The Importance of Social Media in Music Marketing
Discover why social media is so important in music marketing strategies...
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Social media is at the heart of today's music industry, with platforms providing music artists with the global reach to find audiences across the world.
Instagram, YouTube and TikTok have all be utilised by everyone from Taylor Swift and SZA to Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay to help these artists connect with potential fans.
Some influencers have built their musical careers off the back of creating social media content.
Andrew Huang is a music production expert who has amassed a substantial online following with his sound deconstructions and reviews of the latest gear and music technology.
Others have enjoyed unexpected fame through viral moments. A group of Irish kids has just gone viral thanks to their rap skills on a drum & bass track called 'The Spark'.
Here, we'll explore the impact of social media, how it has revolutionised the music industry, and why social media marketing is so important for artists and bands looking to expand their fan base and stay ahead of the latest trends.
Social Media Platforms Used by Musicians
As we're sure you know, there are multiple social platforms available for artists to use to connect with a wider audience and a variety of ways they can do it. From their own music videos and tracks to User-Generated Content or UGC, social can lead to music careers blowing up in unexpected ways.
Canadian rapper Drake has been all over our social media feeds for years, partly due to the meme taken from his 2015 hit single, 'Hotline Bling' with the concept of 'drakeposting' making him one of the most meme'd artists on the planet."
His ubiquity on social shows how the way we now digest and celebrate artists has gone way beyond mere music.
Below are some of the most popular social media platforms content creators are using...
TikTok
TikTok is the fastest growing of all the social media platforms with statistics suggesting that there will be 15 million UK users by 2025.
According to Statista, most of the users are from younger demographics. As of 2021, 27.86 percent of 13-17-year-olds and 40.32 percent of 18-24-year-olds are using the platform to create and engage with video content.
As of April 2024, the UK has 35 million Instagram users with the largest share of this demographic aged between 25 and 34.
There are many options for bands and artists using Instagram to show off their talents, share updates and build their community.
Features include reels, populating the highlights section on the main profile, coming up with an engaging bio and utilising the Instagram profile image to reflect the brand, look and feel you want to convey.
YouTube
YouTube allows musicians to showcase their music in a visual format, which can be particularly engaging and easy way of watching content.
Musicians, artists and their record labels can share music videos, then interact with fans through comments and live streams. This can be an effective way of building a sense of community around an artist or business. YouTube Shorts, similar to Instagram Reels, are proving to be popular as shorter pieces of visual content.
Twitter/X
Although the last year has been one of turmoil at Twitter with its new name of X, the platform can still be worth investigating for music businesses and professionals. Some might think that the more visual and video-led platforms of TikTok and Instagram are more relevant for them as an artist and this depends on personal preference.
However, if you are a music industry professional, then using X to network and share real-time updates can be really useful.
Facebook continues to be the most popular platform for social media with an estimated 2.9 billion monthly active users.
Although some have questioned whether it is still relevant, Facebook's audience is a large one and is connected with Instagram as they are both owned by parent company Meta.
This means there is plenty of integration between the two platforms. For example, you can use Ads Manager to advertise to users on these networks. You also have the option to share between both profiles when appropriate.
How Musicians Utilise Social Media for Marketing
Artists who use social media effectively can enjoy multiple benefits in winning over music lovers and impressing professionals too.
If deployed correctly, then it can ensure they forge a genuine connection with an audience while also demonstrating their popularity to the industry too.
Billie Eilish (pictured above) heralded her new record,'Hit Me Hard and Soft', with a social media campaign on Instagram where some of her 115 million followers were chosen to be 'close friends', then invited to access different, exclusive content. The use of this new feature on her profile saw an increase of seven million followers and led to a spike in streams for the new record.
Here are some essentials to consider when looking to use a social media platform to showcase and promote your music.
Create a Buzz with Thumb-Stopping Content
Social media can be a difficult and fast-paced world to stand out in due to the huge volume of content and how many brands, bands and artists are all competing for attention.
If you are looking to engage with more followers and establish yourself, then consider what kind of content you want to share - from memes and tour promo to live giveaways and collaborative posts, there are myriad options. You are more likely to find new fans by creating content that will make them stop scrolling and engage.
YouTube sensation Look Mum No Computer has built a following of more than 600,000 subscribers to his channel with his weird and wonderful videos of inventing music gear.
If you are marketing new releases, then you could tease clips of the forthcoming new music or offer behind the scenes shots of any live shows. As a industry professional, social media promotion could involve you sharing insights on trending music industry news or offering advice on a specific part of the business - for example, streaming services or ideas on how to use YouTube to grow a career.
Stockport indie band Blossoms have embraced social media in more ways than one. From stoking rumours of a split to welcome new music to their Pubcast podcast, the group has been playful with how they've approached their online presence but ensured that what they share is aligned to their sound and group brand.
