By: Zach Goodchild
Intern Extraordinaire
Today we’re taking a little tangent into the world of music as Zach, our Intern Extraordinaire, applies social media and online branding as it relates to the music industry. Enjoy!
In the current music business landscape, it’s never been a better time to be an independent musician and have the ability to reach your fan base and appease the masses. Want to release one song every week to build up anticipation for an up and coming project you have been working so hard on? How about delivering a mind-blowing music video or a behind the scenes look at your recording process to help promote your new single? What are you waiting for?! GO FOR IT! Websites like SoundCloud and of course, YouTube provide musicians with free promotion. Your career is ultimately in your hands with all of the available resources in the land of the Internet.
Musicians have to be multifaceted with their work and careers, or at least have a team behind them that can maintain and provide assistance on the digital end. Properly utilizing a Facebook fan page, and your official Twitter account is going to keep your current fan base engaged, help attract the new fans you desperately need, and more importantly, keep you relevant in your respected genre. When fans can see that you respond to their questions, engage in conversation and are accessible, they are more inclined to pay attention and receive your material on a consistent basis and in the long run, possibly even purchase your music when its for sale in the iTunes store or on the shelves at Best Buy. (The same is true for businesses!) Musicians have the ability to cross promote new music, videos and promoting future shows and events all through their social networks. You share it, and the fans will share it as well. It’s all about paying it forward, folks.
I reached out to one of my peers to get his take on this topic. He is a person with a passion for the music business, and has a strong stance when it comes too engaging with a current and new fan base. I bring in the people’s champ, Ben Witherspoon, founder of Your Next Fan and music consultant based out of Orlando, Florida. Ben states “The Internet has made it easy for musicians to share more media than ever before. Social media marketing is at the forefront for most musicians when it comes to fan engagement. From the biggest artists in the world like Jay-Z, to the kid sitting in his dorm room writing lyrics, nearly every artist has social media as a priority in their marketing plan. And the best part about social media? It’s free! Sure it takes time to develop strategy and to keep your sites updated, but social media can be done without having a large effect on musician’s shrinking marketing budgets. Musicians have to go where their fans are, and their fans are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Tumblr and Vine.”
So by now, you should have a clear understanding of the message I am delivering here. I hope this has provided you with that spark to get things moving on your digital and social image. As I wrap things up I leave you with this… Musicians, find ways to build and keep relationships, use the available resources to your benefit, continue to hustle and share your gift and talents with the world. Nobody ever said it would be easy, you’re on the road less traveled; try to have at least one thing that makes sense… your digital image.
Until next time, this is Zach, signing off.