CREATING A SMART BUZZ ABOUT YOUR MUSIC - INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA "VALUE"

"Once your products are created, simply write about them, talk about them, and create articles from the content and say “Yes” to interviews. The buzz created will point people back to your site." - Kytka Hilmar-Jezek

Same goes for music. Once you have a new "product", begin a smart and well thought out buzz to get it heard and increase your social media "value".

1.) Tell your fans, promote the heck out of it in new, creative ways, not just "here's my new CD" or "check out my video." 

 Create contests that involve fans. Put them in your videos to promote the music. Here's an idea, choose a few random fans that are regular hardcore promoters of your music, pick up the phone & call them, ask them for ideas, get quotes to use in trade publications. Don't just rely on industry quotes. There is no bigger promoter than your fan base. They'll be honest about your music.

2.) Connect w/ bloggers, journalists, and local media. 

Don't turn down an interview request because you don't think the audience won't be big enough - do you really want to put limits on your publicity and possibilities? Anyone willing to genuinely help you and is interested enough to talk to you about your music is a good thing.

3.) Respond to as many tweets and Facebook comments as you can personally without relying on a social media manager all the time. 

A social media manager can never convey the same emotion as you can when it comes to what you want to say and what's on your mind. If you're proud of your new project, take the time to tell people why it means so much to you. If you have time to read your timeline, you have time to interact on it. When fans and potential fans see that you take the time, they'll take the time in return. Nothing means more to a fan than a personal connection. So, 3 things - FIND the time, MAKE the time, TAKE the time.

4.) Don't oversaturate your or your fans timelines and don't swim all into their DM's with the same spam posts over and over. 

There's nothing more of a turn off than constant spam about a new project or show. When you look at an artist's timeline and it's nothing but the same tweet over and over, it's honestly annoying as hell and the quickest way to get someone to move on. Change it up, post about it a few times during the day but differ the wording, make it less "robotic" and make it more personal. You want to create a buzz, not put people to sleep. Also, if you're going to send someone information about your music, take the time to introduce yourself and thank them for listening, don't just DM a link and "Here's my new single." That is the surest way to get the opposite reaction than the one you hope you'll get.

This is your product, your music, your name, your reputation and fans are the ones who make the difference between your career and your hobby. Be buzz smart.

- Jennifer Smith
Follow Jenn on Twitter at @Lovinlyrics