Social media advertising was once the way of the future, but recent changes have thrown the industry into a tailspin that artists should avoid at all costs.
Everywhere you look, marketers are telling businesses and freelancers that social media advertising is the future. “Use Facebook ads,” they say. “Everyone is on Facebook!” After all, no other ad platform allows harnessing the power of the internet’s best tracking tools to promote the song you wrote in your childhood bedroom.
But if we’re being honest, we all know social media advertising is a lie. Advertising implies that the point of the message is to reach people who are otherwise unaware of your existence. Social media advertising does accomplish that, but its core purpose—at least on Facebook and Instagram—is to charge brands and creators for access to their fans.
On average, a post made from a Facebook page will reach slightly more than 5% of its total following. That percentage does not account for people outside the page’s following who may see the post, which can vary greatly depending on the engagement. If creators wish to reach the other 95%, Meta says you must pay for reach, and that’s the catch-22 that everyone in entertainment has been fighting against for over a decade.
Now, there’s a new monster on the horizon. As Music Biz host James Shotwell explains in this video, Facebook has an Apple problem. Recent updates to Apple’s security features have given users the ability to stop advertisers from tracking them, throwing the Facebook ad algorithm into a tailspin. As the company scrambles for solutions, its stock is plummeting, and anyone still advertising is finding their marketing spend reaches fewer people than ever.
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The world’s most popular social media platform, Facebook, is testing a new update that will simplify the content promotion process.
Facebook is at a crucial point in its evolution. While critics are crying foul over the platform’s lack of content oversight, others are upset that content shared on the world’s most popular social media platform doesn’t reach enough eyes. Figuring out how to make everyone happy is a job we’re so glad not to have, but someone has to do it.
Recently, one Facebook user noticed a new sharing feature. It appears that Facebook is currently testing a new tool that would allow users to share content to multiple groups at once. That is a major change from the current UI, which requires users to create unique posts for each group where they wish to share their content. You can view a screenshot of the new feature below:
Simplifying sharing is typically a welcomed change, but is that true in light of Facebook’s trouble with misinformation?
On the one hand, Facebook’s latest development will allow musicians to quickly share their latest content with many different groups at one time, thus shortening the time required for marketing on the platform.
However, nothing is stopping someone from promoting a fake story about zombies from outer space living in the basements of public schools using the same tool.
Many online have pointed out that Facebook-owned WhatsApp launched a similar feature in 2019. After many complaints, however, the company changed course. In January 2020, WhatsApp limited forwarded posts to 5 times per message, and the results showed that the idea was very effective. According to WhatsApp:
“Since putting into place the new limit, globally, there has been a 70% reduction in the number of highly forwarded messages sent on WhatsApp. This change is helping keep WhatsApp a place for personal and private conversations.”
How Facebook attempts to prevent the spread of misinformation while simplifying sharing remains to be seen. Since the cross-posting feature in this story is still in testing, the company may implement new review efforts before launching the update. Stay tuned.
After sending shockwaves through the music industry last week, Facebook has clarified its statements regarding “music listening experiences.”
It’s not hard to send the music business into a panic these days. The novel coronavirus has shuttered live music for the foreseeable future, physical media sales are dropping like an anchor, and nobody seems to know when some semblance of “normalcy” will be possible. To make matters worse, everything is online, and each day brings new rules and regulations that dictate how artists can (or cannot) use existing platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to further their careers.
Facebook scared music executives worldwide when it announced plans to crack down on what it labels “music listening experiences.” The new rules, as explained in Facebook’s Music Guidelines, stated: “You may not use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience. The rules go into effect on October 1.
The social media giant made a significant mistake in its announcement. The phrase “music listening experiences” is too vague. The news made many in entertainment worry that the world’s largest online platform would no longer allow live stream concerts and listening events, two promotional tactics that are seen as vital to music marketing success in the COVID age.
