As a new artist, social media will be a handy tool as you build your career. Olivia Rodriguez and Doja Cat and just two of countless artists who got their start on social media. Whether you’re trying to follow in their footsteps or forge your own path, there are a few key things you should be adding to your social media strategy.

This is your backstage pass to the secrets of a strong social media presence!

Who is Your Audience?

Navigating the vast and often daunting landscape of social media means putting yourself in front of thousands, and sometimes millions, of people. You might not be able to control exactly which people see and interact with you online, but you can position yourself in a way that helps influence the audience in your virtual seating area.

Identifying your target audience

Get out your trench coat and dust off your microscope—finding your audience takes a bit of detective work. Begin by clearly defining who you want your music to reach. Is it Gen Z, enthusiasts of a particular music genre, or a niche demographic? Once you narrow it down, research the platforms where your ideal audience thrives. Perhaps they frequent TikTok or love Instagram stories. Get familiar with their preferred platform and focus your content there.

Questions for audience alignment:

• Who is your primary target audience?
• What kind of audience do you want to appreciate your music?

Connecting Authentically

Authenticity is currency in the realm of social media. Realness resonates with people all over the world—both those who are looking to build something similar or who are simply interested in your journey and music. Showcasing the highs, lows, and everything in between might make you feel vulnerable–but that’s exactly what people connect with most. Some new artists think the perfect, polished version of them is the “best” version people want to see more of. But people can’t connect with perfection; it’s our flaws, quirks, and authenticity that help us to stand out. As you build a community of supporters, followers, and music fanatics, you’ll amass a stronger community because of your authenticity.

The little things count

When you think community, you think support, feedback, encouragement, and interactions. By actively participating in conversations sparked by your content, you’ll cultivate a sense of community. When a follower comments that your music transports them back to a time in their childhood, take the time to interact with them.

Other artists are friends, not foe

Connecting with people in the same space as you, including up-and-coming musicians and established artists, helps build a stronger community. It’s outdated to believe there’s only room for one successful artist in your genre. Greatness exists in multitudes, so interact with people on the same journey as you. You never know when there will be an opportunity for collaboration and expansion with the musician you came across on your for you page that random Tuesday!

Questions for genuine connections:

• How can you respond to your followers’ comments in a way that keeps the conversation going?
• What aspects of your daily life can you share with your followers?
• Which artists in your desired spaces can you connect with and build relationships?

Consistency is Key

In the kingdom of social media, authenticity may be currency, but consistency is king. Consistency is the propeller that moves you forward in the face of setbacks, fluctuating motivation, and even major victories. But consistency for you might look very different than consistency for another artist.

Defining your consistency

The reality is your journey is going to look different from others, and that’s both perfectly fine and to be expected. Someone may have the financial means to pay for social media support and create heaps of content, manage their account, and post multiple times a day each and every day. But even if you can only commit to one post every other day or three times a week, consistency is what counts. Establish a rhythm that aligns with your day-to-day capabilities and realities.

The struggle is real; tools can help

Struggling with posting consistently? Social media managers and professionals use scheduling tools to get ahead of life’s unpredictability. Use your spare time to batch-create content and leverage tools to post for you. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.

Questions for consistency:

• How often can you create content?
• What posting frequency aligns with your daily commitments?

What to Share to Shine

Creating content as an artist requires authenticity and variety. When you’re crafting your content strategy, you want to make sure you’re creating content that resonates with your audience and keeps your artistic flame bright.

Diversify your content

Your feed shouldn’t be a monotonous stream your viewers can easily get bored of. Keeping your content dynamic by showing your creative process, sharing song samples, pulling back the curtain for a behind-the-scenes sneak peek, and letting your personality shine bright is how you’ll keep your audience engaged and interested each time your post comes across their feed.

 

Trends

Trends are trendy for a reason. If you can jump on a trend at just the right time–as it’s beginning to boom but before people are bored, you can catch the algorithm wave. Following accounts that predict trends and provide CapCut templates helps keep you ahead of the curve and primed for an algorithm boost.

Evergreen content

When things get slow, it’s important to keep consistent by turning to evergreen content. Evergreen content is timeless content that remains relevant beyond trends. From “get-to-know-me” content to industry insights, these gems keep your content flowing and audiences satisfied.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How can you diversify your content to showcase your entire creative process?
• What are the current trends, and how can you integrate them into your content strategy?
• What kind of evergreen content can you make that will remain relevant for a long time?

Look at Your Analytics

Optimizing social media isn’t about selling out but understanding your audience and finetuning your approach. By using analytic tools, you’ll be able to better navigate the constantly fluctuating social media arena.

Using analytical tools

“Analytical tools” sounds like a scary phrase you need a bachelor’s degree to understand, let alone use. But it’s actually referring to tools social media platforms already provide you that make your life substantially easier. By looking at your analytics, you gain insight into your audience, including patterns and preferences.

Take a close look every few weeks to identify successful content and insight into where you need to adjust your strategy, perhaps in timing, platform use, or something else entirely. Your audience doesn’t have to be a mystery.

Questions for Analytical Insight:

• What posts are performing the best and why?
• Is there a common thread in the times when each well-performing post was published?

Bringing it Home

As we wrap up this dive into crafting your online presence, remember that building in the digital realm is more of a journey than a destination. There is no perfect time to begin other than now because it’s not about perfection; it’s about being real and relatable in a world that craves authenticity.

You’ll experiment with different tools, platforms, content, and just about everything else. So, take a moment to breathe and dive in. Your journey won’t be flawless, but it’s yours, and that’s what makes it worth the ride. Keep creating, connecting, and enjoying the ride of shaping your artistic presence online.