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Instagram

Jul 08
Love3

20+ Tactics for Musicians to Beat Social Media Algorithms in 2023

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter No Comments

The one thing that never fails to piss off creators and artists are social media algorithms!

The days of free organic reach have been well behind us. Basically, ancient history at this point. Although the perception of how TikTok serves content to users seems to be more favorable, the complaints have more so been with Instagram and Facebook (both owned by Meta of course). To be fair, the YouTube algorithm doesn’t share your new video uploads to all of your subscribers either.

What can musicians do to overcome this challenge with algorithms? Or is it even the source of the problem in the first place? In this blog, we’ll explore that and cover a list of tactics for you to try and “beat” the algorithm. Read More

Jun 08
Love2

Are Social Media Algorithms Intentionally Suppressing Sales Posts To Screw Over Artists?

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter One Comment

Note: This is an opinion blog piece that is a bit different from what I usually publish. It is meant to be a complementary piece to go with my Tactics For Musicians To Beat Social Media Algorithms blog.

Whenever a musician posts about tickets to an upcoming show or new merch, there can be a noticeable dip in engagement and organic reach compared to other types of posts. I’ve seen it happen firsthand many times. Does this always happen? No. Have I seen sales types of posts do really well organically? Yes.

The commonly held belief is that social media platforms will intentionally suppress the organic reach of any posts that involve trying to sell something to force creators to buy ads to reach their followers.

I hear about it all the time within my circles. I’m no stranger to conspiracy theories myself but I also strive to be objective as a mediator-type personality and a professional in the industry.

Although this line of thinking makes a lot of sense and it’s hard to argue against this belief considering that’s their major source of income, there is also another major factor at play. Read More

Dec 27
Love2

How to Sell Your Merch Directly Through Instagram Shopping (Guide for Musicians)

By Ecommerce, Instagram, Merch, Music Business No Comments

5/8/22 Update: I noticed that Meta(Facebook) is rolling out a revamped tool called Meta Business Suite that looks to replace Facebook Business Manager, which I reference in this blog. As a result, some locations of things I reference and directions I included below may not work anymore. I will try to update everything as soon as possible.

For musicians, a big part of marketing is accessibility. Whether it’s at a live show or on social media, you want to meet fans where they are at and make it as easy as possible to support you.

With Instagram being one of the top social media platforms for musicians, setting up the Instagram Shopping feature is a great way to do this. After launching in 2019, Instagram Shopping has become more widely available now for most business account users.

Unfortunately, the process to get set up can be a bit confusing. In this blog, I will go over all the steps in detail so you can get Instagram Shopping up and running on your Instagram account. Read More

Sep 27
Love6
Instagram for Musicians

Instagram for Musicians: Tips, Tricks, Tools and Tactics You Might Not Know

By Instagram, Social Media 3 Comments

Last Updated on 3/29/2023: There have been a lot of changes to Instagram since this blog was first published. Some things mentioned here are outdated but I will continue to add and update over time.

Now with over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram has become one of the most important social media platforms for musicians, especially younger generations. It’s such a versatile platform with plenty of functions and settings that the average user might miss.

In this blog, I will cover Instagram tips, tricks, tools and tactics from the most basic to more well-known ones to maximize your presence and fan engagement on Instagram. Read More

Apr 22
Love7
Why people aren't following you on Instagram

Instagram for Musicians: 10 Reasons Why People Aren’t Following You

By Instagram, Social Media One Comment

Having a strong Instagram presence, in my opinion, is very important for musicians. Despite being a visual platform, Instagram has all the functions, features, attention and even audience for music artists. The fact is, Instagram users spend more money on music, while also devoting more time listening to and supporting in general.

According to a Nielsen study commissioned by Instagram from 2016:

  • IG users spend 30% more time listening to music on a weekly basis in comparison to the general U.S. population, and they’re more likely to be listening to pop, hip-hop/rap and R&B.
  • Instagram users are 42% more likely to spend money on music during the year, in comparison to the general population’s annual music spending habits.
  • 90% of Instagram Users Stream Music, compared to 76% of the general population.

While it’s easy to get caught up in wanting more followers, I think it’s worth pointing out that there may be reasons why people may not follow you in the first place. Read More

Oct 18
Love2
Stop obsessing over social media followers

Stop obsessing over social media follower numbers! Focus on this instead

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter No Comments

Having a bunch of social media followers is a good feeling. The more, the better right? I get it. A high number feeds the ego. It gives you something to measure your career progress and validates you as an artist. Drive-up the follows, likes and subscribes. It’s the digital instant gratification we crave.

Having a large fan base may help you sleep better at night as you anticipate your fans turning into buying machines. But before you purchase a money counting machine, stop, and think: how many are actually your true fans?

Just as important is the question, how can you tell if they are loyal fans that can support you financially for the long haul? Read More

Aug 08
Love0
Instagram Stories or Snapchat

Which is better for Indie Artists, Instagram Stories or Snapchat?

By Instagram, Snapchat, Social Media No Comments

First things first, I hate Instagram Stories. (Just kidding… sort of!) The day it went live, I did a little rant on both platforms to boycott the feature. The purist in me believed that each social media platform should have its own unique special thing. That’s not how it works in the real world, unfortunately. Romanticism aside, this is what big businesses do and the social media landscape is no exception. It’s not the first time a platform is copying a competitor’s feature and it won’t be the last. The allure of having content disappear after 24 hours is a powerful feature for engagement so you can’t hate Instagram for straight up biting Snapchat. Read More

Aug 03
Love2
Don't Buy Fake Fans

4 Reasons Why Not to Buy Fake Fans and How to Spot them

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter 2 Comments

What does the average person do when trying to evaluate a brand or get a quick sense if something is good or worthy of their time? Yup, we tend to look at the number of followers and fans on social media. That’s just how we validate things in our celebrity-driven, popularity contest of a society.

As you would imagine, this creates a lot of pressure for independent artists to bump up those like and follow numbers to influence a favorable perception. After all, you want people to have a good impression when they land on your Facebook or Instagram accounts.

Especially when starting out as an indie artist, I know it can be very tempting to boost your social media numbers when it can cost as little as $5 on some third party websites. Read More

Jul 13
Love12
Best post time social media

Best Times to Post on Social Media for Music Artists in 2023?

By Facebook, Instagram, Social Media, Twitter No Comments

Last Updated: 6/14/23

As an independent artist, you put so much time, money and effort into your art and the content you create to promote it. Naturally, you want every post to have as much reach and engagement as it possibly can, regardless of the platform. The hope is that there’s a magic time that we can all just aim for and not have to worry if people will see it. Unfortunately, with how the algorithms work on social media platforms these days, it’s providing to be more challenging then ever.

So what are the best times and days to post on social media to maximize your post potential? Read More