Building Your Fanbase on Social Media

Social media is the most powerful free marketing tool available to emerging artists, but it only works if you approach it strategically. The biggest mistake artists make is treating social media as a broadcasting platform — posting music links and hoping people click. Instead, think of it as a relationship-building tool. People follow artists they feel connected to, not artists who constantly ask them to stream a song.

Start by choosing one or two platforms and committing to them properly. If you are a visual artist or your music has strong aesthetic appeal, Instagram is essential. If you make music that translates well to short clips — catchy hooks, interesting production, or engaging performances — TikTok can grow your audience exponentially. YouTube is unmatched for long-form content like music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and vlogs. Trying to be everywhere at once leads to burnout and mediocre content on every platform.

Content consistency matters more than content perfection. Post 3 to 5 times per week minimum. Mix your content between three categories: music content (clips of new songs, studio sessions, live performances), personality content (day-in-the-life, opinions, humour, stories), and community content (responding to comments, collaborating with other artists, sharing fan posts). The 80/20 rule applies: 80 percent of your content should provide value or entertainment, and only 20 percent should be direct promotion.