How To Cut Through The Noise and Find Fans on Social Media

Based on work at BBC Radio and the successes of rising artists, music marketer Ed Watson offers four non-negotiables artists need think about when building social media campaigns. Learn how cut through the noise and find fans on social media.

How To Cut Through The Noise and Find Fans on Social Media

by music marker Ed Watson

So, you’ve made a great song. You’ve mixed it, mastered it and sent it off to DSPs with some artwork.

Now you’re wondering… “how on earth do I get people to discover my music on social media?”

The answer is rarely straightforward, and the goal posts are forever changing. When I launched BBC Radio 1 on TikTok in 2020, it took a lot of gradual, strategic changes to grow the account to what it is today – one of the most popular radio entertainment brands on the platform with 1.4M followers and over 1 billion views. 

I learned a lot about finding your audience at Radio 1 and during the past 10 years in this industry. Those lessons are relevant across the board when it comes to brand marketing on social media, but particularly so for musicians and entertainment organizations trying to break through the noise.

Below, I’ve rounded up four non-negotiables that every artist should think about when building their first social media campaign. 

Identity & Personality

Before you start posting your song online, ask yourself a few questions. What is your brand as an artist? What is interesting about you and your music that sets you apart from other musicians right now? What story can you tell? People need a reason to care, which is why a clear, concise brand identity is so important.

Take trending artist panicbaby. Her TikTok account predominately features simple lipsync videos to her latest songs, but they all have relatable and often goofy captions talking about a broken relationship. For other teenage girls, panicbaby conveys the image that she’s authentic and just like her fans. Whilst a band like WHATMORE have focused on cinematic skits that radiate energy, positive vibes, and a Freaks and Geeks-like charm.

It’s certainly not easy to find your *thing*, so make sure to experiment with different formats and stories – and try them out risk-free with tools like Trial Reels on Instagram.

Moment Marketing

There was a period a few years ago where artists and creators would hop on every TikTok trend as a marketing strategy. Nowadays, it’s better to be selective. Do you have a good twist on the trend? Is what you’re conveying relevant to the audience you’re trying to reach? 

Riding a trend or meme can still generate huge numbers and connect you to new fans, but make sure you’re also telling your own story through original content. Oftentimes, microtrends – or unique, personal trends – are more impactful than heading straight for the most popular sound. 

The most important thing of all is the hook. Three seconds is about the amount of time you have to capture your audience’s attention, which frankly isn’t very long at all.

Quality Control

Many would say quantity is better than quality when it comes to posting on social media. While that’s true in some cases, it’s not for artists trying to build an audience. Sharing too many posts that perform badly or spamming your audience can affect your position in the algorithm and impact subsequent posts. 

Instead, create a realistic content cadence that’s sustainable for your circumstances and focus on creating quality posts that your audience is responding to. Once you’ve honed your artist’s online identity and started to tap into the right moments for the brand, use the post insights to inform an ongoing content strategy. Small wins are a great indicator of what could become a huge win when it reaches the right audience, so allow the numbers to guide which areas and formats to double down on. 

For each post, it can also help to ask yourself one simple question: “Is this piece of content something that I would watch and engage with in my own time?” Be honest with yourself, and if the answer is no – don’t post! 

The Mysterious Algorithm 

People have come up with smart ways to trick the system and create virality, but it can be more effective to harness the algorithm in a creative – and crucially, brand appropriate – way.

This week, musician Sophia James conducted a “social experiment” that’s blown up on TikTok. She posted back-to-back videos on the platform promoting her latest song, pointing out the difficulty of reaching new listeners. The trick? Each video was assigned a “group” with the aim of reaching a different audience – and for reasons unknown, the “Group 7” one went on to hit 61M views and 8M likes. The other groups paled in comparison.

Shares, watch time, and engagement are the most important metrics when it comes to pushing your content out to more people. Pay attention to which posts generate results in these areas, and modify your strategy accordingly. You can also find great advice about the technical side of things from social experts like Matt Navarra, Future Social, and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri.

Keep in mind that it’s possible to get superstitious about the algorithm. Overthinking the placement of a bit of text on your Reel or the order of hashtags on a TikTok won’t necessarily be your maker (or breaker). Stay abreast of new features and algorithmic changes, but focus on putting the bulk of your time and energy into creating a compelling and personal story.

Ed Watson is a freelance content creative, social strategy manager and pop culture obsessive with 10+ years experience in music, media and entertainment. He’s worked with global artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa and Sabrina Carpenter and generated millions of views for brands like BBC Radio 1 and Vevo.

• Website: https://www.ed-watson.co.uk/ 
• Instagram: @ed_wot

“How To Cut Through The Noise and Find Fans on Social Media” first appeared on Hypebot.com