Hello, 2025! Since I embarked on this journey of releasing my own songs as an indie musician, I’ve learnt quite a few skills I never thought I would need to have in my pocket.
Initially it was overwhelming. It was a steep learning curve for me but the knowledge I gained was huge.
I learnt how social media marketing thrives in a generation of people who are accessing screens more than ever.
It is precisely why any musician can benefit from tapping into the world of social media, and having your identity (and your music) reach out to a broader audience.
If you’re getting started and you have no idea or feel really trapped with so much information about how to market yourself with social media, you are not alone.
I’ve summarized 3 key areas for you to focus on as you get started successfully with social media marketing.
Identify Social Media Platforms
The key thing to remember is not every social media platform will work for you as different platforms have different target audiences.
It is also helpful to know your audience. Who is your targeted audience? Who are you trying to reach with your music or message about your music?
For example, TikTok targets fast and viral trending content as well as a younger audience, while Facebook has a broader audience ranging from 18 - 65+ adults.
If you’re overwhelmed, pick two to start with. I started with Facebook and Instagram, then slowly expanded my reach into TikTok with Youtube.
Here’s a quick snapshot of my 1 year journey in building followers:
Instagram: 50 to 420
Facebook (page): 5 to 280
Youtube: 15 to 135
TikTok: 0 to 70
As you can see, the growth for my TikTok account seems to be the slowest. I’m actually thinking of letting this one go, and work on growing my fanbase in the other three platforms as I have better engagement opportunities with my fans there.
It is a stark reminder that it takes time to build a fanbase, so don’t give up and don’t worry so much about numbers.
The people who really enjoy your content and getting to know you as an artist on social media, will follow and stick around. These are real, organic fans that you want to be attracting!
Once you’ve identified your platforms that you are going to use, ensure that you will show up consistently to share content and engage with your audience, which brings us to the next tip …
2. Plan and Batch Content
The one thing I really had to learn was how “Stories” and “Reels” functioned, and what their roles were.
Most importantly, I learnt that I didn’t need to be making the content at the moment I need to post it.
It is more effective to film (take videos) as you go about your work with your music in the week. Then, set one day in your week, to really sift through your library rolls to pick, choose, and edit.
After you’ve edited your reels, utilize the “Schedule” features in social media. They have been a lifesaver!
You can schedule reels or stories, and choose any time and day to automatically post them. By signing up with Meta Business, you can manage both Facebook and Instagram posts together.
That way, you are not constantly worrying in the week about what to post and free up more of your time to focus on what you love doing most - practicing and learning music.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help
I’m telling you this because I am really bad at asking for help. I’m always afraid to be a bother to friends and family.
I’ve learnt that it’s important to have an inner circle of people whom you trust and can easily talk to about your work.
Not everyone will understand what you are trying to achieve, or support you emotionally as you endure challenges.
As for the business aspect of things, if you need to offload some of the work such as content management, accounting, or promoting, there are many options available these days.
You can hire freelancers to help you with the work. You can also look into ads on social media that can help boost certain content if you have a specific goal, i.e. drive traffic to your website, engage with your reel, etc.
Summary
Social media can be overwhelming but it can also be rewarding in the age of digital marketing and business. Remember to keep an open mind, learn as you go, try everything and have fun with it.
It is important to be consistent once you start. When I was faced with serious health challenges, I went on a hiatus for a few weeks without posting, and my visibility and engagement suffered greatly. My Instagram account went from 5000 viewers to 1000 viewers in three weeks of zero activity.
When I started posting regularly again, I was able to recover to 3000 viewers in a span of two weeks. Consistency is key to keep your branding message visible! The algorithm is powerful and fast moving in today’s world!
Additionally, ensure that you are engaging with other musicians’ or your followers who comment. Someone took the time to leave a kind word and so be appreciative and reply, even if if’s just one person. You can’t expect people to like your stuff if you don’t respond and provide the same support to someone else!
Depending on your niche or genre, touring can be a very expensive option if your foundation and fanbase is still being developed, social media can be a positive outlet to improve your global presence as an artist.
Everyone starts with zero followers, zero likes and zero engagement. As they say, Rome was not built in a day!
And if you’re still overwhelm, get help with training. The best thing I did was find myself a marketing mentor who was a well-established musician herself. The knowledge gained was well worth it.
Workshop Coming Soon!
I will be presenting on this topic, Tapping into the Age of Social Media/Digital Marketing, at a music business workshop in collaboration with the Grande Prairie Music Teacher’s Association.
This workshop is focused on the music industry (specifically music teaching business) but it is open to anyone who is interested to learn in the community; musicians, photographers, creatives, artists, etc. The concepts apply to any creatives starting out on their own.
Coming to Grande Prairie this Spring 2025!
Stay tuned for the event date by joining my mailing list at the button below.
Still feeling stuck?
Are you needing more of a private and focused mentoring session?
I’m here to help with the nitty-gritty stuff or techie things in a safe and judgement-free space!
I can offer confidential one-on-one coaching in anything you’d like to know about growing your music business or releasing your own music, pitching to radios, and promoting them yourself.
Let’s chat about your goals here :)
Esther has successfully recorded and released 3 songs and 1 piano composition, all on her own.
If you're interested to learn more about Esther's original songs, visit this page.
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