I'm pretty much dead to Social Media. What to do? (music)

[ivankiss]

It's been lifetimes since I was active on Social Media. Just recently I started posting again on my FB page here and there. Never had an Instagram account. My YouTube channel has been dead for years. Never tweeted a single tweet. So yeah, I've got pretty much nothing going on in that regard.

The only platform I'm active on is this forum.

And that would be totally fine with me, too. But I wanna reach an audience and gain some following. After a very long pause; I'm slowly but surely getting back to making music; for real. I feel like it would be a pity not to spread it as far as I can. The world needs to hear! ?

Any advice/suggestions? How do I start this and build a solid momentum? Should I just keep posting stuff and that's it? Or is there more to it? I'm pretty much a noob when it comes to promoting my music. That has always been my weakness, if you will. I used to reach out to promo groups/channels and they'd publish my music. That was pretty cool and it gained me quite a few views and fans. But it's all extinguished now due to my long absence. I wanna do things differently this time around. 'On my own'... To really earn my music the recognition I believe it deserves.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Peace.

Edited June 24, 2020 by ivankiss

[Ananta]

@ivankiss Perhaps you could search "popular group categories " on FB, then "entertainment" and find a music group that allows you to post your own music? And maybe even allows you to link back to your own FB page? Every group has there own rules.

[Oliver Saavedra]

First build your strategy

Define your audience: really understand how is the people you'd like to get your music to, be as specific as possible, age, gender, culture, likes/dislikes, socioeconomic level, trends they follow

Define the platforms you'll be using: for music I think soundcloud and youtube are the most popular for music, but there are others you might need to check them out, also instagram and facebook which are the basics for content sharing, I'm not sure if twitter really works for musicians

State your goals: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound, how many followers would you like to get for the next X months? how many listeners, sales, etc?

Define the content you'll be posting: what will you be publishing on social? photographs, artwork, animations, your creative process, your lyrics, photos of you, journal, what will you be talking about? what is your message to your followers? what is the tone of the things you share? 

 

There's more but these are the basics, you could start defining those and start sharing on social networks with a clearer direction, try things out and see how it works, then go back to define it a little more, slowly you will find your own style. The most important thing is that everything you do is congruent with you and your art.

[ivankiss]

@Ananta Good idea. It would be a start, if nothing else. That's why I was reaching out to non-profit promo groups in the past. However; I feel like I could really take things 'into my own hands' now - if that makes sense. 

Thanks!

@Oliver Saavedra Great set of advices! Thanks!

I was taking pretty much all of that in consideration. But something's still not clicking for me exactly... Dunno, maybe it's this idea I have that I actually have to invest a larger amount of money into promoting my music if I want to do things for real. Is that unnecessary? Is it just me wanting to 'rush' things?

I must be honest... This is literally what I live and breathe for. And the idea that the moment when I'm actually going to be able to 'pull it off' is nearby is taking my mind in all directions. It means to me so much and I've been working on it for so long...that it almost brings up a sense of desperation and panic.

I want to do this professionally. On a 'high level'.

My expectations might be too big and even 'in the way'. It's by far a bigger challenge for me than actually making music.

I know for sure that I want to avoid record labels though. Not my thing. I don't want my creative process to be compromissed.

I'd gladly pay for folks to promote me tho. Radios, interviews and just spreading the word in general. I was also thinking about paying for someone to manage my accounts. Is that a 'wrong mentality' to go about this? Am I trying to micromanage or control too much?

On the other hand... I know in my heart that magic can happen out of nowhere and even 'over night' if I just let go and simply share music for its own sake.

I'm obviously confused about the topic, to say the least ?

 

Edited June 24, 2020 by ivankiss

[Ananta]

2 hours ago, ivankiss said:

@Ananta Good idea. It would be a start, if nothing else. That's why I was reaching out to non-profit promo groups in the past. However; I feel like I could really take things 'into my own hands' now - if that makes sense. 

Thanks!

Your welcome.?

[LfcCharlie4]

You don't need to invest large amounts of money, but of course that would help. 

There's people out there who literally teach how to grow your Spotify, Soundcloud etc, just research, make sure they're legit and learn from them would be your best bet, emulating people who have the results you want. 

