Hey, musicpreneur!
This guest post on creating a visual musical brand comes to us via Nika Goddard. Though social media is a great tool for promoting your music or growing your business, it must be used the right way to create a lasting impression with your audience. Nika is about to enlighten us with her tips.
By the way, if you’d like to contribute something to the music entrepreneur, you can find our submission guidelines here. Thanks!
Now, here’s Nika!
Social media offers some amazing tools for anyone looking to promote their music. Whether you’re trying to create your own brand to market your own work, or want to try your hand at music entrepreneurship and promote the next big thing, there’s no end to the tools you can try.
But it’s not always easy to know how to make the most of the social media at your disposal. If you don’t work out an effective strategy, you may end up missing out on some opportunities.
That’s why I’m going to tell you how to make the most out of your visual brand, and effectively promote it on social media.
1. Make Use of a Range of Photography
Naturally, one of the most effective things you can do on social media in terms of your visual brand is use photography to push your music. This can be done in a number of ways.
Naturally, photoshoots have always been a favorite for musicians looking to promote themselves, and in this day and age, it couldn’t be easier. Thanks to the prevalence of quality photography equipment and editing software, it’s easy for a band on even the smallest of budgets to put together an effective photoshoot.
But you definitely don’t need to limit yourself photoshoots. While a photoshoot is an effective way of portraying a strong brand identity, you can also use less formal photography to give people an ongoing view of where your band is.
Photoshoots are great for creating album imagery, or for profile images, but they don’t look great when they show up in a feed over and over again. Gig photos, shots of practices and studio work, and spontaneous photos are a great way of maintaining a brand.
A steady turnover of content is also an effective way of staying on the radar of your fans, and it also ensures they remember who you are.
2. Uniformity Across Brands is Crucial
In more technical terms, one thing you should consider is putting together a solid look for your social media that is maintained across all channels. If you’re serious about your music promotion or business, you’re going to be using a number of different social media channels for your work. By creating a unified image across all channels, you’re able to present a consistent image to your fans.
This means, at the very least, deciding on a color palette that you want to use. It’s also worth considering other visual aspects, such as fonts, and the style, voice and/or tone you use for your posts.
This is not something that you need to be too rigid with, but  if you can make use of a striking color palette that matches the material you’re promoting, it can play a big role in drawing attention for your work.
Filters and imagery can play a similar role. Just about everyone these days is aware of the role that filters play in the imagery you see online. Today, there’s a large range to choose from, and if you find a lesser known one that fits your work, consistently using that filter can help develop a unique brand.
Similarly, imagery can play a huge part in promoting music. Many acts have developed their own unique imagery, such as a logo, which eventually becomes synonymous with their work. These images are a simple way of getting people to react to your work online. It’s far easier to catch someone’s attention with an image that immediately makes them think of your work.
But putting together an effective logo is no simple matter. If your role is simply music promotion, you’re probably going to want to collaborate with a talented designer or illustrator to put something together. There’s a very good chance that no logo is better than a poorly put together logo.
3. Consider Each Channel on its Own Merits
While you should use all the social media tools at your disposal, it is essential that you consider each one a separate entity.
For instance, Instagram is a far more visual medium than Facebook, and you should bear this in mind when deciding what content to post on it.
This is also true on a technical level. For instance, different sites may use different formats and image types. You won’t simply be able to use one image for every site without cropping or editing it.
This means that you’re probably going to need to put some time into working out an effective strategy for each site.
Final Thoughts on Crafting a Visual Musical Brand
Social media is a great tool for sharing your music or growing your business. The above are a few of the most important approaches to using imagery and creating a strong brand. With enough time, and a bit of experimentation, you’re sure to be able to find what works for your musical endeavors.
- 3 Tips on How to Create a Strong Visual Musical Brand on Social Media - November 20, 2018
