks into fans. If you have 1,000 fans who spend just $50 a year, you will have a nice business with a decent income.
3. You Post the Same Content on All Networks
Different social media sites attract different people. People who use Twitter are different from people who use Facebook, and people who use Google+ are not like the others. Additionally, different sites have different interfaces—what looks good on one site may look terrible on another.
4. You Post Too Much
Posts should encourage engagement. Indeed, one good post that generates comments, likes, shares or retweets is golden, whereas countless posts that get zero (or very few) responses are not only a waste of time, they can also hurt you. Posting too often can adversely affect your engagement level, credibility and reach—and may be dealt with severely by FB’s News Feed algorithm.
5. You Buy Numbers
Social media is about community building. You want a community of “true” fans who will support you. Buying likes, followers or views might enhance your metrics, but it won’t replace the power of having true fans. If you have 5,000 likes/followers but no one is liking, sharing or commenting on your posts, there is no value to those numbers and everyone will know it.
THE PROS AND CONS BUYING POPULARITY
Today you can buy any metric that relies on numbers, including Likes, Views, Friends, Followers. But, there are pros and cons involved. Below are a few to consider.
PROS
You’ll Get Instant Credibility & Gratification
If you created a new Facebook page, YouTube channel or Twitter account, the temptation to buy “Likes,” “Views” or “Followers” may be strong. It can give your online presence a quick boost. And, seeing your numbers explode overnight can be a real rush, and even give you credibility––for a short period of time.
It’s Easy & Inexpensive
You can buy hundreds of Likes, Views, Friends, or Followers for less than $10. For just a few bucks more you can generate thousands. Depending on your moral scale, it could be viewed as low-risk, high-reward.
CONS
It’s Not Sustainable
The majority of numbers purchased are not real people, and you can’t sustain a fake population. Unless you have a plan, a phase two, that attracts “real” fans you will never gain traction. Additionally, FB has become diligent in tracking fake accounts and disables them, which means your numbers can disappear.
Your Efforts Will Be Wasted
Social media is only valuable if your fan base is real and engaging with you. Without a genuine online audience there are no benefits or gains.
Engagement Will Suffer
Fake accounts do not engage. As such, engagement metrics will suffer if a large percentage of your fan base is purchased.
You Can Get in Trouble
There are a lot of scams involved in buying numbers and it could cause serious problems for you. Additionally, FB notes a resulting lack of engagement, which can adversely affect your News Feed. Moreover, industry execs and pros are on to the trick––they know the system can be gamed––and look for disconnects (like little or no engagement). Lastly, if you’re employed and your employer finds out that you purchased numbers, you could be fired.
