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Gain SuperFans with Instagram

Gain SuperFans with Instagram

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Why  Instagram?

We at Artist Collective absolutely love Instagram! Not because of all of the Insta-models or foodie pics, but because it is an incredible platform to build a music career. The interface is not built around witty statuses like Facebook, or short thoughts like Twitter. Instead, Instagram focuses in on content gold like photos and videos. Luckily for us, they are still running an interface with few ads that allows pages to be grown easily. Careers have been built on the back of strong Instagram followings and I’ve seen it work. The incredible networking and fanship opportunities we see on a daily basis prove that your next “big break” could just be a couple comments away.

 

Instagram  SuperFans.

If you follow my Instatips Newsletter or follow me on Instagram already, you know I love to talk a lot about “SuperFans”. It’s been proven time and time again that a small number of dedicated fans can facilitate an incredibly successful career. These superfans are individuals that are ideal fans for you and are interested in your lifestyle. I’m talking about the fans that comment on every post and that highly correlate with your brand. I’m asked all the time,

  • “How do I get there on Instagram?”
  • “How do I create a brand for my artistry?”
  • “How do I find and cultivate these superfans and turn them to customers?”

First, you must determine who you’re really targeting…

Who  are  you  targetting?

To identify your target audience, there’s a certain amount of self-awareness and introspection that needs to occur. In order to find the essence of your “brand”, you need to start asking yourself about the message you would like to spread. I believe it’s very important to stay genuine to who you truly are.

To find the answers, break down the following:

  • Describe your lifestyle in three words.
  • Does that correlate with the type of music you want to share?
  • What is your mission statement for your artistry? (the message)
  • What/who is your target audience?
  • Where and on what does your target audience spend their time and money?
  • What type of content does this group enjoy engaging with?

I start this discovery by having clients list their favorite things; favorite artists, tv shows, brands of alcohol, public figures, colors, artwork, other passions, and anything that they enjoy. More often than not, those are the exact types of people your music and your “brand” are attempting to target. Starting with those folks that are like you will help snowball your growth. I call this the “Passion List”. This strategy paints the picture of your target audience and the angles needed to reach them. All of this is branding!

 

Branding  on  Instagram.

Branding isn’t a logo or a fancy website, it’s the culture you build around yourself and your music. Once you develop a target audience (as discussed earlier) you can start to create content that directly speaks to them. The Instagram pages that you see with skyrocketing numbers and comments for days are doing this, and they are obviously doing it very well! They are simply creating content that speaks to the audience they attract, driving traffic to their pages, and providing genuine and engaging experiences after those fans have arrived.

Let’s say you are a rock band that enjoys leather jackets, cheap beer, and watching Sons of Anarchy. I think you have a good picture in your head of your target audience. Creating content that’s genuine to you and to your target audience will speak volumes to the new fans coming to your pages. It creates a genuine connection with them and they can relate to you. It all comes down to being a lot more strategic with your Instagram page.

Monetizing Instagram.

The word “Instafamous” rings across every news platform more than “millennial” these days and that’s because there are more ways than ever to make Instagram a huge source of income & fame. Artists can obviously use their Instagram pages to sell merchandise & share Spotify links, but it goes deeper than that. Being strategic about creating customized products and services for your audience will give you much more success than posting a picture of your new band pencil for sale. For example, I mentioned a biker crowd previously and I’ve seen bands create custom airbrushed motorcycle helmets that sold like wildfire at their events. This is badass PR and is much more memorable than a sticker or a koozie.

A lot of folks don’t even know that at 10k followers, the option to swipe up in IG Stories opens the floodgate to daily promotion to ANY link you’d like. Redirecting your newly acquired SuperFans to things like your upcoming Kickstarter, your email list, tour dates, ticketing sites, etc, you can further optimize your efforts, reaching the masses quickly.

Driving  Traffic  to  your  Instagram.

