As a indie artist, it may be hard to understand the difference between good networking and bad networking but let’s try to air it out for the cornballs who get things mistaken.
Number 1: You aren’t slick trying to pretend you all want to be friends and “Build” real relationships based on real things like your appreciation for art/indie music etc. because all your interested in doing is using that to get more likes/comments and followers playing the “popular kid” vs. “productive kid” which is the stuff most artist complain about when it comes to the amount of listeners they accumulate using the social media platforms as their main form of promotion.
YEAH THAT WAS A RUN ON SENTENCE BUT READ IT AGAIN SO YOU CAN FULLY GRASP THE STUPIDITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAJORITY OF INDIE ARTIST WHEN IT COMES TO SELF PROMOTION / NETWORKING.
Number 2: Your moral code is flawed so don’t sit there and pretend your this person who is about work when you spend more time debating what should and shouldn’t happen in the industry vs. getting to work – so the time you spend on social media isn’t for nothing, but the reality of this ain’t as easy as some people like to make it seem.
IGNORE THE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND FOCUS ON THE WORK RELATED STUFF WHEN YOU FIRST STEP ON THE SOCIALS TO CONNECT WITH INDIE ARTIST ONLINE <~ THE PERSONAL STUFF WILL BLOSSOM FROM THE STUFF YOU ACCOMPLISH BY WORKING TOGETHER IF THAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU <~ BUT YOU WON’T GET FAR BY DEPENDING ON FRIENDSHIPS WITHOUT PUTTING IN THE WORK.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO FOLLOW EVERY MOVE OF EVERY PERSON IN THE NETWORK BECAUSE THAT’S JUST CREEPY <~
FOCUS ON DOING YOUR PART <~ AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY ENGAGE – WHILE IGNORING THE OTHER ONES.
Number 3: How do you find artist ? Producers ? Entertainment professionals who are trying to figure things out just like you?
Sign up for twitter <~ once you sign up <~ you want to go to the search bar – and type in these words: I Need New Music <~ you can do that all in lower caps <~ and include #Youtube <~ #Spotify or any other music hashtag as you see fit.
This will produce different variations of the same kind of stuff which SHOULD reduce the amount of people you hit up twice and allow you to interact with / engage with new accounts daily!
It’s organic because YOU are interested in promoting their tweets – in regard to their music and they – dropped the link on a tweet because they want to be heard/supported.
WE ARE NOT PLAYING INTO THEIR DESIRE TO FORCE YOU TO LISTEN TO THEIR MUSIC BECAUSE DROPPING A LINK – DOESN’T REQUIRE THE PERSON RETWEETING/COMMENTING OR WHATEVR – TO GO THE EXTRA MILE JUST BECAUSE THE ARTIST FEELS LIKE THEY DESERVE THAT.
YOU GOTTA EARN YOUR STREAMS PEOPLE – IF YOUR APPROACH IS WACK – YOU WON’T GET HEARD AND THAT MEANS YOUR JUST A PROMO ACCOUNT.
But that’s for another article…
Number 4: HOW do you “organically” introduce yourself to the artist you see who comment on these tweets?
SIMPLE – YOU START BY Retweeting their response to the tweet and <~ go from there.
BE HONEST – when engaging, and post tweets that explain what you are doing and why you are doing it.
“Hey I’m just on this thing showing support so I can connect with artist like me” – remember <~ social media is about PROMOTION <~ not to generate SALES without creating something that people can cling on to.
START CONVERSATIONS on tweets – take the time to consume the music and promote your opinions <~ continue to share tweets from the artist you follow – even if they are not music related. The notifications – matter and help.
YOU ARE ALSO BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ACCOUNTS YOU ENGAGE WITH – even if your intent is to gain traction BY SUPPORTING OTHER ARTIST.
Focusing on sales and your own growth as part of your networking approach is a easy way to get shunned by the music community if your trying to make real connections.
Regardless of how you feel, people want to make real connections without having to worry about being sold a service or a something like that.
BEWARE: Some accounts may have more time/experience working on the line and they are at the point where they have a strict policy of working with people who pay them for services, this is just part of their own business plan which isn’t something you can be upset about without looking like a hypocrite when you start doing the same thing.
