How to Use Social Media to Build an Awesome Fanbase

HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD AN AWESOME FANBASEJEREMIAH CRAIG

–Jerry Garcia

“You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered

the only ones who do what you do.”

Jeremiah Craig jeremiahcraig.com

THIS IS THE FOUNDATION

• Techniques that Work Across all Channels

• Gain New Listeners

• Connecting with Gatekeepers

• Strategies to Get New Fans


WHAT WE’LL BE COVERING

• What is Social Media

• Building Your Story

• Engaging with Fans, Bloggers and Gatekeepers

• Creating and releasing content and music

• Examples


WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

• Social Media is Community

• Word of mouth

• Types of Social Media

• Content Channels

• Conversation Channels


SO WHAT CHANNELS ARE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• Don’t worry about this yet

• Depends on your story


Build Your Story


WHAT DOES BUILDING A STORY MEAN?

• What makes you love music?

• What do you love about your own music?

• What makes you unique? What’s your “thing”?

• Find that uniqueness and build a story around that


HOW TO BUILD YOUR STORY

• Create Content

• Blog posts, podcasts, videos, images

• Share that content on social media


BECOME KNOWN FOR IT

• Search Social Media and start conversations

• Talk about it

• Everywhere you’re mentioned online, get your story mentioned too

• Find the social media channels where it’s talked about


BRAINSTORMING TOPICS

• What to write about? What to talk about?

• Talk about what you do in music and why it’s important

• Talk about the future of your genre

• Explain your genre and uniqueness

• Your heroes, favorite quotes, or teach people your style


SO WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

• Balladeer, Storyteller

• I write blog posts, make videos, talk about folk music on Twitter

• My content has helped me become known for being a storyteller and balladeer.


Build Your Story Engage


ENGAGING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

• The most important part of being on social media is being social.

• Talk with people about your content

• If they compliment you, say thanks!

• If they disagree, start a conversation

• Make it interesting


MAKING IT INTERESTING


ENGAGING WITH GATEKEEPERS

• The bloggers, the venue owners, the promoters

• Build a relationship - talk about anything

• Come album release time or show time you already have a relationship


THIS IS A LOT OF WORK

• Why do it?

• Because it’s real

• It shows you care

• It gets more attention then spam


THE GRATEFUL DEAD

• Wrote their own Newsletters

• Set up recorder areas

• Engaged with fans

• Licensed their logo to fans


Build Your Story Engage Create and Release


CREATE AND RELEASE

• Key is to release music regularly

• Video or Audio

• Consider some free downloads too

• So create and release!


CREATE AND RELEASE WHAT?

• Mixtapes

• Alternate Takes

• Live Recordings

• Collaborate

• Remember public domain

• All you need is something with a camera and mic


WHAT YOUR ALBUM COMES OUT

• Hip Hop and mixtapes

• Free downloads = more album sales

• The more you give, the more you get

• Makes fans happy

• Increase shares

• Grows fans

• Fans pay you back when its time


REMEMBER FAN’S BEST INTEREST

• Make it easy for them to like you and your music

• Help them share your story

• Make it simple, make it good

• Engage

• Make as much music as possible


Build Your Story Engage Create and Release

Blog, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, Vimeo,

Tumblr, Vine, Instagram, StumbleUpon, Snapchat, Pinterest


QUESTIONS?


How to Use Social Media to Build an Awesome Fanbase

Social Media

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