Now I may be a little biased however, I think the single greatest tool for any up and coming artist is our Instagram Growth Program. This program is strategically handled by Artist Collective’s marketing team and myself to guarantee conversions of your ideal fans. Yes, your numbers will “grow”, but even more important, you will begin to find and create SuperFans along the way that will be the backbone of your success. However, it’s much more than simply driving eyeballs to your page. Artist Collective also provides weekly up-to-the-minute application updates, Pro Tips, walkthroughs, and insights that we’ve collected and created over nearly a decade of artist development. These incredible tools are created and delivered personally by myself, Evan Price, the founder of Artist Collective. We have taken the tools that the industry has greedily kept to themselves for years and we’re eager to give them to artists all over the world! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to supercharge your social media and reach new heights of success!

I’m so eager for artists of all types to try our new program, so for a limited time, I’m giving away the first month for free! 30 Days of our incredible program on me. Let me show you the impact it can have on your career and sign up today!

1 MONTH FREE TRIAL

(This is limited time promotion |New sign-ups only for free trials| Get started today!)

REVIEWS:

It’s also worth mentioning that I like to “practice what I preach”. Here, take a look at my Instagram page. I implement these exact strategies on my personal Instagram page as well. The results have been a wave of superfans that want to get back to the music and/or have a passion for entrepreneurship. Influencer deals, sponsorships, and other monetary opportunities also arose after I honed in on my brand.

This can happen to you too. I hope to see you all joining our Instagram Growth Program so you can expand your reach and finally start growing your brand.

Do you want to learn more? Click the link above and enjoy a 30-day free trial.

 

 

Evan Price – IG: @ac_evan

Founder | Music Mentor

Recap Of Our Networking Cruise

Recap Of Our Networking Cruise

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On Thursday, July 26th, 150 members of the Chicago entertainment industry boarded our party boat to network with each other, build their teams, and also chat with us about the service we offer to budding artists. In a culture that unfortunately supports competition, we were able to witness some amazing collaborations within the Chicago music scene.

Who attended?

There was an eclectic group of individuals ranging from musicians and agents to producers and DJs at the event. It was great to have an array of people in different focuses of the industry. There were also attendees who were not directly involved in the industry. They were instead looking for exposure for business ventures such as upcoming clothing line releases. 

What happened?

A ton of network building and budding relationships. It was great to see people meeting that fulfilled the others’ needs to proceed to the next step in their career in the industry. Also, a few energized and unique performances by artists that Artist Collective is currently working with! Overall, it was a very interactive, easygoing event which made it a great environment to put yourself out there and meet new people.

What was the layout?

There was a table on the main deck of the boat where guests could interact with members of the Artist Collective team. They were able to learn more about what we do and sign up for AC’s Instagram growth program. Upstairs on deck were live performances, DJ sets, dancing, and lots of networking! The event lasted 3 hours in total which gave plenty of time for individuals to meet a wide variety of people.

Overall Thoughts of the Event?

Our team had great feedback on the event including that it was great that everyone at the event had similar goals of networking within the industry. We loved seeing the amount of people exchanging contact information. We hope the results of this event will lead to further success for all of the guests! If you are interested in attending another one of our events, follow our Networking Events for upcoming events. Artist Collective hosts bi-monthly networking events around the city.

 

Mary Rosenberger

Mary Rosenberger

Why You Should Be Networking

Why You Should Be Networking

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Why You Should Be Networking

When the term networking is brought up, many people want to immediately run the other way. The term seems daunting, time-intensive, and can be associated with a “suit and tie” mentality. But, in reality, it is a necessary component to succeeding in any industry. Networking is essentially relationship building and is the key to expanding your knowledge and resource base. So, here are some reasons you should be amping up your networking game.

Personal Relationships.

Networking creates a more personal relationship with potential people to collaborate with. Would you rather work on a project with someone you’ve never met over phone calls and text messages? Or would you prefer to have a deeper connection with them after meeting and growing your relationship through networking events?

Confidence Booster.

