It dived through my door. Neon pink. Curved lines imprinted. The Queen as an escort. It addressed me boldly as “Ollie”. Personal and unexpected. Valentines Day had been and gone. My birthday isn’t till April. Who could have sent this? Excitement and intrigue barged into my day.
Could you ever experience this from a social media post?
Do you ever find that your news feed gives you a bland experience?
The people you want to attract to your work are also experiencing this.
Plus there are obstacles, hurdles and alligators to wade through.
When social media fits within a wider plan to build your audience, it is more enjoyable and less of a strain.
Did You Know?
You have three challenges when using social media:
- The organic reach of your posts can be as little as 1-2% of your followers on Facebook. Once upon a time that used to be around 30%. The reason for the decline is that the volume of content has dramatically increased. Plus if you are using a Facebook Page, they can then tempt you into paid advertising.
- If Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter decided to shut you down, your list of followers would disappear. You wouldn’t be able to contact them. You’d have to start from scratch again. That is the trouble when these platforms are free to use. It’s not your property. That’s why it’s good to keep a downloaded copy of your creative content. Now it is always available for you to access. It becomes yours.
- Content Shock. The volume of content is constantly growing. The number of posts people can consume has a limit. Which means it’s harder to get seen, read and heard through organic reach.
Has this put you off using social media yet?
It does have a good purpose…but it’s not as an overall strategy.
Social Media As A Tool
When you pin your hopes on social media, it is easy to get despondent. The organic reach issue is a big obstacle. But social media is a great tool as the potential start for people to get to know you. A way to introduce yourself!
Daily short posts give people a flavour of what kind of a musician you are and how you help them. This is where you could introduce video snippets of what you are playing. Short content such as ‘Did you know…?’, ‘Top Tips…’, ‘Updates…’.
It gives potential followers an insight that they find valuable. Now they are at the start of their audience journey with you. By posting consistently, over time your posts will appear in your follower’s news feed. This helps you stay in front of their mind. Consistency is key, even when it appears that not much is happening with engagement. I am surprised by the number of silent lurkers who have revealed themselves in person with me.
Create More Space
An answer by Mitch Joel inspired me to write this. He mentioned in an online talk about the crowded place of social media. One remedy is to move off from social media platforms to gain space.
This is what the next step is for a follower on your social media. To allow them to move off from engaging social media and gain more value from you in a deeper form. This could be a blog, newsletter, podcast, video. It’s a space where you have a greater chance of talking directly to your audience. Without filtering through a newsfeed algorithm.
This is why I choose a weekly email for my deeper content for you. I know I can share ideas with you. Directly with you. No algorithm gauntlet. No lost contact details. You get more value. You can rely on me showing up. Plus you agreed to hear from me. Which is a huge honour and each week I am thankful for the trust you place in me.
If you choose to blog, you can ask people to subscribe. They get notifications when you publish another blog article. This is another way to build up an email list.
With Podcasts and Video, ask your audience to subscribe to the show. They will know when a new instalment is ready. You can promote a hashtag for your audience to use on social media so you can have a conversation with them.
IN SUMMARY
Social Media is a tool, not a strategy. Use it as a way to introduce yourself and when you’re consistent, stay at the forefront of people’s minds. The real magic can happen when you offer them the opportunity to explore your deeper content. This could be a blog, newsletter, podcast or long-form video. Once your follower subscribes to this deeper content, you have a direct line with them. Fewer algorithms to navigate around. You get to share the awesome work you are doing and how it helps your audience. Now you have a greater chance of building a stronger relationship. Which leads to watching a performance of yours.
Who sent me that neon pink post? The lovely Mark Masters from You Are The Media. He’s doing a Month Of Learning in April. I’m looking forward to sharing what I learn with you. That’s another way to find more space off of social media…posting a letter instead!
How do you use social media to promote your work? Let me know in the comments below.
Ollie Mansfield 