After days of outcry and concern, Facebook clarified its statements on Monday, September. The company wrote in its blog:
“We want to encourage musical expression on our platforms while also ensuring that we uphold our agreements with rights holders. These agreements help protect the artists, songwriters, and partners who are the cornerstone of the music community — and we’re grateful for how they’ve enabled the amazing creativity we’ve seen in this time.
“Our partnerships with rights holders have brought people together around music on our platforms. As part of our licensing agreements, there are limitations around the amount of recorded music that can be included in Live broadcasts or videos.
“While the specifics of our licensing agreements are confidential, today we’re sharing some general guidelines to help you plan your videos better: Music in stories and traditional live music performances (e.g., filming an artist or band performing live) are permitted.
“The greater the number of full-length recorded tracks in a video, the more likely it may be limited (more below on what we mean by “limited”).”
They added: “Shorter clips of music are recommended. There should always be a visual component to your video; recorded audio should not be the primary purpose of the video.”
“These guidelines are consistent across live and recorded video on both Facebook and Instagram, and for all types of accounts — i.e. pages, profiles, verified and unverified accounts.
“And although music is launched on our platforms in more than 90 countries, there are places where it is not yet available. So if your video includes recorded music, it may not be available for use in those locations.”
Last weekend, a spokesperson for Facebook also confirmed to NME that although new guidelines will come into effect across the site in October, the music guidelines have been in place for some time and will not affect artists using the site to livestream gigs or share their music.
Though its popularity among young consumers has waned in recent years, Facebook welcomes more than 2 billion monthly users.
The music industry loves to complain about Facebook. The social media juggernaut boasts more monthly users than any other service, but algorithmic changes made in recent years have severely limited organic post reach. So much so in fact that many believe the only way to ensure fans see their content is to pay for increased exposure (to people who already asked to see your content).
There may be some truth to that. Organic reach is undoubtedly down, but there are still tricks users can implement to help posts get in front of their fans without spending any money. It’s all a matter of timing, and thanks to the team at ShareLov we now know the best times to post text and video content to Facebook in 2019. Check it out:
A simple, yet effective tip for growing your Facebook audience
Do you ever get tired of seeing post after post from so-called social media consultants who claim they can teach you anywhere from 10 to 120 tips for building a following on Facebook? We do. Not only are the bulk of these typically common knowledge, but they also rarely produced meaningful results. You always have to assume that any ‘secret’ you found via Google or other third party source is not really a ‘secret’ at all, meaning those tips will not get you any further than anyone else.
If we were any other blog about marketing this would be the part in the post where we claim to be different. We would tell you that our tips are pulled from experience, and that we have helped many people just like you find success in the social space. We would brag about how our system has helped people gain more likes and improve engagement without doing much, if any, more work than they were already doing. We would take all the credit, but that is not what happens on this blog.
The tip we have to share is as common as any you’re likely to find, but we guarantee it produces real results.
When you have a successful post, whether it reaches an audience organically or through paid promotion, invite everyone who engages with your content to like your page.
Let’s do a quick example: Silent Scream is a metal band who just posted a teaser clip of their new video to Facebook with a $5 promotion. As the promotion runs, more than 100 people like the clip, and several dozen leave comments asking when the full video will be available. Every single day, a member of Silent Scream clicks on the “_________ and ____ others like this” text located directly under the post. I’ve highlighted the area in question, can sometimes appears as a number rather than individual user names:
When the members of Silent Scream click that text, a pop-up like this appears:
As you can see, several people who liked the post have not yet liked Silent Scream’s page. The members can use this screen to invite everyone who engaged with the post to like their page. Not everyone will accept, but those that do will already have an interest in your music. They will be excited to see more of what initially drew them to you, and they will be encouraged to engage further because they will know you recognized their interest.
Will people decline your invite? Of course. But this kind of marketing, just like any other, is ultimately a numbers game. You case the widest net possible over people who you believe would like your content and you hope they respond. The more, the better, but any is better than nothing.
The best part? This marketing costs nothing! If you have time and the ability to click invite repeatedly you can grow your audience with each new update.