NEVER feel like you have to do it on your own, help and support is essential on your journey.

What helps artists more than anything in the modern age is 'Viral' songs, if you think about recent rappers it only takes one song to blow up, to change their careers- Lil Nas X (old town road), Juice WRLD- Lucid Dreams (RIP), Lil Tecca- Ransom

You of course want to build a relationship with your fans, fans love that in the modern day!

Focus on what YOU are best at, and (eventually) outsource the rest, of course that would be the Music. 

Do you think Drake and Ariana Grande are making FB posts about their album release, of course they interact from time to time, but they have teams doing so much for them. 

An independent artist who is pretty conscious tbf & didn't go the record label route is 'Mr Traumatik' he found his audience in DnB (raves) and has become famous in that niche and makes a lot of $$$ and gets to create the music he wants as a result. 

Studying him could be helpful- https://www.mrtraumatik.com/

His insta, soundcloud, spotify, Youtube etc could give you some ideas, he's been around for like a decade at this point. 

Although, he hasn't had that true viral tune that someone like Devilman had that made him even more famous!

Good luck!

I would also add, try and add some form of structure to it, but not to the point it dampens your creativity, like don't force yourself to release music on X day, but also don't release a song a decade and wonder why no progress is being made  

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

Alright pal, first things first... let's hear your music!

[ivankiss]

@LfcCharlie4 Thank you brother. You know I love you ? 

Much juiciness in what you said. At the moment I'm quite exhausted...It was a very long day. I will surely get back to your post with a refreshed mind and reply fully ? 

For now I'd only like to say that my goal is not as much - or at all - to sell my music as much as it is just to spread it as far as I can. I just want to share it with as much of the world as possible. The 'scene' you mentioned is not exactly (or at all) where I see myself. But I get the core of what you're saying. I could learn even from those artists - big time. No matter how different their style is. Thanks again, stay fab! ❤

@Bazooka Jesus Well... I can only share my really old stuff. From 7-8 years ago.

The project I was focused on back then is, however, completely different from what I'm working on these days. 

I was into heavy, mathematical prog music back then. What I'm working on now is much softer, gentler and emphasizes feeling over mind stimulation. + I'm adding vocals, too.

But shhh...It's a secret ? 

Buckle up!

Everything you hear is composed, recorded/programmed, mixed and mastered by me, only. 

Edited June 24, 2020 by ivankiss

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

Holy shit, this is OUTSTANDING! ?

I don't know what I am more impressed by, your guitar playing or the production itself -- both are absolutely stellar. These videos that you posted deserve WAY more views, my friend! (Did you play the drums as well or are these programmed? They sure sound like "the real thing"!)

Yeah, sometimes it just boggles my mind to see what kind of stuff takes off on Youtube like a fucking space rocket on one hand and what just falls through the cracks with a whimper on the other; I guess that sheer luck always plays a role with these kinds of things, no matter how talented or savvy you might be. (Which of course isn't to say that there aren't ways to tip the scales in your favor - whatever thoes might be, lol.)

Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to hearing your new stuff; please keep 'em coming, brother!

[ivankiss]

@Bazooka Jesus This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I will never stop doing what I love - that's for sure. 

God bless you.

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

@ivankiss Au contrair, thank you for sharing your amazing music! And I do mean it when I say that I can't wait to hear you new stuff - keep us in the loop, alright?

[ivankiss]

@Bazooka Jesus Must be honest - I have a lot on my plate these days... But you bet I will keep you updated! 

You made my day bro. Thank you! 

Stay awesome! 

[Sahil Pandit]

@ivankiss Hey Ivan, i'm a social media manager and i believe your best best is to use Twitter. You can search what's relevant to you in the search tab to engage with like minded individuals. Also, you won't have to scroll for hours on end if you set specific notifications ON for those who you want to follow. Lastly, if you can speak in concise and simple words (which i know you can) you will attract an audience.

Hope this helps.

[Guest Bazooka Jesus]

2 hours ago, ivankiss said:

Stay awesome! 

You too!

