Social Media and Being the Life of the Party

You probably already know that you want to use social media to share your music with others. You probably already have a personal account on Instagram or Facebook, but you just need one specifically for your brand. But, before we get into the how’s, have you ever thought about what exactly is social media and how it works? It might be a little unclear. Let’s take a step back and put things into perspective.

At The Party

Picture a college house party on a Friday night. Everyone’s having a great time in their own separate little spaces. Some people are in the kitchen, mixing up drinks and grazing on a very random assortment of chips and snacks laid out, with people next to them circled around a table playing games. Outside you’ll find a group by the pool, relaxing to music with the stars above them. Upstairs you’ll find the quieter circles, with at least one of them being a person crying their heart out to their friends over a terrible breakup.

You can probably imagine there’s a plethora of characters littered throughout the house. They might be doing different activities in different areas, but they’re all generally here at the house party for the same reason: socialize and have a good time. However, one person in particular sticks out that doesn’t quite meld in with anyone here.

This guy has spent the whole night with a scrappy acoustic guitar stuck to him. You don’t even know if he walked in with it. It was probably lying around somewhere in the house, and he’s been clinging onto it ever since. This guy has been roaming the entire house, trying to show off his skills. Internally, he’s begging for someone to ask him to play something so he can finally share his contemporary progressive indie song that he cooked up one night in his mom’s basement. You don’t even think he knows anyone here, and he certainly didn’t bother introducing himself before he got here. Now, he’s sitting by himself riffing off the guitar until some poor soul attempts to amuse him out of pity.

Social media is a lot like this house party. Everyone’s here to be with good company and have a good time. They don’t all have to be in the same place, but people gravitate towards groups and join in to socialize. And yes, social media will always have at least one guitar guy.

Please, for the love of everything good, don’t be the guitar guy.

You don’t have to go around asking everyone to listen to your music. You don’t even have to introduce yourself by saying “hi, I make music!” Instead, market your brand the same way you market yourself: as a friend. People like interacting with likeable people. Your identity as an artist is backed by an amazing personality: you should showcase that! People like it when they learn about the artist just as much as they learn about the music, if not more. Personal relationships like that can be powerful on social media.

Your Music, Your Vibes

Your product as an artist is an extension of your identity. Typically, businesses make products that answer a need in the market. For you, your music is the immaculate vibes that every party needs. Are you the chill, mellow one that helps people ease up after a stressful week? Or, are you the one that gets the room jumping and dancing? Your vibe doesn’t have to suit everyone either. It might not be a favorite with the crowds downstairs, but the quiet room upstairs could absolutely love you. At the end of the night, would you rather be remembered as the annoying person with the guitar impeding everyone’s business? Or, would you rather be the person that made a lasting impact on just a few people? Hint: the people you met that night are going to put in a good word for you when they tell everyone else what happened.

Building a positive relationship with people on social media is crucial to building your brand. People will feel more connected with the music you share, feeling a personal connection with it. If they like you, then they’ll have a better chance of liking your music. They might be potential longtime listeners. It’s all about being personable, honest, and interactive. Next thing you know, you’ll be the life of the party on social media.

References

Scott, D. M. (2022). The new rules of marketing & PR : how to use content marketing, podcasting, social media, AI, live video, and newsjacking to reach buyers directly (Eighth Edition). Wiley.