Especially for musicians who are at the beginning of their career and have not been able to gain a foothold in this business for so long, it can sometimes be difficult to build up a certain reach. But this is essential to become successful in this industry. That’s why more and more musicians are turning to the social media platform Instagram, where they create an account, promote their music, and even buy Instagram likes. Because there is a lot of potential slumbering in this medium because you can reach so many people and draw attention to yourself. However, the work behind maintaining such a profile is often underestimated, which is why success on Instagram often fails to materialize. What you have to do to use Instagram effectively as a musician and which 5 tips can help to expand the reach, you will learn in this article.
#1 Be active
Maybe you know it yourself from personal experience that an Instagram account without regular content can be relatively boring and offers no real added value. Therefore, in order to gain new followers instead of losing them, you have to be active as a musician on the platform. This includes posting posts, videos, reels, and stories. Especially at the beginning, you can feel overwhelmed with all the different features, but it is extremely important to deal with all of them. It is not necessary to share personal insights.
Hint: However, if you want to build a closer bond with your community, it is advisable to show private moments.
However, it is much more relevant that the content is topic-related and focuses entirely on the music and the artist himself. To achieve this, a content plan can be very helpful and useful. This means that posts are planned in advance in order to create, edit and publish the postings in a timely manner.
#2 Build a bond with followers
With the help of Instagram, musicians want to gain new fans and build a community. What plays an important role in this is not only regular posting but also interacting with followers. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Visit the profiles and like pictures
- Reply to comments
- Write with followers about direct messages
- Involving fans in decisions, for example through story voting
What can also improve the bond with the followers is to give tips. Because usually such accounts are followed by people who have a strong interest in music and maybe even make music themselves. Advice on how to practice properly or which classic beginner’s mistakes to avoid is therefore usually very popular. In addition, it can be an advantage if you get used to talking into the camera, as a kind of “face-to-face” communication is perceived much more personal and can thus make you look more likable.
#3 Qualitative contributions
Another important factor if you want to be successful as a musician on Instagram is the quality of the posts. But especially at the beginning, musicians may rely more on quantity on their accounts, as they want to stick to their content plan and be as active as possible. However, this can sometimes also mean that followers can perceive the postings as a kind of spam and annoying. Therefore, you should always pay attention to the image resolution and the quality itself before publishing posts. If you want to approach the whole thing more professionally, you can also equip yourself with additional equipment, such as:
- Professional Camera
- Additional camera equipment, such as a tripod or ring light
- Microphone for sound recording
In addition, the use of apps for image and sound editing can also contribute a big difference to the quality.
ALSO READ: How to Gain Self-Confidence as a Musician
#4 Link music
Normally, musicians use other platforms that are specifically used to listen to and stream music. This includes:
- YouTube
- Spotify
- Soundcloud
- Apple Music
Instagram can therefore also be helpful to draw attention to other profiles. So you should definitely include links to other platforms and always record the most relevant updates and information. For example, if the last release was a well-known song on the piano, it should also be linked directly in the biography, as it is most noticeable there.
#5 Using hashtags correctly
Using hashtags is still trendy, as it allows users to find other profiles this way. Therefore, it is very important to bet on niche hashtags to increase the chance of being found.
Tip: Especially musicians should focus more on English hashtags, as the majority of users on Instagram use English search words and are therefore easier to find in other countries.
It is equally important to know that you need a public profile to be found using the search function.
Result
Instagram is one of the most well-known and popular social media platforms nowadays and can be used for both personal and professional purposes. Because with the right strategy and a content plan, you can build up a wide reach, which is why this medium is particularly suitable for aspiring musicians. You can not only market your music via links but also gain new followers and thus fans. Therefore, if you want to be successful with your Instagram profile, it takes a lot of work and time, as you have to post regularly, interact with the followers and pay attention to the good quality of the posts.