[Dlavjr]

I'm an aspiring musician myself, only I'm going the college route and haven't really built up my confidence yet to write and release anything. Keeping in mind that I'm not a professional, I can give you advice from what I've seen in what little experience I have so far in the business. 

Music is about 50% talent and 50% connections. It's a little tough now with COVID, but you gotta play as many shows as you can. Promote, and reach out. Collaborate. Plenty of musicians online are glad to collaborate, you'd be surprised how easy it is to build connections. I had a metal project going on and at the time we had reached out to a well known and talented drummer in the genre who was happy to not only record drums for us but also was willing to post a video of himself playing one of our songs on his already established channel, and we're absolute nobodies. Unfortunately the project fell through, at least for the time being due to personal reasons, but you get the point. 

The other thing is don't limit yourself. Take any opportunity that you can to put yourself out there. Social media is a fantastic tool but it's not the only one, however I'm part of a lot of music related Facebook groups and there is a lot of sharing of music in those groups. Music is a community as much as it is an art, don't be selfish with your art. Share your art, share other people's art, get involved. 

Most importantly, don't give up, and don't let anybody tell you that you won't get anywhere with music. You will. Hopefully one day I will as well. Much love ❤

[Space]

@ivankiss Gary Vaynerchuk is a pretty good source for all social media stuff. However he posts soo much that it's hard to find the good/useful information (it is there) without spending hours just watching him ramble. But if you're willing to spend some time to dig into his work I think you'd find that very beneficial. There is also definitely an audience for your kind of music - just about figuring how to get it in front of those people.

[flume]

First ask yourself if you actually genuinely enjoy being on social media. Because if you don’t it’s really silly to force yourself. Yes, social media seems important now but people are als craving something new.

You can find a different way to connect with your audience, something that actually makes you feel excited.

You could take some time and contemplate these questions:
(Just put them on top on an empty sheet of paper and leave it on your desk for a week)

“What are all the ways in which my music could reach people?”

“What would be a cool way to hear about some else’s music that no one has thought about yet?”

“How do I like connecting to people? What feels authentic to me?” etc.

 

I personally really dislike spending time in front of a scene and feel amazing since quitting all social media. So I found a different way. And so can you :-)

 

It’s basically a question of marketing. Check out Seth Godin. I don’t know much about marketing so his books really help me. He has a great, conscious view on marketing and reading his stuff is always really inspiring and makes me come up with new ideas.

Also, your recording skills seem amazing too. You could start your own label, ask other musicians to collaborate with you and get your name out there like that… Just an idea :-)

Your guitar skills are 10/10 btw. Teenage Black-Metal-leather-jacket-me is hyped up!

[ajasatya]

@ivankiss You can get in touch with some online marketing agency. They know better how to use social media efficiently and with proper personal distancing and detachment.

[Hardik]

@ivankissbro!

Did you record videos of your Music? Like you're a lyricist? Singer? Or?

[ivankiss]

Great stuff, everyone! Thank you!

On 6/26/2020 at 11:16 PM, flume said:

First ask yourself if you actually genuinely enjoy being on social media. Because if you don’t it’s really silly to force yourself.

This right here.

To be honest; no, I don't really enjoy all that stuff. At least so far. I do like the idea of interacting with fans... but I feel like music is already doing that part. It's how I speak to them.

I'd much rather have someone to manage all that stuff for me, so I can only focus on creating content. 

I already have a guy in mind. He's a good friend of mine and he's experienced with online marketing. He also knows what I'm really about and understands in which direction I wish to go. 

I guess that could work out really good.

Thanks!

17 hours ago, Hardik said:

Did you record videos of your Music? Like you're a lyricist? Singer? Or?

I play guitar, sing, compose and produce my music. Others do the video part for me. At least when it comes to 'proshoots'.

16 hours ago, blueberries said:

Nobody has suggesting using TikTok yet, so I'll put it out there. It has so much organic reach, it's kind of like free advertising. 

Thank you. 

I checked tiktok once or twice. Immediately found it repulsive haha. 

Dunno, I guess all that stuff is really not my thing. Better leave it to someone who knows what they're doing and has the nerves and stomach for it lol ?

Edited June 28, 2020 by ivankiss