During the last few years, social media has become more important in the awareness of new artists and also the delivery of music.
These social networks have changed how the world communicates and gives a direct platform for promotion of yourself and/or a product without the traditional cost and record company’s approvals. The music industry is constantly amazed at how fast the listening public grabs this method of delivery. Let’s take a look at this idea called self promotion with social media.
Social media is found in many different forms such as personal websites, Facebook, Twitter, Linkin, Foursquare, Tumbir, podcasting, blogs, forums, YouTube videos, MySpace and Reverbnation, etc. The world has embraced the entertainment industry on all these platforms; it is only logical and practical that reggae artists would also embrace these ideas, not only a personal social interactive with their fans, but also for the advancement of their music to various locations and also the art of business.
I would encourage all reggae artists and their support teams to use as much of this type of communication. To get your music to the masses, the music has to be approached with more sophistication, strategy and a very clear understanding of how to stand out in a saturated and competitive market. Of course, you need a certain “buzz and necessary hype”, about you and your product. You have to market your product properly and that means deciding which one or all social media houses to use to get your message.
Social strategy
A great way for an artist to maintain a strong presence on social media is to build a strategy, conduct your own research and target your music. The reason is that you know your market and niche. Find others who have similar likes and interest and watch their sites. Because if you’re going to survive, you’ve got to know as much as you can.
Many know that iTunes is a huge seller of music in its digital form. But there are many social sites like Twitter and Facebook that do not sell music. You should still add these site to you strategic plan as they will increase exposure tremendously. Consider Facebook, the biggest social site which boasts more than 955 million active users, has more than half of them using Facebook on a mobile device.
Another service is Twitter, which has rapidly gained worldwide popularity, with more than 500 million active users as of 2012, generating more than 340 million tweets daily its “the SMS of the Internet”.
Twitter trends help it lend itself to real people finding similar goals and/or people who are interested in what you are doing. It’s super quick and straight to the point and extremely personal. Another great site is, Reverbnation. It targets an international market of all formats of music. This will expand your reach and allows people in other countries other than the US to read about you and experience your music.
Remember the smaller the niche, the better the chance to get noticed. When a site becomes too popular, the content tends to be the same and makes it harder for you, the artist to stand out and get exposure.
Respect the power of terrestrial radio and Internet radio. Artists should build a database of radio stations and radio personalities within their genre; try to interact with the disc jockeys and be friendly. These people push your music and Internet radio can reach millions all over the globe.
Label backings
Artists such as Damian Marley, Sean Paul, Shaggy and Mavado have been the mainstays in the industry over the years with strong Jamaican connections and label backings. They have been able to dominate without the heavy use of social media and focused toward the involvement of well seasoned management teams. But on the other hand, many independent reggae artists and bands have embraced social media and benefited from it, some notable such as Vybz Kartel (Jamaica), AKB (Los Angeles), Amazhan (Philadelphia), Boomer Chris (Guam), Az-One (Kansas City) and Hot Rain (Hawaii).
With a proper team in place, marketing strategy and data-driven research, independent artists and their teams are also able to impact and create fans with social media. With a constant and direct link to their fan base, artists can maximise merchandising, promote concerts, push album sales and new music. Today’s artist needs to learn as much as possible about social media to help further their career and maintain a strong lasting presence.
If you want this to social networking to work pay off. It has to be fun and creative, 15 to 35 minutes per week is not enough time to set aside for social media; your investment has to be greater, you should consider or practice setting aside at least six to seven hours per week (minimum) in order to engage with fans, searches, respond to messages and update sites.
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