.png){kind=logo}
Social Media is all sorts of complicated and confusing. At the same time, it is expansive and powerful. For an artist of any caliber, even something as simple as having an active Instagram account that posts once a week can be a great tactic for spreading awareness and gaining some traction. Whether you are starting out, building up, or just looking for some momentum, social media has the power to provide the one thing every artist needs: exposure. And for free.
However, managing a social media account can be daunting. Even for a creative, an artist, an innovator, or some combination of the three, constructing a social media post and an eventual social media plan isn’t totally straightforward and effortless. But it doesn't have to be such a chore. Think of a social media account—whether it be a Facebook page or Instagram profile—as a living, breathing organism that needs regular attention and nourishment. If you neglect it, it won’t grow. If you nourish it, it will flourish—and your exposure will expand alongside it.
An optimized presence on social media can set you apart and highlight your professionalism. The glory of social media—being that anyone can harvest its powerful potential—is also one of its most pervasive obstacles. When you create a profile (personal or business), you are competing against the billion other active users on Instagram, the two billion other users on Facebook, the 400 million other Snapchat users, so and on so forth… you get the picture. That being said, there are right ways and wrong ways to grow your social presence. If that's overwhelming, don’t stress—outlined below are some best practices to kick start your social media presence.
1. Be consistent.
Use consistent profile images, names, handles, and overall tone across platforms. From something as small as an Instagram profile photo to the overall voice of your posts,
this helps highlight your branding and will allow you to be recognizable on any platform.
2. Establish a posting plan.
Create a social media calendar that outlines the frequency at which you will post on each platform. A safe way to start out is by posting twice to three times a week on Instagram and sharing these posts on Facebook. Don’t post too often OR too rarely. There is a balance.
3. Be YOU.
Create unique content specific to what you are doing. Your followers don’t want to see more of the same. Whether this means writing a weekly blog post updating followers on your latest news, creating consistent YouTube videos, or posting behind-the-scenes Instagram photos, be sure to keep people in the loop about YOU-specific news.
4. Remember that social media interaction flows two ways.
Being active doesn’t just mean posting a lot of photos or videos. It also includes interacting with your fans and other artists. You can respond to fans’ comments or tag the brand of your instruments in your posts. Either way, tags, hashtags, locations, and highlights will help increase engagement and direct traffic to your page.