Remember: Social is about Community Building
An effective marketing strategy on social media in the music industry will prioritise community and engagement.
Social media platforms should not be seen as a one-way street through which artists and brands shares news. Instead, you should look to have conversations with your audience, encouraging fans to suggest ideas for content, where you should perform and what music you should release."
By actively involving your audience in your musical journey, then you can establish deeper bonds with fans who will hopefully become more invested in you and your creativity in the long-term.
Rock band the Killers are just one of the acts to embrace a live Q&A format on social media to let their fans into what they've been up to, their creative process and more...
BTS are from South Korea but have become a global phenomena in part due to their BTS ARMY, a global community of fans that the group has engaged with on social media and in-person events.
ARMY, which stands for Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth, is devoted to the group and is well organised across different websites and other digital platforms.
Tracking Social Media Metrics for Music Promotion
Each social media platform offers its own set of analytics on the performance of posts, content and your profile.
This information can be useful in helping you get to know your audience better, understanding specific demographics about them and the kind of content that resonates. You can also delve deeper into the data, assessing the best time of the day/week to post, where your followers might be geographically based, their interests and more.
The Importance of Authenticity and Connecting with Fans
Social media offers a direct line of communication between artist and their audiences.
Different acts use social media in different ways but it offers the ability for many artists to welcome fans into their world, to show aspects of their art and personality. Consider how much of your self you want your followers to discover and are comfortable sharing."
In theory there's plenty of content for you to post as part of your strategy - clips of new music, music videos, the songwriting process behind your songs, clips of you at work in the studio, details of forthcoming live shows and more. Just remember to keep it authentically on brand and aligned to what you're about as an artist or industry professional.
Taylor Swift is known as one of the most successful musical stars of all time but underneath the glitz and the glamour, she's used social to demonstrate her commitment to her fans.
She often likes and responds to comments on different platforms while using them to invite fans to secret listening parties. Her Secret Sessions helped promoter her '1989' release where fans in the US and UK were chosen by Taylor to hear new music for the first time.
Tell Stories, Be Consistent and Create your Own World
Consistency can be key for building your social media audience. Make sure you keep all of your profiles fed and watered with regular updates, keep any links fresh and relevant and set yourself a plan for when and what updates you will share.
Rapper CASISDEAD is an underground UK success story who won a BRIT Award earlier in 2024 due to his brilliant music and inspired world-vision created by his online presence.
This shadowy figure released his 'Famous Last Words' album on XL amid the backdrop of his fictionalised DEADCORP entity, an evil corporation selling apathy.
This world is further enhanced by the official DEADCORP website with the rapper going as far as arriving at the BRITs with DEADCORP sentries.
Use Websites and Newsletter as part of a Digital Marketing Strategy
Social media can be just one part of a wider digital marketing strategy when it comes to music promotion.
Although many prefer to talk about social media platforms, it's worth investigating other channels that can work in tandem alongside them. A website can act as a great hub for your work - here you can tailor your digital presence to how you want it, so include whatever information you need to promote your music to your audience. This can include an artist biography, music links, videos, tour details, exclusive content and more.
Alongside a dedicated site, many artists and industry professionals are now launching their own newsletters as a way of staying in touch with their fans too. This can offer more control over who sees content as information goes directly into the inboxes of fans, rather than being at the mercy of the algorithms.
Wilco's Jeff Tweedy is a prolific songwriter and writer on the Substack platform where he shares exclusive performances, essays and much, much more.
Conclusions
In today's music industry, the potential of social media to transform the fortunes of an artist is huge and should certainly be a key consideration for emerging artists when looking to grow their fan base. Viral moments can be unexpected but can be game-changing for a band or group.
Although it is is important, it should also be seen as one of part of an act's strategy to connect with fans. Aligning it with other channels can mean its impact on a career and bringing new music to market can be even more powerful.
Deep dive into the evolving world of music marketing
Our CIM accredited Music Marketing degree, that sits within our School of Music Business, will help you gain a richly detailed understanding of digital marketing fundamentals and specialisms. You'll become a master of online content — someone who knows how to reach and influence people through multiple digital platforms.
To completely immerse yourself in your creative career, chat with our friendly Admissions Team via email enquiries@icmp.ac.uk or give them a call on 020 7328 0222.
Music Marketing
Our CIM accredited Music Marketing degree, that sits within our School of Music Business, will help you gain a richly detailed understanding of digital marketing fundamentals and specialisms. You'll become a master of online content — someone who knows how to reach and influence people through multiple digital platforms.
To completely immerse yourself in your creative career, chat with our friendly Admissions Team via email enquiries@icmp.ac.uk or give them a call on 020 7328 0222.