Musicians looking to expand their popularity shouldn’t limit themselves to YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook. They have to use as many social media platforms as possible to reach the most extensive number of audiences. One of the social media platforms that hold great potential is Instagram. With thousands of Instagram users in your community alone, you can use this platform to reach out to prospective and current fans.
However, merely publishing pictures, memes, viral videos, and quotes on Instagram does not guarantee that you will reach the right audiences. You would need to sit down and strategize. Here are six considerations in your Instagram strategy that you must think about and plan to expand your fanbase.
1. Create a story theme
Prospective and current fans would love to know a personal side of you. You can use Instagram to show pictures of who you are or what things inspired you to compose or perform a specific song. The picture or video topics could be about showing you practice or recording. You can also show pictures of your comfort food or brain food and explain how consuming these products drive your creative juices. The theme of your story pictures could be about your fashion, religious beliefs, activism, or community outreach engagements. However, remember to be consistent with the theme you use, so that you can weave a meaningful and streamlined storyline both your old and new fans can grasp and follow.
2. Focus on Instagram profile pictures
Your profile’s first nine photos should already encapsulate what your fans would expect from you. Those first nine photos would depend on the genre you perform and the branding you want to impart. For example, if you want to be perceived as someone who can help music listeners to move on from their heartbreak, you can go with picture colours that combine sadness (grey shades) and optimism (bright red colours).
3. Post regularly and consistently
Growing your followers on Instagram requires you to keep posting interesting content often, at least three times a day. Consistency shows that you are active online and interested in reaching out to current and potential fans. It adds to the authenticity of your fan service efforts. To make your Instagram releases more regular, you can create your picture or video posts ahead of time and schedule its release using apps like Hootsuite. In this way, your Instagram continues to be active, even if you’re too busy with other engagements.
4. Determine the right posting times
In addition to posting often, you need to post your images and videos at the right time. At the most fundamental level, you have to post at times of the day when most of your fans are awake and online. If you are an artist who wants to reach global audiences, you have to consider the time zones for your post schedules as well. You can use tools such as Iconsoquare to find when most of your followers are online. Gather data on your fans’ Instagram use and think about how you can adjust the schedule of your post releases to their usage behaviour.
5. Make use of hashtags
Hashtags are more than just an accessory. These words enable you to appear on relevant searches and newsfeeds. Thus, you have to think about the types of hashtags your fans would use to look for you or the type of music you make. At the same time, you also have to create witty hashtags that would resonate with your fans and make you stand out (or even trend!). Note that popular hashtags may change every month, so you have to keep thinking of new hashtags that would align with your fans’ preferences. You can also use hashtags if your latest song or story is related to a trending topic, such as the Ice bucket challenge for example.
6. Request for feedback
Feedback lets you hear directly from your fans what they want you to post and what improvements you can make in your posts. It also makes them feel more involved in your career growth, which solidifies and deepens their attachment towards your brand. Use Instagram to ask questions and leave comments on their responses to you online. Prioritize engaging with your most devoted fans to encourage the rest of your following to keep their hopes up of being heard by you as well.
Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch to see how we can help today.
