Looking to boost engagement for your music artistry or creative business? Learn the tricks and pitfalls of posting content on your journey to building a brand. 

Burstimo is a London based Music Marketing Agency, boasting an in-house team of digital marketers, publicists, radio pluggers, graphic designers, and video editors. You’ll want to read and practice these creator business tips from Burstimo’s co-founder, Alex Jobling. 

Creating Engagement For Your Business

Q: What tactics are you currently using to boost IG engagement?

Alex:

Instagram engagement is always a tough one, especially for companies. We’ve created a community where people know they are part of something, and they’re not just a viewer [sitting] back, watching our videos, and consuming our content. We make a point of replying to every single comment and DM. This not only keeps those who commented engaged, but it encourages others to engage too, when they see that we’re active in our comments section

Respect Differences of Opinion

 

Alex:

[The biggest obstacle to using this strategy] is when someone comes at you with an opposing opinion, and truthfully we love [disagreement] in the marketing world [because] you can’t always be right about everything [since] so much is trial and error. If someone comes to you with a completely different opinion, [then] you have to consider it, but also debate it if you don’t think they’re right. This can often come across as a little heated and argumentative so we have to word it carefully to let [followers] know that we’re… replying in order to be helpful and add value rather than have an argument.

Insta is a Community, Not a Display

Q: What are some common mistakes/pitfalls artists should avoid when creating content?

Alex:

There is a big misconception of Instagram being like a website for an artist, where people go to visit the profile, check out some pics, then leave. But Instagram is a social platform by definition, and you need to think about the experience you are providing for the end user. 

[For example,] I see a lot of… artists posting 9 picture grids across their profile, which looks good but is awful for your existing followers, as they end up with a post on their feed which is simply the corner of someone’s ear. [These kinds of posts] only serve those who merely visit your profile — which is counter-productive. [When] people see you don’t post content and just grids… they won’t hit the follow button.

Be Raw

Q: The music market is more saturated than EVER. What can musicians do to stand out?

Alex:

[In 2020, we predict that] raw is going to be more fashionable than polished posts. People love rough and ready content where they can relate to it and engage. If too much money and production value is added to a video or image people will assume it’s an ad because that’s just how the likes of Coca-Cola, BMW, and Nike are promoting their products. We’re seeing more companies experiment with different types of content which don’t necessarily come across as an ad at first.

A lot of artists are worried about having too extreme of an image/message which puts off a certain audience, limiting their potential for a fan base. But the phrase “if you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one” holds true. You need to have a strong image and vibe, and build a niche audience who love you and build from there.

Create Content You Enjoy

Q:What advice do you have for other influencers who are either just starting their business or wanting to grow their current business? 

Alex:

Don’t get caught up in being at the mercy of the algorithm, always create content you enjoy creating. Many YouTubers have been open about [burning out] and have said that it was because they learned what the YouTube algorithm liked and therefore created content to suit it. When the algorithm stopped favouring them, they were stuck creating content they didn’t like doing and ended up running around in circles trying to get the algorithm back on their side.

Last But Not Least…Create Value

 

Alex:

Don’t cut corners. There are a ton of techniques which you can do to increase numbers, but numbers aren’t everything. Sure, you can [use the follow/unfollow strategy] and most recently, [you can use] bots which will view stories for you, but [these tactics] don’t get you good quality fans who engage and do what you say [long term]. Have a content strategy which adds value to your audience, and you will grow organically.

Everything takes longer than you expect, so enjoy the journey and the process. People obsess over end goals and how great it’s going to be when you get there, but… the sooner you realize that [the present] is the best bit, the more you enjoy it and naturally succeed.

 

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