Social media seems to be the only way most of us are marketing. All of us seem to be under the assumption that Hollywood was right, and just because we are talented (and the protagonist of our story), we will put out music and the world we do one of these.
That’s not how the world works, though!
Did you know that only around 10% – 20% of your followers actually see your posts? Check out this well-written article from “Causely.”
If you frustrated that you’re not getting more interaction, this is why!
So how do we get to that other 90%? Well, you have to pay, of course! Duh. But all of this can get super expensive, super fast. We are on a budget, working the barista wage to make our creative ends meet. But for $365 a year, you’ll be able to reach most of the people following you.
Haha, that sentence makes it seem like such a racket. But I have to remember, setting up these accounts is free and social media is HANDS DOWN the best way to reach people in 2020, although texting and email list should be utilized as well. As obnoxious as they can be, they work.
Should you promote every single post you create?
No. But through this simple trick, you can spend your money wisely.
This idea came directly from the CEO of Disc Makers. It’s a brilliant idea, and everyone should be doing it! The full video is linked here.
Here’s the formula, over three days post three different photos, or videos, or flyers and see which one gets the most traction. Then promote the most liked post for a dollar a day! It’s easy, your fans have chosen it for you!
Take note of which posts attract the most likes. Was it a video? Start making more of those. If it’s a picture of your face with very little text, start cranking out material like that! Part of your job as an artist is to work on marketing, this is what a PR team would do for you!
Mix it up with each post
On each post, make it unique in the wording to see which sticks with everyone the most.
Be specific with your call to action
Make sure you’re directing your followers towards something. Maybe it’s your website, or a to like your profile, or you’re sending them to your song (or product) Be specific with your direction and what you want them to do.
who is your audience?
You can set a specific demographic to push towards. There are a lot of benefits to doing this. Right off the top of my head, if you were touring a new area, you could promote in that area to your typical demographic. Maybe that would be Men around the age of 18-24? Idk?! Whatever you think works for you.
If you choose automatic, the algorithm targets people like your followers, the followers of your followers. It’s usually the easy (and right) choice, most of the time you should choose this!
You can put more than a dollar a day, but at first, I wouldn’t do more than that! Right now, we’re just trying to figure what our fans like! Later on, we should be putting more into what we’re posting.
Remember the 50-50 rule. Whatever money you put into creating something, you should be putting that much into marketing. I know that sounds expensive, but it takes money to make money, yo!
In summary, if you’re not paying for your fans to see it, they do not see it. I know that sucks, but that’s where we are now! Keep smacking it out of the park, keep posting and finding ways to reach people, make real connections, and I promise you that people will notice, and you’ll see growth!
Also remember, the bigger a fan you are of others, the more fans you will gain. It’s the golden rule of local music.
Dean Nelson 