What does digital marketing look like for an artist who doesn’t “do” Instagram?
The key component to the success of any artists marketing campaign is building and cultivating community. Now more than ever this is super easy to do through social media, especially the big beast that is Instagram… But what about the artists who don’t “do” social media? Instagram comes naturally to some but others, while Twitter is perceived to be a convoluted sphere full of trolls to many. Some people don’t take pictures, so in the world of social media marketing where content is king, it all gets a bit peak.
I’d argue that marketers focus too heavily on social media so here’s a few solutions.
Owned media isn’t just social media
Less and less artists have websites but if we look to artists like Beyoncé with her Tumblr blog or Drake with his OVO blogspot page, or Brent Faiyaz with his whole universe on a landing page, I’d argue that websites still have a place in the digital matrix. Type an artists name into google and after Twitter, Insta, Facebook (if the SEO is done right) you can takeover your narrative with a webpage.
Influencer marketing
Not all digital collaborations have to be artists led but if you’ve got a good enough budget or a nice enough offline network or a music marketing consultant who knows where to look ;), you can get influencers to carry your message. Who remembers when Drake lyrics were the captions every girl was using? Organic or not, that is influencer marketing. Where are your audience looking and active? We know there are deep and highly engaged pockets on social media that you can tap into— think of the beauty and fashion sphere, soundbedding makeup videos and fashion hauls. While influencer marketing has gotten a little questionable with increasingly high fees from macro influencers and instagram becoming a marketplace, if you know where to look a few key influencers can shift the trajectory of your campaign.
Hate to say it but… a good, strategic song
No man is an island so it’s always worth tapping into the communities of other artists even if it’s additional production, a byte of songwriting or the beloved feature. It’s okay to need a bit of help. The A&R’ing is getting overlooked but if the song bangs it will find its way above the water.
Mailing list
I been dying to get a personalised email from my fave artist. I mean what’s better than hearing direct from the source? Think of Frank Ocean’s Tumblr blog but wait for it… As an email. This one is a bit tricky as it’s kinda a chicken and egg situation — how do you get mailing list subscribers without a following but how do you get a following without subscribers. But where there’s a will there’s a way.
Quality not quantity
There is no ‘right’ way to do social media. Almost every digital community plays by its own rules so failing all the aforementioned, there’s the good ole minimalist route. A post every week or every two weeks but make it fire. Carefully curated, succinct, aesthetically cohesive. Think of Giveon’s insta grid. Supported by other digital activities — Rap Genius, Tim Bracken live, BET her- to name a few activities on YouTube… This can be enough.
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