We all know Facebook does not help artists reach their audience as well as it once did, and we know how frustrating that fact has become for everyone who cars about music. Talent cannot get their news to the people who care to read it and fans cannot find the latest information on their favorite acts without going to each of their pages one at a time (or across multiple tabs). It’s a broken system that seems to care less and less about how we feel it should operate as time moves on.
You cannot change Mark Zuckerberg’s mind anymore than I can, so you have probably researched tips and tricks that claim to help increase reach. While some of these methods may in fact help, many others do not, and a few even make you look like a fool for trying to use them. To describe everything you should avoid would take far too long, but here are four simple tips to ensure you and/or your band do not appear desperate for attention on the world’s largest social media platform:
1. Don’t ‘Like’ your own posts (if you already do, stop)
While it is largely true that any amount of engagement on a post increases its potential reach there is nothing that can be accomplished by liking your own post. Your message will not reach more people because you, the author, thinks it’s good. Facebook’s current algorithm is smart enough to recognize when pages try to game the system by engaging with their own content and it filters out such efforts when calculating reach.
Nobody needs to see that Band XYZ approves of the latest post from Band XYZ. That’s the digital equivalent of giving yourself a high-5 and you’re better than that.
2. Don’t tag people, brands, or other bands in your posts if they have nothing to do with the content of that post.
There are circumstances when you may need to tag someone in a post, such as when discussing a content or tour package, but it is incredibly important that you limit your tags to instances when they are absolutely necessary. Nothing frustrates me more than seeing some up and coming act tag me in a video, status, or photo just because they want me to look at whatever thing they have added to their profile. Such tricks may lead to a rise in clicks, but it certainly won’t win you any new fans.
3. Don’t post photos of people without their permission
It’s great that you love the promoter of the show you played last night, but that doesn’t mean you should share that persons name and photo with everyone who has given you a ‘Like’ via Facebook. People by and large prefer to keep their personal life private, so before you rush to post photos of people other than band members on your profile it would be wise to ask for permission. Some may not care what you do with their image, but others will. You don’t know anyone else’s situation in life.
Don’t expose people unless they agree to be exposed. It’s that simple.
4. Don’t beg for engagement.
People hate when you assume they are stupid, so don’t be the artist who foolishly asks their fans for engagement. You are not the only person who understands how social media works. Everyone knows that posts people engage with gets more exposure, which is why everyone who has a social media account constantly engages with the people, products, bands, and brands they love. Their engagement is an act of promotion, and begging for people to help you in a situation where you know they would typically do it without being asked as long as the content was good is just bad marketing. The more you look like you’re desperate for attention the less likely you are to get it.
James Shotwell is the Digital Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also the Film Editor for Substream Magazine, host of the Inside Music podcast, and a 10-year entertainment writing veteran. If you enjoyed this post and wish to see more of James’ work we recommend following him on Twitter.
Another week, another potentially horrendous change coming to Facebook. The social media giant that has essentially cornered the music promotion marketplace while repeatedly taking steps to restrict the reach of posts published without a financial boost has now rumored to be considering hiding the contact information from all Band pages. This means, unless otherwise stated in their bio (artists can and should add emails to their general manager’s information), the only way to contact an artist you’re viewing on Facebook will be through Facebook. It’s good for them, but bad for the artists, writers, and the industry.
When Facebook and Twitter became the primary platforms for online communication the amount of attention paid to most artists’ official websites dropped to a point of near non-existence. The rise of brand partnerships and an over-reliance on blogs/publications to premiere content added to the distraction, and now we’re all caught up in a information nightmare that is nearly impossible to clearly navigate. Every artist was everywhere, and they’re promoting content from a dozen sources simultaneously:
“Watch our video on YouTube, but not until you see the premiere on this music blog. “
“Follow us on Snapchat to see our lives on the road, but also follow this company whose account we’re using while we are in Los Angeles.”
“Follow us on Twitter for up to the minute news, but also on Instagram because they have better photo filters and we have several thousands followers there as well.”
“Did we mention we’re taking over X magazine’s Instagram tomorrow? We’re also live-tweeting the next presidential debate for X brand.”
