Whether you love it or hate it, social media is one of your best options when it comes to finding an audience and building a lasting fanbase.
In this episode of the DIY Musician Podcast, we talk with Cassie Petrey, CEO and co-founder of Crowd Surf, a music marketing firm that has run social media campaigns for household names like Camila Cabello, Kim Petras, and Backstreet Boys, as well as countless local and grassroots artists.
Finding true fans for your music on social
Thanks to Cassie for sharing her thoughts on how artists should and shouldn’t use social media. It’s refreshing to hear from a social expert whose priority is helping artists foreground their music in the social landscape.
Or as she says: “Your goal should NOT be numbers.”
Check out the whole discussion in the video above! I think you’ll find her advice is applicable to musicians at every level.
Topics discussed include:
00:00 Intro
02:20 Previewing the DIY Musician VIP Experience
05:30 Announcing “Top 5 Artist Tips” video series
06:45 Introducing Cassie Petrey
07:52 Backstreet Boys boxed seats & early digital fandom
12:12 Learn “everything” by helping local artists
12:55 Early days of social media marketing in music
16:29 The social content 180 in music
18:03 Do emerging & established acts have different social media needs?
20:57 Artist overwhelm with the pace of social
22:25 The biggest challenge for DIY musicians: Reframing what content is
23:55 Can shy artists develop social charisma as a skill?
25:15 How Kim Petras found her voice and confidence on social
26:36 Musician discomfort with the visual mode; reframing TikTok
29:57 Populating a new type of content and product offering
30:56 “What’s actually gonna work ON the platform?”
32:14 The importance of discipline on social
33:38 Social numbers don’t always equate to music success
36:44 The risk of attention for attention’s sake
37:56 Unearthing good ideas for social content
38:48 Advertising can be a dangerous hole when done incorrectly
41:42 Rethinking an “official” release
45:04 How reluctant are legacy artists to use TikTok?
47:20 Should content intentionally try to drive up watch time?
48:33 Turning social audience into a fanbase
49:10 Tour marketing & the Ticketmaster button on TikTok
50:40 Be an early adopter of Instagram Broadcasts: It pays off!
52:14 Surprise successes (and failures) on social
54:35 The phases of social support for a new song: pre-release, launch, sustain!
56:22 How to capture content “in the moment”
59:41 Over-marketing versus effective sales
01:01:29 The right framework for social posts: Don’t do it ONLY for attention
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