You probably already have a “link in bio” that directs your audience on Instagram or Twitter or TikTok to go… somewhere else.
Parking your website URL in your social bio is the bare minimum. Hopefully, though, you’re using a proper “link in bio” tool to aggregate multiple links and features.
Why? Because your social bio is prime real estate. That one link needs to do some heavy lifting.
Your link in bio should:
- Convey your musical brand
- Help fans quickly find songs & videos
- Capture audience interest
- Impress people in the industry
- And much more
In other words, your “link in bio” should act as a smart EPK that helps you grow your fanbase and impress tastemakers.
In this article by our friends at Koji, you’ll learn about the power of a link-in-bio EPK:
The Best EPK In 2022 Is… Not An EPK?
Electronic Press Kits, or EPKs, have been a vital tool throughout the music industry for years.
Historically, the EPK served as a musician’s pitch packet to curators, press outlets, and booking agents. However, as the modern music business evolves, shouldn’t our social tools do the same?
Thankfully, our modern age has brought us a new and improved EPK format that lives right within your link in bio. Below, we’ll share how a single super-charged link can serve as your one-stop pitching package to labels, agents, promoters, venues, and press.
The New EPK For Musicians
To understand the need for an updated EPK format, we have to understand the original purpose of an electronic press kit. EPKs are essential tools that contain everything the music industry needs to know about you as an artist, including your press features, past performances, and links to your music and social media.
While the traditional EPK checks all of these boxes, there’s something to be said about engagement and presentation of the EPK. EPKs created on a Word Document or PDF file might not have the direct embeds to your music, or the ability to show a prospective venue a snippet of your past performance without leaving the page. Understandably, busy players within the industry could lose interest if they have to open 5 different tabs just to understand who you are as a musician.
That’s where Koji comes in. This supercharged link in bio provides a whole host of in-bio mini apps for you to contain and directly embed all of your music-related content. Plus, with eye-catching customizable backgrounds, buttons, and link text, you’re able to make your EPK your own for free.
This EPK provides interested parties with an experience that’s more interactive and tied to your personal brand. Since viewers don’t have to leave the link in bio in order to view content, they’re able to quickly look over your portfolio and make the call.
Link in bio EPKs also provide musicians with opportunities to showcase their interactions with fans and monetize their music – which undoubtedly serves as selling points within the music business.
The 8 Ingredients To An Impactful EPK
So what do you need in a modern EPK to successfully communicate who you are as an audience? Here are some of the most important points to include in your EPK:
1. A Strong Bio
You’ll want to send a strong bio along with your EPK that describes you as an artist or band. This should describe your musical style, where you’re from, share accolades and milestones, and hook in the reader with stories of your challenges, hopes, and dreams. Try to stay crisp and concise with a 3 paragraph maximum and send it along with your EPK.
For more bio writing tips, check out this article. You can host your artist bio in Koji apps like Media Wall.
2. Links To Your Music
Music is undoubtedly the most important part of your EPK, so be sure to display it loud and proud in your supercharged link in bio! You can embed playlists directly via the Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Bandcamp and Soundcloud embed mini-apps.
3. Press Features
Testimonials from press outlets can go a long way in earning you gigs and future coverage. Media Wall allows you to curate your favorite features with a customized order and description and can be set up within minutes. Showcase your greatest achievements, don’t be shy! In order to earn opportunities, you’ll have to prove that you have a positive precedent.
4. Social Media
Social media is a huge part of building a loyal audience. Industry professionals will want to see how you’re branding yourself online, so try TikTok Embed, Instagram Embed, Twitter Embed, and Facebook Embed in your link in bio to highlight important posts.
5. Tour and Event Schedule
Unless you’re a mainstream artist, most promoters don’t like to book shows in the same area too close together to maximize the draw at any given event. Keep your EPK up to date with Event Calendar will mitigate their questions before they have time to ask. They’ll also be able to see what size rooms you’re playing in to predict your draw.
Event Calendar is just as valuable for your fans, too! Keep your meetups and tour dates updated in your link in bio so that your audience can find you.
6. High-Quality Photos
High quality photos don’t just display who you are as an artist, but they’re also needed for presenting you for bookings or shouting you out on social media. You can embed your best posts directly with Instagram Embed or create a scrollable gallery using Media Wall.
7. Performance Videos and Testimonials
Hosting music videos and footage from past performances is key to booking gigs and earning fans. You can embed video content directly into your EPK with YouTube Embed, Twitch Embed, and Vimeo Embed.
With Video Guestbook, you can invite your fans to leave reactions to your songs, complete a challenge, or create a dance video to your tunes. The best promotion material comes from those who are truly impacted by your music.
8. Contact Information
Make sure viewers can figure out how to contact you by taking a quick glance at your EPK. You can facilitate this via direct messaging on Premium Inbox, schedule meetings on Calendy, or collect emails via Email Collection.
How Do I Use An EPK?
You can think of EPKs as your personal portfolio of your music and all that you encapsulate as an artist. (I would also dumb it down and explain that you both email it, and leave it displayed for anyone to see) Here are just a few sectors that may be interested in viewing your EPK:
- Record Label A&R’s: A&R representatives are constantly seeking out their next mainstage artist. Having all of your ducks in a row via a strong link in bio provides them with a compelling EPK to make you case upon discovery.
- Talent Buyers: Talent buyers and booking agents want proof that you have an engaged fan base who will commit to coming to your show. Your EPK can showcase past performances and provide access to your schedule through Event Calendar.
- Music Supervisors: Music supervisors are bombarded with endless emails and press packets. An engaging electronic EPK could help you stand out from the crowd and earn a sync placement.
- Press: Press outlets, playlisters, and blog curators certainly want to see who you are and what you’ve done in addition to listening to your music.
- Fans: A supercharged link in bio makes it easy to funnel your fans to the same, centralized place with all of your links. Koji’s customization features make your bio an extension of your brand and artist experience.
- Stakeholders: EPKs can be used to pitch to those who want to invest in your career, whether that’s financially or through service. You can also crowdfund directly through Koji mini apps like Fund My Project.
- The Unknown: If you’re doing it right, you’re investing time and energy in bringing new eyes and ears to your music and brand on a regular basis. Having your complete EPK in your link in bio means that any onlookers will get the best first impression of your possible.
The best modern EPK is a supercharged link in bio complete with mini apps for musicians. Make a great first impression with an eye-catching profile designed for fans and industry experts alike.
The post 8 Things Every “Link in Bio” Needs appeared first on DIY Musician.