“Stream our album before you can buy it on X website while being shown ads for other band/products.”
“Buy our album on iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, and Orfium.”
“Stream our album on Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, or Apple Music.”
It’s not that these platforms are bad, but how they operate and what they choose to do in the future are largely out of your control.
Take Facebook, for example. Artists were initially able to reach anyone who Liked their page, but over time that access has slowly been restricted to the point where most posts reach less than 10% of their audience. This move was done in part to encourage paid promoted posts, which come with the added benefit of being able to target the audience you want to see your latest posting. Over time the reach each dollar paid can generate has begun to change, and it will likely continue to change as more people agree to pay a third party in order to reach people who have asked to be shown more information about their music.
The potential changes to contact information are no different. By making it harder to drive users outside Facebook the company hopes to prolong the amount of time people spend on their site. Why email an artist when you can use Facebook Messenger? It’s in Facebook’s best interest to keep you on Facebook, and that perhaps goes for bands and businesses even more than average people. And what’s to stop them from eventually charging for messenger? Nothing.
The time to stop letting social media control your audience is now. Buy a URL and create your own website. If you already have a URL, move it off Tumblr or Facebook and turn to Squarespace for something more customizable to your needs. Once you get that accomplished you can set to driving your fans there for everything they need and want from your music. Post exclusive updates, share photos from tour photographers in gigantic galleries, share new music, and most important of all – keep up to date contact information. Use your social pages if you want, but add an email, as well as relevant information for anyone working to get you recognized (manager, publicist, etc.). Make it so simple to know everything there is to know about you and your music in one place that everyone who seeks you out online will have no choice except to fall for your work.
Don’t turn your back on social media, but do point your fans to sites where you can control how your followers engage with your work. Foster a community of fans you can empower to help spread the word about your next release or tour. You don’t need Facebook as much as they need you.
Just when you thought you could maybe sometimes consider relying on Facebook’s complicated feed algorithm to possibly show your posts to 5% of your total fan base (if that), the company built by Mark Zuckerberg has once again announced changes to its feed formula that appears to make it harder than ever for musicians and those who promote music to reach their audience.
Earlier this week, Facebook made changes to how it ranks the content that appears in users news feeds. The big upgrade is an improved focus on content from “the friends you care about,” such as photos, videos, status updates or links. These posts will now appear higher in your feed, which means other posts – mainly those from Pages you like, such as bands and brands – will be given even less attention/exposure than before.
Here’s how Facebook explained the change and its impact on the reach of various Pages:
“…we anticipate that this update may cause reach and referral traffic to declinefor some Pages. The specific impact on your Page’s distribution and other metrics may vary depending on the composition of your audience. For example, if a lot of your referral traffic is the result of people sharing your content and their friends liking and commenting on it, there will be less of an impact than if the majority of your traffic comes directly through Page posts. We encourage Pages to post things that their audience are likely to share with their friends. ”
Now what am I supposed to do?
The hard truth of the matter is that Facebook is a massive online community that all brands and bands need to be a part of despite how difficult the company makes it for your content to be found by those who have selected to receive your news and updates. The best thing you can do to help increase reach is to try and create quality content that fans will want to share. This means videos, important news (tour dates/album releases) shared with eye-catching imagery, etc. Post the highest quality content you are able to create and ask your fans to share it if it somehow makes their day a bit better.
Move over, Periscope. Facebook has its eyes on being the leader of live video broadcasting online and they are some would argue they’ve made it there already with Facebook Live. Made available to the public in early 2016, Facebook Live brings all the immediacy of Periscope and similar live broadcast applications to one social media site even your grandma knows by name, thus further eliminating the need for anyone to ever go anywhere or use anything else.
We’re not saying Facebook Live is better than Periscope (though we’ll probably compare them at some point in the near future), but it would be foolish to ignore the simplicity of attracting more people to your live broadcasts that Facebook Live promises. Even people who claim they don’t use Facebook likely have had or currently do have an account and know their way around the site. All the barriers that would typically come between your fans and live broadcast platforms up to this point (people need to know the app exists, have the app, and have an account on the app) do not exist with Facebook Live.
