Hey, it’s TJ Miller, you want some game? Let's Tip Unda The Hat!
This week, Instagram, Let’s go -
To begin with Instagram (IG) is one of the best ways outside of YouTube to introduce your visuals to the world. But you know this already right? Of course. As stated in an earlier blog of mine, you have to go with the medium that’s going to drive the business. For a lot of you that is going to be IG, for some maybe not. But you still need it. “Drive the business,” what does that even mean? Well depending on your audience IG may be the go to; currently IG has 500 million active daily users, 67% are between 18 - 29, 47% 30 - 49, 23% 50 - 64, and 8% are over 65. 51% are female and 49% male. See your people? Depending on the type of music you make or business you run - IG will drive the business, or be a good part of your social mix. If you’ve been doing music, or any other business for that matter for more than 10 years or so, you know the marketing game has changed. Push Marketing activities such as radio ads, gigs to sell product, conventions etc are expensive. Pull Marketing like word of mouth, social media, and email is the now and the future. There is definitely a science behind all social media platforms, IG is no different. Though you can’t place live links on each post, you can do so in your bio and change it when necessary. You can also tag others in your posts and stories. This will help you gain followers who follow other people that dig what you do, can you dig it? The beauty of IG is the amount of videos you can add. You can engage your audience by talking directly to them, uploading videos of a performance, or just a spontaneous acoustic set or just open up and sing some acapella; it all works. Though you want to maintain brand integrity, you want some of your cool hip personality to shine through; even if you flub a word, or make a mistake. It’s life, laugh it off, and get your audience laughing. It draws them to you and makes you more enduring. Last thing is, like all other social media - it’s free! Well, kinda. Time is money and it’s going to cost you a lot of time, apps like hootsuite or Ripl will help. The key in the social game is consistency.
So regardless of whether you are a hip hop artist, jazz, opera singer, stand behind a chair as a real barber, have a restaurant, make cool art out of clay, or even preach the gospel, IG is a good time investment and will yield a return.
This week's Independent Artists of the Week Dana Sudborough who will be featured at The Jazz Jam at Jazz Becuzz tonight Tuesday at 8:30 CST on Facebook and YouTube live. Click on the name to catch the vibe, or the pic to hear a sample, then tune in tonight on the page.
For more information or to hire Unda The Hat as your brand or label consultant send a message via undathehat.com. See you next week.