Chapter 5: The Importance of Social Media for Musicians
Social media is a phenomenon. In a relatively short amount of time it has changed the
way we humans communicate. It’s gone from a medium of telling folks what you’re hav-
ing for lunch to a marketing powerhouse that companies leverage to get the word out to
their audience, followers and “likes” in an effort to forge relationships and ultimately sell
more products and services. Musicians are also using it to build relationships with fans,
get the word out about upcoming shows, spread news and sell their music. Considering
that I like Jimi Hendrix’s and Janis Joplin’s Facebook pages, it seems as though social
media even reaches beyond the grave. Now that’s some powerful stuff.
In this chapter, I’ll explore the various social media outlets and some of the best prac-
tices you can implement to get the most mileage for your time investment. Yup, I wrote,
“time investment.” Allow me to explain. I do a social media presentation for small busi-
nesses. Actually, at three plus hours, it’s more of a workshop. Inevitably, about halfway
through the presentation, someone will raise their hand and ask, “This is all great, but
doesn’t it take an awful lot of time?” In a word, “yes.” Like most things, what you put
into it is proportionate to what you get out of it. But, if not managed correctly, you can
easily find yourself putting in a lot of time with little, if anything, to show for your ef-
forts.
Facebook
If you’re like almost one billion other people on Planet Earth, at the time of this writing,
you’ve got a Facebook profile. It’s your personal profile page where you bring your