So, you want to be a performing & recording artist?  Well, guess what?  Your social media account is your new “EPK.”  If you want a separate account under a name you are NOT “professionally known as,” then make one, set it to private, invite your family and closest friends to follow, and have a blast posting random food pics and vacation selfies, and set THAT to private.  (Why in the world would anyone wanting to be a professional entertainer have a private account?!  Still baffles us.)  BUT,  anything pertaining to you as a BRAND (cause that’s what you need to be), should be all business.  Here are what we consider to be the: Top 5 Most Common Social Media Mistakes

scrabble letters spelling out social media next to iPhone displaying Facebook login

We’ve categorized them as what NOT to do…

DON’T:

5.   …have 10 different social handles.  It’s confusing.  If you’re @12NakedMonkeys (That may actually exist. We haven’t checked.), then you need to be @12NakedMonkeys everywhere – Soundcloud, Twitter, Insta…you name it.  Decide on a social media handle that is easy to remember, represents your brand well, and is available across all platforms.

4. …just post whenever and a bunch.  Test out types of content and posting times.  Sometimes the analytics on your Insta don’t always mean that is when you will absolutely get the most engagement. It just means your followers TEND to be the most present during those times/hours/days/etc.  Once you figure out what works, stick to it! You don’t have to be a slave to your accounts.  You just have to be EFFECTIVE.

3. …post for yourself.  It’s great that you love those oversized green sweat pants and think you look adorbs in them, but you’re not posting for yourself.  Everything you do is with a purpose.  That purpose is to ENGAGE, ENGAGE, and DID WE MENTION ENGAGE??! Remember, you are building fans and converting some of those fans into superfans who find you valuable enough to actually buy a ticket to go see you perform, download your music, etc.

2. …post for your friends, family and colleagues.  2 things come to mind when you consider these types of followers: 1-“yes” people and 2-people who WON’T SUPPORT OR SPEND MONEY ON YOU!  Listen, you could post that you pooped your pants and your closest friends and fam will leave positive, uplifting comments about how it “happens to everyone” and “you still look good, though.” You don’t need that in your life.  You DO, however, need people who don’t know you personally to either obsess over you, debate about you, or DESPISE you, because those are the people who keep coming back, find you intriguing, keep your name out there, and SPEND MONEY ON YOU!

1. …be inconsistent.  Just don’t.  Consistency is KEY.  Don’t get lazy, cause you will be denying your fans value, and don’t expect people to not forget about you because there will be some other consistent person in their feed waiting to snatch their attention and fandom.

Now go get ’em.  Happy posting!!