I‘ve come a long way when it comes to my relationship with social media. It wasn’t long ago that I could go months without any social media apps. I simply didn’t have the time or energy for it, but as I began to record music, I realized that I could no longer neglect it. I’m beginning to embrace it little by little and would like to share a few of my changed perspectives. I’ll start in a Q&A format from the beginning…
Q1) Should I have a separate music instagram page or just use my personal page?
I had a hard enough time posting frequently on my personal page, so how would I have enough time to also post on a music page? I visited several IG pages for inspiration, and once I visited BTS’s IG, I was inspired to create a separate page for my music. Theirs had fun grids, themes and was more of a concept/brand page. They didn’t post every day and likes, comments, stories & reels didn’t seem to override the purpose of the page. It seemed manageable to me, so I made the decision to create a separate music-specific IG account. Thanks BTS for inspiring me!
Q2) How do I brand and what content should I put on this page?
As a professional marketer, it seemed easier to build other brands than to build my own. I simply had a creative block when it came to my music brand. However, I had to start somewhere; a brand palette, a logo, a photoshoot and developing album/single covers. For a long time, I kept it simple by simply posting single covers and release dates. I’m just now beginning to post more dynamic content such as reels, behind the scenes, event footage, etc. My word of advice here is to do things when you’re ready. You could always be doing more, but it’s also okay to do what you have capacity for. In the long run, never let a moment of inspiration pass you by, THEY WILL COME, and when they do, ride that wave and TAKE INSPIRED ACTION!!!
Q3) How and when do I engage?
I am getting better at engaging on social media platforms. I prefer to respond to comments and messages in bulk when I have the time and energy. That way, I am relaxed, thoughtful and each person gets my full attention. Unfortunately, sometimes, this can be weeks out. Although, I am improving. When I finally do respond, I enjoy it. I am attentive enough to truly appreciate comments and have the capacity to engage further should it become a conversation. Overall, I am slowly, but surely, becoming better at engaging on my social media channels.
Q4) What challenges did I have with posting stories?
For the longest time, I didn’t post stories. Although I created highlight buttons, none of them had highlights. I simply didn’t know what to post, and dressing up stories with emojis, gifs and text seemed challenging and time consuming for me… BUT NOT ANYMORE!!! Over the weekend, I shot a video of me speaking to the camera at least 10x. My husband told me this story of “No Mind” that he saw in a movie. The moral of the story was to stop minding everything and everyone. After receiving his advice, my next video was awesome! I began to dress it up and he said, “keep it simple.” Once I started to simplify my effort, it became much easier to dress up stories. I started simple and was able to implement so much more creativity than I had expected.
Additionally, one of my interns, Isabel, showed me some tips and tricks on stories that helped me gain a better understanding of all the tools at my disposal. I’m building a strong foundation at the moment. That’s the phase I’m in and I accept that.
Q5) What about followers and likes?
There’s a time and place for your priorities. My numbers aren’t impressive atm. I receive tons of DMs a day to buy followers, but I won’t. I want to grow my following organically and through paid advertising so that my followers are real, genuine people. Soon, I’ll put all my effort into growing my following with followers using inspired action and momentum as my fuel. I’ll make it happen. I have no doubts.
Q6) Should I TikTok? How?
After attending a virtual webinar on how to make my music go viral on TikTok, I now fully understand the true potential of TikTok for artists. Isabel also shared with me some of her favorite TikTok channels and gave me a TikTok 101 crash course. We came up with TikTok ideas, and I took a first pass at doing my very first TikTok about my recording process. I can hardly believe it and am very proud of myself for it. It ended up taking me a long while to piece it altogether. I anticipate that I’ll be able to do it a little quicker with more practice. I really look forward to doing more TikToks now that I’ve passed the initial hurdle of doing my first one. Yay!
Thank you for reading this far! I wanted to share my thoughts with you while I’m still at the beginning of my music and social media journey. I know inside of me that this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve been able to accomplish a TON in just one year and am banking on year over year growth. Focusing on my long term goals is where I’m at peace.
Take care and have fun posting!
💚 Jade