How to Succeed on Social Media with Consistency
Originally published on Indie Band Blog (IndieBandCoach.com)
Whether you are posting the latest link to your music, uploading pre-recorded video, or livestreaming this week’s concert, there are a few things to consider to help your content stand out.
I believe that the most basic three things that will help you develop an awesome online brand are — being engaging, being consistent, and being yourself. In this blog post though, I want to highlight ˆconsistency” and what that looks like.
“If content is king, then consistency is the key to the castle.”
— Leonard Patterson
CONSISTENT MESSAGE 📣
What’s your personality? How do you communicate in person? Often your band (i.e. brand) will be an extension of your own persona. Not always and by no means is it a rule, but just be sure your messaging is clear so that you are attracting the right audience.
If you’re a naturally warm and welcoming indie folk artist who performs acoustically at fairs and festivals, you probably have a similar vibe when posting. It might be a little jarring to see you using profane language on comments or promoting with overly-aggressive messages.
Think about your music, your personality, and the words you use to communicate them both.
Looking for some inspiration?
Visit Words-to-Use.com for some ideas. You’ll see a set of tabs at the top of the music menu. Click on phrases and adjectives and explore!
++ 7 Virtual Tip Jar Options You Need to Know
CONSISTENT AESTHETIC 🎨
Almost as important as the words you type, are the visuals you use. How many high-end restaurants do you know who’s decor is bright yellow and red? Until “McDonald’s McSteakhouse” opens up, I’m not sure there’ll be one! 😜 Take some time to think about and be conscious of your visual branding – font, logo, color scheme, emoji’s, etc.
Outsourcing: If you need some work done, don’t be afraid to check on sites like Upwork.com or Fiverr.com. As a word of caution though, do some research. Sure the newer contractors may have lower rates, but without a good sampling of reviews to read, it’ll be hard to assess what you’ll actually be getting.
Before you potentially get started or hire someone, one thing you might consider would be creating your brand kit. A brand kit is a short, easily digestible guide to your brand’s visual identity. It’s a quick reference to understanding the logos, colors, fonts, and messaging that represent you and are usually shared as downloadable PDFs.
Don’t skip over color meanings, or color psychology. You may not think of colors as sending specific messages in your brand, but they do. Again, it’s not a hard rule, but looking at the hidden meanings behind colors may help inform some of your branding decisions.
What visual message are you sending? What psychological triggers occur with each color? Take a look at this infographic to see examples of big brands.
image credit: huff post
You can use a site like https://coolors.co/ or http://colormind.io/ to help you create your color scheme.
Other visual considerations could be anything from the font you use for your logo, the way you dress on stage (or online), the layout of your website, to the filter you choose for Instagram photos.
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CONSISTENT SCHEDULE 📅
Social media is ALL ABOUT showing up. The more consistently you show up, the better. But notice that it doesn’t say FREQUENCY. The frequency in which you post is a little less important than the schedule you keep. If your fans respond to 1x/day on social, 1x/month in email, by all means, milk it.
Most social channels have insights that will let you know approximately when and how many of your current audience is online. Use that as a starting point and don’t take it for granted.
If it looks like 3PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are when most of your audience is showing up, be sure to schedule some value-added content for those times. Give your posts the best chance at success.
It’s the difference between consistency and convenience.
Want some help coming up with ideas on what to share on social? Maybe this will help…
We recently shared a blog post: How to Get More Fans Tuned In To Your Band. In that blog post, we shared 6 things to consider when planning out your series or weekly content with your audience.
There was such a good response from the blog that we created a free Recurring Content Checklist that will help you put your new, consistent posts to the test. For example – is your content easy to make? Does it inspire you (i.e. are you motivated to create)?
If you’re not excited about your content, it’ll be that much more difficult to maintain interest and keep a schedule.
FACEBOOK’S CREATOR STUDIO ⚙️
Want to keep a consistent schedule and not have to post every day? Watch the YouTube tutorial on Creator Studio and plan your Facebook and Instagram posts from one place.
Creator Studio brings together all the tools you need to effectively post, manage, monetize and measure content across all your Facebook Pages and Instagram accounts.
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Leonard Patterson is an avid fan of all things New Edition, an indie-focused booking agent, a frequent hi-fiver (currently practicing safe “air fives”), and a certified digital marketer. Since stepping off stage as a band manager/front man of a 6-figure party band, he launched Indie Band Coach with a mission to help indie bands reach more fans and book more gigs through livestreaming and social media. When he’s not working, he’s most likely at a live music event, analyzing Marvel movies, or soaking up vitamin D at the beach with his wife and son.
