Wondering how artists can save time with social media?
Since I started Music With Flavor, I’m often asked “what the company does exactly?”
To which I reply that we are focused on helping artist navigate the music industry by providing them with relevant and actionable advice to help them with their music careers.
Often times this means connecting artists with some amazing people who they wouldn’t initially think of turning to for advice on topics that affect them.
As we try to grow a community of artists who are more business minded and strategic in their approaches to music we thought it would be great to focus on an area of marketing that is vital to your success in music.
Social Media is a very important piece of the puzzle that can be a challenge to master but luckily we were able to discuss the topic with Bonnie Porter, Social Media Manager at Buffer.
If you are unfamiliar with Buffer, or companies like them, I highly suggest you take in this interview as Buffer could be a tool that saves you a ton of time and headache when it comes to managing your social media platforms.
With that said, let’s dive into our discussion with Bonnie on overcoming challenges with social media as an artist.
Contents
Tell us a bit about yourself, your role with Buffer and who your favourite artists are?
My name is Bonnie Porter, I live in Nashville, Tennessee and have been with Buffer for three years. I’m currently managing our social media, which can be a bit meta since it’s social media for a social media company. Two artists I’ll never get tired of are Robyn and Lizzo.
For those who are unfamiliar with Buffer, tell us a bit about the company and how your services can help artists better manage their social platforms?
Buffer is a platform of brand-building products, fine-tuned to help you stand out and reach more folks on social media. Our suite of publishing, engagement, and analytics tools can help artists with meaningful engagement and measurable results for their brand.
How important is it for an artists to have a plan in place when it comes to social media?
It’s important to have a general plan and just get started. Having a plan with an outline can help keep you on track. You can make some educated guesses and keep experimenting and iterating as you get more comfortable.
Artist tend to focus on vanity metrics (likes, follows, views, etc.) to gauge how successful their efforts are. What would you suggest they focus on instead?
Engagement is my number one recommendation. Engagement increases loyalty and encourages word of mouth which in turn helps your reach. Measuring your engagement rate and even social shares can help you see what resonates most with your followers. As an artist, I’d also want to see how my posts were converting if there was a call to action to download an album, buy tickets, etc.
Artists also focus on making things seem better than they actually are as perception is important to them. One way to do that is through the purchase of the vanity metrics listed above. What is your view on artists purchasing likes and follows? Is this a good or bad strategy?
I would always discourage purchasing likes and follows, as it can harm your social media strategy in the long run. It’s not great for your image, you can come off as deceptive or disingenuous.
Your marketing costs could actually increase because you’re paying for ads shown to fake accounts. Value over volume wins out here in my opinion.
With changes to social media occurring frequently what would you suggest artists do to stay up to date with these changes?
Don’t feel like you have to have a handle on everything. Set aside a small chunk of time per week to learn about what’s happening with social media. We’ve got a blog post that outlines how to stay on top of things in 10 minutes per day that might have some helpful tips: https://buffer.com/resources/social-media-news
Key Takeaways From The Interview
If there are tools out there that will help you simplify your marketing efforts then I recommend taking advantage of them. Tools like Buffer may not directly advertise to artists but do not underestimate what they can do for you and your career.
In today’s day and age automation is your friend and the more time you can save yourself the more time you have for other important activities related to your career.
Thanks to Bonnie’s insightful responses, there are some great keys to remember from the interview which are as follows:
- Having a plan is very important and will help guide your marketing decisions. Give some thought to how you want to run your social platforms and how you will execute your plan.
- Don’t get too caught up with the metrics that don’t push your business (music career) forward. Engagement should be one of your main focuses.
- Buying followers, likes, etc is not in your best interest. Keep things organic and grow naturally.
- Technology seems to change by the second. Social media is no different. It is hard to stay on top of everything but just do your best to be aware of changes and implement them when they are right for you. You can also watch what the competition is doing to see what’s working and what isn’t.
- Collaborate and network not only with artists but people from other industries and professions who also heavily rely on social media. They may have tricks that they use that would translate great in the music realm of things.
How artists can save time with social media: Wrapping It Up
Social media can be an intimidating playground but tools like Buffer can help you gain the confidence you need to be successful with this element of your marketing strategy.
Bonnie and her colleagues over at Buffer have a ton of helpful content that can help you when it comes to marketing your music on social media. I highly suggest you read through some of their content if you are ever having challenges.
We’d like to hear from you. What are some of the biggest challenges you’re facing with social media?
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Kevin is the founder of Music With Flavor, which joined Whipped Cream Sounds in 2023. He is a seasoned musician turned industry expert. His passion for music goes beyond melodies; he delves deep into the intricate world of music marketing, striving to unearth the most effective strategies for indie musicians. However, Music With Flavor isn’t just about Kevin’s knowledge; it’s a network of industry experts handpicked to provide the most trusted advice. Kevin’s role is to pose the right questions, not just answer them, as he and his team tirelessly research trends, connect with artists, and gather valuable insights.
