Social media for musicians - this is how Instagram, TikTok and the like work!

It's hard to imagine today's world without social media. In the music market, platforms like Instagram and TikTok also play a central role when it comes to marketing artists or promoting songs. That's why you've probably asked yourself at least once how such platforms actually work, and who ultimately decides which posts really get coverage and which don't. But how does social media work for musicians? To understand this, the first step is to look at why social networks exist in the first place.

The goal of social media platforms

Regardless of whether we look at Instagram, TikTok or other similar networks, it's the same game everywhere! Registration and use are always free of charge. The operators earn money by providing advertising space for companies and advertisers.

The focus is on creating a positive experience within the app. Only then will a large number users feel comfortable and stay on the platform for a long time. This means a maximum exposure to advertisements, which in turn brings maximum monetary profit for the operator. It's clear: in the end, like in any other company, it's about making money.

In order to ensure that as many users as possible stay on the app for as long as possible, artificial intelligence is used. Specialized code called algorithms are used to analyze users’ behavior and can thus assess exactly what is relevant and engaging for individual users. This is what encourages users to continue spending time in the app.

It is therefore important for you as a musician to be classified as “relevant” with your content by the algorithm so your posts can get the greatest possible reach.

More reach through relevance

There are some helpful tricks on how to get the algorithm on your side so it works for you and not against you. Perhaps most importantly, you should make sure to post content at regular intervals. This constancy gives the algorithm more data for the correct classification of your content. It also increases the likelihood that your posts will go viral, which can be the case with TikTok, for example.

Another point is hashtags. You should use these to classify yourself specifically for the algorithm and to positively influence its perception of your profile. Here, too, the following applies: The more information the algorithm has about you, the more likely your content is to reach new people.

Therefore, you should also make sure to be consistent in what you post on a given social media platform. Contradictions or breaks in your content are rated negatively and reduce your reach. For example, if you normally post music content, excessive posting of food is out of place! This confuses the algorithm, resulting in less-frequent exposure of your content to new people. In this situation, the risk is too great that the users will close the app because of your irregular contribution, which would naturally lead to a loss of revenue for the operators.

In the end, one thing counts above all: Make sure your content is relevant to the platform's algorithm! Only then will you attract authentic followers through your posts.

Social media experience from other musicians

Would you like to know how other musicians design their social media profiles and what works or doesn't work for them? Then get in touch with others at mukken. Maybe you can even help each other. You can also find more blog posts about marketing for musicians here on the mukken Blog.