Social Media Part 2

I wrote a blog on the basics of social media and vulnerability a few weeks ago. Today, I want to go more in-depth about posting on social media and give you some tips on how to be successful. Social media can be a lonely place, especially for an independent artist. It's hard to find people who will pay attention to what you're posting. Here's a tip: audiences love the inside scoop. They want to feel like they are a member of a special club. As artists and songwriters, our music is generally inspired by things in our own lives. When we share parts of these lives on social media, it makes people feel like they are getting behind-the-scenes knowledge. Now, I am not saying that you have to share every aspect of your life. There are always going to be things that you will want to keep for yourself, and that's okay. Healthy, even. However, you have to let people in and be a little bit vulnerable if you want them to connect with you. If people just wanted to listen to you sing your songs, they can do that on streaming platforms. They want to know more about you. They also want to feel known. A great tip that I heard recently is to see what other kinds of videos your audience is watching, and make those. For example, if your audience also loves cooking videos, make a video of you cooking your favorite recipe with your music playing in the background. Even if you don't know how to cook, people will appreciate you being real and giving it a shot. Maybe they also watch a lot of "day in the life" videos. You could make a video of everything you do on a normal day. Even if you think that your life is 'boring', other people will find it interesting because it's different than theirs. Finding the balance between sharing too much and too little is difficult and varies with each person. What is personal for you might not be personal for someone else. It's something that you have to figure out as you go along. In a perfect world, your music by itself would be enough to make a living off of. These days, however, social media is a necessary step in gathering an audience and putting yourself out there. We all have to learn how to play the game.

"Our society is suffering from an epidemic of loneliness. People want to be genuinely invited in and included. This is an intention that can only be shifted within your own heart, and it will make a difference." ~Jill Riley