How to Get More People to Follow Your Music

Shoulds and woulds are a thing of the past, as you’re finally putting out the music you knew you could all along. You’ve proven to yourself that you can do it. Now what? Crickets. You know the old saying: If a tree falls in the forest but no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Of course it does, but that’s beside the point. Just like anything else in life, it doesn’t help to put stuff out into the universe if you don’t know how to get others to interact with it. Social media and self-promotion are the name of the game when it comes to being successful, and this is particularly true of music.  If you’re looking to get more exposure, we can help. Read on for suggestions on how to get more people to follow your music.

Target the Followers of Other Bands

As a musician, the bands, solo artists, and music festivals you follow on social media are probably into the hundreds if not more. Use that to your advantage by following their followers, particularly those of bands that are similar to yours. It might not happen immediately but you will get a good percentage of those fans to follow you back. This is especially true if you’re interacting with them regularly. Social media and, in particular, Twitter is very much tit for tat. You’ll gain fans and likely enjoy yourself in the process.

Adhere to the Best Practices for Social Media

As everyone knows, social media is where aspiring artists of every kind garner attention. So if you’ve signed up for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and the like, do you think you’re done? Far from it. Again, your fans and followers want to feel like they’re benefiting from following your page, so you need to give them something for free—whether it’s actual music or information is up to you. And actually, a combination of the two is probably best.

Online surfers are visually stimulated more than anything, so make sure to engage them with photos and videos that are on brand with what you and/or your band are trying to be or portray. Don’t forget to give them a peek behind the curtains, so backstage photos and impromptu jam sessions are always great. You also need to post regularly. According to Inc.com, the following is recommended:

• Facebook: 1 post per day
• Twitter: 15 Tweets per day
• Pinterest: 11 Pins per day
• LinkedIn: 1 post per day
• Instagram: 1-2 posts per day

Rub Elbows With Music Influencers and Bloggers

From yoga and running to cooking and travel gear (and much, much more), there is an influencer for that. Influencers are people who either advertently or inadvertently became a sort of expert in a certain online genre. These people are often early influencers, too, so they know when something is going to be cool before it’s actually cool. Every field has them, and music is certainly no exception. These people are often compensated in some way to try a new product and then possibly share their review of said product. Find out who the influencers are in your area of music and reach out. This is their jam (pardon the pun), so don’t be afraid.

Share Your Music Online

If you’ve set out to be a musician for life, you want and need to make money to stay afloat. The starving artist thing is cute for a while, but we all need to eat. Because of this, the idea of submitting your music to share it for free is probably not appealing but it is often necessary when you’re first starting out. It’s a numbers game and you need more listens. Think of it as planting seeds. And once those seeds start to grow (i.e.) your music gets shared by fans), your garden will be plentiful. And don’t just throw it out there and be done with it. Consider doing something compelling with it, like adding visuals to your music by making a music visualizer online.

One truly is the loneliest number. The harsh reality about music (and, really, any field!) is that you need a strong and loyal online following. Try these tips and watch your fanbase grow.