Social media has become an essential part of the marketing strategy for any DJ or producer.
If you adopt the correct social media strategy, it could help your career go from strength to strength.
The following list is a combination of things you should do and things you shouldn’t do if you want your social media and overall marketing strategy to succeed.
(1) Maintain a consistent social media identity
In order to establish a strong online presence, you will need to be active on multiple social media channels in addition to having your own website.
It is extremely important to be consistent in this area.
For example, the address of my website is www.misterbarclay.com and I also have “Mister Barclay” as the handle or display name on my Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud and Mixcloud accounts.
I was fortunate to be able to get the same social media handles as what I have as my domain name. Not only does it look professional when displayed in online or print media, but it is also a ranking factor in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
If you are unable to get the same handles for social media as you did for your domain name, then you may wish to try adding “music” or “official” to your artist name in order to obtain the same names across all channels.
(2) Look at what other people are posting
“Good artists copy, great artists steal” is a very famous saying that you may have heard before. It is commonly attributed to both Steve Jobs and Pablo Picasso but, regardless of who said it initially, the message remains the same.
Now I am not suggesting that you head over to your favourite DJs Instagram page, screenshot their latest image and then re-post it on your own profile. What I am suggesting is that you learn from the people who are already succeeding.
Think of the people in the industry who you follow and who inspire you. Take a look at the content they post. Why do you follow them? Why do you like the content that they post? Can you do something similar and make it your own?
Try to develop a content mix that draws inspiration from multiple sources and create your own engaging content.
(3) Post a mixture of engaging content
Once you have seen what other people are posting, you should have quite a good idea of what works and what doesn’t work on social media.
Focus on what works and then strategically target different audience segments. This will allow you to build an engaged community.
Some of your audience may like posts about your next gig, others could like funny memes. If you keep posting a diverse mix of content, it is likely that you will retain the majority of your existing followers and gain new followers too.
(4) Post regularly and at the correct times
How regularly you post will depend on which social media network you are posting to.
Twitter and Pinterest are both fast-moving platforms, so it is recommended to post 20-30 times per day. With that many posts, the timing won’t really matter.
Facebook and Instagram require less attention and studies have suggested that posting once or twice per day will keep your engagement at an optimum level.
However, timing is more critical across these networks and it is no surprise that 7am-9am, 12pm-2pm and 5pm-7pm are the times when posts will pick up the most engagement.
It is also worth thinking about different time zones and what time it is for your overseas followers when posting.
(5) Post on the correct networks
Different social media networks appeal to different audiences so it is important to post on the correct networks so that your efforts are not in vain.
Mixcloud and Soundcloud are among the most popular within the music industry, so if you are just starting out on your social media journey, these are good places to begin hosting your music.
With recent trends showing a movement towards video content, it is also a good idea to establish a YouTube channel. Be mindful of the content that you post though as the copyright restrictions are quite severe.
Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are very popular with the 18-35 age group (who will arguably be your biggest target audience), so they are also key networks on which to establish a presence for posting other media.
Having said that, social media is constantly changing and there are always new networks emerging, so it is a good idea to keep an eye on the latest trends and adjust your strategy if required.
(6) Use a social media management tool
Posting to a single social network can be time-consuming. Posting to multiple social networks can become a full-time job.
That is where social media management tools come in.
Personally, I use Hootsuite, but there are many social media management tools available. Most will offer a free version for personal use which has limited features, or a premium version for business use or for more advanced features.
Using a social media management tool can save you time by:
- Sharing posts on your behalf
While some social media networks will give the option to share your post to other networks, it sometimes displays only as a link or with incorrect formatting.
By using a social media management tool, you can share your post to different networks and even to multiple accounts within the same network (if you have more than one).
- Scheduling posts on your behalf
If you have a following in different countries, or simply don’t have the chance to post at the recommended times, you can use a social media management tool to make sure that you are always posting regularly. Simply drop the required media into the interface, set the time that you want it to be posted and away you go.
- Providing detailed analytics
When you first start posting on social media, you won’t know what type of content works on different social networks. By using a social media management tool you can get an insight into what social networks bring you the best results, what keywords/phrases/hashtags get the most clicks and who your audience is.
(7) Support other artists
Have you recently downloaded a great remix? Has someone featured one of your tracks in their latest mixtape?
If either of the above happens then it is a good idea to mention the remixer or thank the person who included your track in your post.
Not only will it help to grow your professional network, but it will also stimulate arguably the strongest advertising of all – word of mouth.
People like to be appreciated, even on social media. If you like what someone is doing, acknowledge it. The chances are that they will reciprocate.
(8) Don’t give up
Building an online presence can take time, so it is important to remain patient and not to give up.
When using social media platforms, follow some of the hashtags that you use in your posts and connect with other users. If you can relate to their content, like their post, comment and perhaps follow them.
Engaging regularly will allow you to become part of that particular community and will be a key factor in helping to drive traffic to your profiles.
Developing your own website can be a little more tedious. When people connect with you on social media, they are already a user of that particular platform. However, enticing people to your website is a lot more difficult.
While I strongly recommend having your own website, I would suggest keeping it very simple in the beginning and use it more as a gateway for people to connect with your various social media profiles.
(9) Don’t build needless hype
While David Guetta and co might be able to get away with saying “Watch this space, big things coming” when they are about to release a new album, people won’t have the same interest level if you say similar things when you are about to reveal your latest student night residency.
When you are developing your online presence, it can be difficult to create new content to post. While I encourage you to remain consistent and post regularly, it would be better to not post at all than to post something out of desperation that could turn your fans off.
(10) Keep it professional
Having a difference of opinion with other people is natural, but it is how you deal with that difference of opinion on social media that can make or break you.
If someone posts a critical comment about your latest track or mix, try responding in a positive way. Not only will it potentially win them over as a fan, but it will also show you to be a nice person in front of all of your other followers.
In addition, if you are having a bad day, try and keep it within your personal network of friends rather than broadcasting it to the world. Posting personal grievances against others online can make you seem like an attention seeker and will likely lose you some followers.
Of course, if you are really struggling with something, try and seek professional help.
Conclusion
Social media can play a major part in helping to develop your career.
“Content is king” is a statement that you will hear on many occasions and it really is so true. There are millions of other people out there all vying for the attention of the same audience as you are, so it is important to always remain ahead of the competition.
If you aren’t already, try and employ some of the tips listed above and they should help you to grow your followers.
If I have missed any fundamental tips off of this list, please let me know in the comments and I will update it.
