I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about using Instagram to create a large following as a
musician. In case you have been sleeping under a rock for the last year or two,
Instagram is a web-based application that
allows users to share photos using cool filters. Being a musician, I have
always found it difficult to post pictures of my work on Instagram because my
media is mainly audio. As of 2012 Instagram allowed to use a video clips of 15
seconds to be shared among it’s users. This got me to thinking, maybe I could
play clips of songs that I create, play snippets and point potential buyers to
my website. If you are an up-and-coming musician you can use these simple steps
to gain an instant online following on Instagram using pictures and video.
1.
Make
a video in the moment.
Don’t be afraid to capture the excitement
of the moment. If you find yourself stuck in the creative process of creating,
take a break and post a quick video. Announce the song; say what your
intentions of the song are for and post!
2.
Don’t
worry about copyright issues.
Musicians often worry about posting
music online prematurely. They feel that someone may try to steal their song
before they can copyright it. I think this is far from the truth. People are
less likely to steal a song that you have posted online as yours. The post is
time and date stamped on the Internet. This is proof of your creation in the
moment. With that being said, I would not post the whole song until you take
care of your copyright issues.
3.
Consistency
is Key
Post as frequently as possible.
This is a rule across the board for all social media. Your followers will
respect your brand if you are consistent. This is usually the hardest rule to
follow. Instagram moves at lightning speed, so your post may not reach even a
large fraction of your followers. Be mindful of the times you are posting also.
If your target market work from 9am-5pm, You may do better to post in the
afternoon or at night. Most musicians are up after midnight. This is a good
time to reach these people.
In closing, Instagram is a tool
that is used for self promotion, so go out there and promote! By the way, my
Instagram is @OTGriffin.
How have you used Instagram to
promote your brand? Do you feel Instagram has been a good tool to help market
your online brand? Why?
Ontario,
ReplyDeleteI have heard of Instagram but I did not think of using it to help promote ones music! Your thoughts and tips are useful for new artists. I think that capturing the creative thoughts in quick moments of time may help inspire others to grow in their work. Other keywords I would use would be social media and online presence. Good work!
Oddly enough, I first found them on ebay when I was looking for a cheap way to purchase the instrument. soundcloud followers
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