Getting started on Facebook Live is easy, but making the most of your time spent broadcasting is another task altogether. These tips will help:
Understand the requirements that need to be met in order to use Facebook Live
Facebook Live is available to anyone with an account and a decent internet connection. Before going live, make you that you have a fast enough connection to broadcast high quality live video, which generally means using WiFi or 4G. If these needs are not met the ‘Go Live’ button will not activate and you will be unable to broadcast.
Good promotion is key
Until you become Beyonce-level famous you are going to need a good plan for promoting every step of your career, including live broadcasts. Lucky for you, fans want more interaction with you, so promotion for these shows should be fairly straightforward: Set a date and time for your show, tell people when it’s happening, and remind them regularly until (and while) you’re live.
Building a crowd may take time, so don’t be afraid to broadcast for a long time.
Since anyone can use Facebook Live, many people do use Facebook Live, so the competition for attention can be fierce. Facebook recommends broadcasting for a minimum of ten minutes before you decide whether or not to remain online. Promotion will help get some people to your show on time, but others will arrive once your broadcast has already begun. See how things develop before you decide whether or not to continue using Facebook Live for your outreach.
Respond to comments, and remember to use the name of the commenter whenever possible
People like to be recognized. Let your fans know they are more than just another supporter to you by using their names whenever responding to comments during your show.
Be clear about what you’re going to broadcast
The biggest mistake you can make as an artist or brand when using live broadcast apps like Facebook Live is to go in without some form of a plan. Fans want to know what they’re going to see, and you should know what you’re going to share. You should also leave room for the unexpected, as you never know what may happen in the moment, but you need to start somewhere that is going to hook people before your broadcast even begins. Maybe you promote a Q&A with your bandmates, or maybe you share an acoustic performance from your practice space. Figure out what your fans want to see and promote their opportunity to see or experience that thing through Facebook Live.
The hottest social media trend of 2015 has been the rise of ‘live broadcast’ companies that allow users to share their perspective on life using nothing more than the camera(s) on their phone. These companies have found a way to make a real impression on the overcrowded digital business space in a very small amount of time, so it should come as little to no surprise that the world’s largest social platform, Facebook, is now preparing to introduce their own real-time video streaming service in the new year.
According to a post on Music3Point0, Facebook quietly began testing a live broadcast tool with select users earlier this month. The tool has been available to big brands for a few months, but the company is only just now beginning to share this feature with everyday users. The testing is in its beta stage right now, with a full public release expected in early 2016.
Beta testers have found that you’ll be able to see both the people that are currently viewing your broadcast as well as the real-time comments.
What will separate Facebook’s live broadcast feature from that of other services is the ability to specify who is able to access each stream. This means that you, page owners and users, can designate your broadcast to be seen just by your fans, followers, a group, or even a small group of friends or family. Have a big tour announcement? Invite everybody. Need to share the news of a new baby? Make it personal and only allow those you care about the most to join. Facebook aims to make this specificity the thing that sets them apart.
Also, all broadcasts will live forever on your timeline, or at least as long as you desire to have them available. This differs from Meerkat and Periscope, which only keeps user videos for a limited amount of time (usually a day or less).
The one disadvantage to Facebook’s live broadcast service is the need to be logged into Facebook in order to participate, and the videos of previous broadcast will only be able to be viewed on Facebook itself. This mean no exporting no sharing to other networks. In a time when more and more people are finding the social platform too crowded and busy to be of much real use, Facebook is hoping great services like this will give users a reason to remain committed to the site.
The news of Facebook’s decision to enter the live broadcast market is sure to worry those working at Periscope and Meerkat. Those companies combined 12 million registered users is nothing compared to 1.5 billion people registered on Facebook. If Facebook’s broadcast tool offers high quality streaming that is easy to operate, there is a good chance the companies currently leading the live broadcast discussion could fall behind the social media giant.
Are you excited for Facebook to enter the live broadcast world? Comment below and let us know your thoughts!