Number 4: Focus on SHOWING SUPPORT vs EXPECTING THE SAME SUPPORT to avoid any frustration when it comes to the results you get from Networking/promoting artist on the line.
PEOPLE WILL GET UPSET IF YOU DO WELL AT GENERATING A BUZZ SO BE READY FOR THAT AND IGNORE MAKING ANY RESPONSES – JUST POST REAL HONEST TWEETS THAT EXPLAIN WHAT YOU ARE DOING – THE REAL WILL NOTICE – and the real – are who matter most.
I don’t know why people feel the need to waste time talking in private and ignoring the effort needed to establish a solid foundation designed to help artist get more attention for what they do. Cross promotion that is required to mutually benefit from networking online but – some people are just ignorant. Maybe they think they too good to promote your stuff – who knows!
JUST BECAUSE YOUR HELPING SOMEONE – DOES NOT MEAN – you automatically deserve a equal response or support <~ they are not obligated to follow or engage so don’t demand support <~ show support – establish your position and be fair – that’s how you grow.
What I do know is your not dependent on their support to grow. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE EFFORT AND PUT THE WORK IN to actually benefit and that isn’t up to anyone BUT YOU.
WHY?
By showing support – you automatically become a platform that is promoting entertainment content <~ by creating content that reflects your work <~ you will generate a small audience starting with the people you support and going down the line to their followers / fans <~
Artist who actually contribute to your efforts – will see a gradual increase in their engagement which will translate to more listeners which will translate to more fans. HOPEFULLY this will encourage them to give you shout outs and promote the stuff you do – the ones who don’t – ignore them or don’t include them in the things you do <~ because it doesn’t make any sense to help people who are just going to create more work without contributing to what you are doing.
IT IS A SLOW HUSTLE – so keep your eye out for big opportunities and artist worth working with so you can get exposure by helping them <~ assume that you have to do this stuff forever – you want to make it part of your daily routine – even as opportunities start to come your way. ALWAYS remember the new stuff is going to help you get involved in explosive things that may come out of no where. YOU WANT TO KEEP MOVING / KEEP WORKING <~ in addition to creating dope content.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE WAY IT LOOKS – because these artist are asking people to HELP THEM <~ same people who IGNORE THEM <~ they beg to help them <~ while <~ ignoring people like you <~ who are signing up – to help them get heard/seen based on the things they want attention for.
IF YOU ARE SUPER SENSITIVE – create a professional account <~ that solely promotes PROFESSIONALLY PRESENTED CONTENT.
SO WHY DO PEOPLE IGNORE THE REAL SUPPORT – who knows. Nobody can call it, people (including myself) are just odd and we aren’t in tune with the things we should be in tune with ALL THE TIME. So don’t worry about WHY just understand how to spot the real support vs. the fake stuff.
The key – is if you understand what’s being told you to you here – implement what you learned and be the change.
IF YOU DON’T understand but want to grow – do what we outline and apply it – don’t complain, just be happy you have a blue print.
ALWAYS leave a door open for anyone willing to help you get exposure and don’t feel OBLIGATED to make a offer to do something for their supoprt because THEY WILL BENEFIT JUST BY BEING INVOLVED.
Some people would take this information and try to make it something they can sell to artist as a way to “help” artist while charging fees but that’s not good business – you need to understand your not going to help yourself by watering the scene down <~ which a lot of social media users do.
This is work, it’s the stuff that labels hire people to do <~ and stuff you need to do on your own as a indie artist. It’s a way to take the control away from the “puppet masters” by learning how to generate support based on WORK.
YES You can hire people <~ but even if you hire people <~ you want to have this experience so you can spot fraud / scams and benefit from real services that actually contribute to your growth.
Remember: The world move as fast as you let it move – if you choose to ignore your efforts and get distracted from the work, you will watch a lot of people “Pass You By” but that’s all in your mind.
Nobody can pass you because they aren’t living YOUR LIFE. Get right and WORK. BELOW you can find resources to HELP YOU – do your own thing <~ and – promotion platforms based around #MutualSupport <~
TAP IN WITH ME ON TWITTER – SO WE CAN ENGAGE!
FOLLOW MUTUAL SUPPORT PLATFORM FOR FREE PROMO AND SUPPORT
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