However, in such a competitive industry, what if there was a way to gain the upper hand on the thousands of other musos online who are already on these platforms? There are plenty of other social media tools available, which can enhance your reach in the digital world. Lets take a look.
Snapchat
This little mobile phone app has come a long way in the last few months. I know what you are thinking. And no, Snapchat is a lot more than just an app to send… well you get the point. Boasting over 100 million active daily users, Snapchat is the perfect way for your band to hone in on a very specific audience. The main users of Snapchat are in fact 13-34 year olds, so if your fans fall into this category, read on.
For those who admittedly don’t keep up-to-date with the latest trends, Snapchat is a simple app that allows you take photos or short videos of yourself (or whatever is happening at a particular moment in time) and then send that content directly to your followers. So why is this a must for musicians? Well, besides for the fact that it is a direct means of engagement with your audience, the app allows for you to get creative. You could use your 10-second clips to make tour announcements, hint at new song ideas, or to simply doodle on pictures of the band to have a laugh.
Tumblr
Originally intended to work as a feed for photographs, Tumblr has evolved into a blog-type platform where users who aren’t necessarily tech-savvy are able to create highly engaging, and aesthetically pleasing, online hubs. It is becoming increasingly popular for musicians and bands to use the social platform as their main website page, and for good reason too. For bands that have a lot going on (both in reality and online), Tumblr is the perfect hub to post your latest tour dates, share you new music, and link other social content from other hosts (such as Instagram). So if you’re stuck with a dodgy website, and minimal HTML skills, Tumblr is perfect for you.
Vine
Vine is the latest app that is trending in the USA. Granted it currently isn’t as popular in Australia, but it is still very relevant in gaining exposure for your musical endeavours. Vine works similarly to Snapchat in that you take short, 6-second videos to engage with audiences, however the delivery is where it differs. With Vine, your videos (once uploaded) are left sitting waiting for users to engage with the clip (like Instagram), rather than the video sending directly to your audience.
So why use it? Well this is where you really tap into that creative mind to create engaging and clickable content that will attract new audiences to your music. As the videos are only six seconds long, maybe use the tool similarly to Snapchat, announcing new tours, showing off your latest work or demoing snippets of songs you have been working on. Either way, it is free publicity and a must for all aspiring musos.
