Hacking Social Media: An Indie Artist Guide
Learn the ins and outs of mastering social media marketing as a indie artist.

There's a plethora of articles that advise upcoming indie artists to maximize social media as a means of growing their audience. They're not wrong. Social media is one of the most powerful platforms for growth. Social Media and the internet have opened up the world such that you can reach people halfway across the world from the comfort of your bedroom. This all sounds nice, but it's easier said than done.

The massive number of people using social media is both a plus and a minus for you as an indie artist. It's a plus. There's a bigger audience for you, but a minus because everyone online is clamoring to have their voices heard. So how can you stand out? Walk with me...

Seven Actionable Tips

If you're looking to build a presence online, there are tried and tested ways to achieve that. Let's have a look at some.

Pick a platform

The very first thing you must do is pick a platform. There are a good number of social media platforms, but the major ones are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Each of these social media platforms has its specific hacks and methods of growth. Here's an example...

Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube favor video content over written content, so if you like to get in front of the camera you want to focus on those three. That said, YouTube favors long video content, let's say ten minutes or more. On the flip side, Instagram and TikTok favor short-form content, usually less than a minute.

So if you want to start by making short covers of your favorite artists, TikTok and Instagram are probably where you want to start. If you prefer to make deep and well-produced videos, YouTube is where you want to be.

Educate, entertain, and motivate

Now that you've picked the platform you believe is best for you, it's time to focus on your content. Your content must educate, entertain, or motivate your audience for people to want more of you. As an indie artist, you can do all three.

You can use your music to educate, entertain, and motivate. One artist who has nailed this art is NF. His music helps people struggling with depression but also features awesome rap that anyone would enjoy listening to.

Trends

Whatever platform you choose to focus on, trends are a sure way to build a following. Trends include any activity around your music that could go viral. It could be a rap verse challenge, a dance challenge, or whatever you choose to do. It's an effective way to make your audience feel like a part of your journey.

Love Nwantiti by Ckay has broken all sorts of records on TikTok all because there was a dance challenge that went viral.

Covers

When no one knows your name, hardly anyone cares about your new song. The minute someone like Ariana Grande releases a new single, everyone is all over it. Her fans will listen to the song over and over, but you know what else they'll look for? They'll look for different versions of that song, and that's where you come in.

You have no audience of your own, but when you make a cover of Ariana Grande's song, you're "borrowing" her fanbase. If you're good at it, more and more people will want to listen to your covers. Eventually, people won't look for you because of the songs you cover, but because of you. A prime example of that is the duo of Devon Terrel and Futuristic.

Consistency

This is perhaps the most cliche piece of advice you've ever heard, but it is that important. Without consistency, you can't make it online. If you're already a celebrity by the time you join social media, your audience will forgive almost every sin you commit. In the beginning, when no one knows your name, you have to put in the work.

The more content you create, the more likely it is for your name to ring a bell. And once your name rings a bell, you're already on your path to becoming a household name, to achieving true celebrity status.

Three Mistakes to Avoid

You have a general idea of what to do if you want to build online. What about the flip side, though? What are some things you should never do? I have three of them…

Cold energy

At the very start of your online growth journey, and even throughout, you need to engage your audience actively. If someone leaves you a nice comment, thank them. It's the least you can do, and I'll tell you why.

Every artist has a  solid base of fans who they know will always be there for them. Nicki Minaj has her Barbz and Taylor Swift has her Swifties, yet you have no one at the beginning. To help build a rapport, engage your audience. This helps to make them feel part of your journey, and that's what makes them super fans.

Multitasking

When I said you should pick one platform at the start of this article, I wasn't joking around. When you try to multitask by trying to make it on all the social media platforms, you'll be wasting your time. Pick one at a time and focus on that before you can afford to expand. Each social media platform has its modus operandi, so managing parallel accounts will be a heavy task for whoever it is.

Ignore the actual music

This is the most important piece of advice in the entire article. Don't be so carried away by the need to build an audience online that you forget how to make good music. Content is always king, and music is your content. So focus on it, give yourself time, and get better at making music.

Final Thoughts

After decades of record label monopoly, social media has opened up the world. If you don't understand how to use social media to your benefit, you've been missing out on glory. It's time to end that.