The more you attend face to face networking events, the more comfortable you will get at talking about what your role in the industry is and what you are looking for. Having the ability to clearly explain yourself and your current role, similar to an elevator pitch, will help you direct a conversation with others without having to start with 10 minutes of unproductive small talk about the weather… With the nature of this fast-paced industry, being direct and efficient with communication can help show your professionalism and desire to work for what you want.

Free Advice.

I have had the opportunity to learn and get ahead in my career more efficiently by simply talking to people that have already gone through my same experiences. A few “Do’s and Dont’s” can save you a lot of time, energy, and possibly embarrassment from lack of knowledge. I have had nothing but positive responses from people that I have reached out to asking for career advice. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love talking about themselves?

Connections = Opportunities.

Networking has opened endless doors for me just by getting my name out there. Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter. Would you be more likely to pull out a resume of someone who has had good experience, or someone’s name you recognize who has reached out to you to connect and show their passion and desire for the position? The same goes for the music industry. Name recognition goes a long way and having positive references from others in the industry can work wonders for you.

 

So what are you waiting for? A simple Google search for networking events in your area could change your career!

 

We host music industry networking events bi-monthly. Our next event takes place on a party boat on the Chicago River on a July 26th. Get your tickets and find out about other events here —> Networking Events

 

Mary Rosenberger

 

Welcome to IGTV for Musicians

Welcome to IGTV for Musicians

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Welcome to IGTV for Musicians

So Instagram just dropped a major release on us today, IGTV, which is their version of YouTube. But there is a twist, it’s all vertical video based. What?! I know right? But we all knew this was coming, Instagram has been training us to shoot in vertical video format with Instagram stories all along. Well, this new feature is cool but the question is how can it impact musicians? I want to give you a very quick rundown of this new feature and then discuss ways it can help boost your career and your overall music brand.

 

Watch Instagram’s commercial for IGTV below.

A post shared by Instagram (@instagram) on

THE FEATURES:

Long form video – The major takeaway from this new platform is the ability to create a long-form video. Before, Instagram limited the video time to 1 min. With IGTV you can now upload 10 min videos (and up to 1-hour depending on your account size). This will allow you to upload the same type of video you would have uploaded onto YouTube, now onto your Instagram.

No AD’s….yet – Another great feature (right now) is that there are no ads! Instagram mentioned they wanted to create an amazing user experience before they started implementing advertisements. This is the time to strike then. You too should focus on creating a great user experience for your fans by getting them hooked to a brand new platform while there are no annoying ads. Because I assure you, the ads will come eventually.

Three Categories – When you first open the app there are 3 major sections to choose from at the bottom, “For You, Following, and Popular”

  • For You – a collection of videos that Instagram thinks you would enjoy. Its a mixture of your friends and the Instagram algorithm at work based on what you’ve watched before.
  • Following – all of your followers IGTV channels will be here. If they follow you on IG, then they also follow your IGTV channel!
  • Popular – videos that are trending on the platform. You will see a lot of celebrity videos, trending viral videos, and more. It’s a good channel to peek at to see whats trending.

 

IDEAS FOR MUSICIANS:

“Another platform for videos, great but how do I utilize this as a musician?” Let me shoot off a couple examples that you might use IGTV to grow your music career.

 

Cover videos – Is an acoustic guitar a part of your brand? Then create some cover videos and exclusively release them on your IGTV channel. This is a great way to create a buzz around a talent of yours and making it exclusive to this new platform helps leverage your already growing IG page.

Gear reviews – Are you a gearhead? Create longer videos where you test and review various pieces of gear. This is a great way to weave your other passions into your music and brand. Remember to tag the gear you are reviewing and still utilizing the hashtags.

Discuss your new project – Just talk! Make videos of you breaking down the lyrics of certain songs or the meaning behind the writing. You could even do a walkthrough of how you created it if you are a producer. Sometimes your fans just want to hear from you about politics, worldview, or even your opinion on the new Kanye album. get creative and don’t over think it.

Share your music videos – With a bit of editing you can make your horizontal videos into portrait mode videos and release the full videos on IGTV! This is just another way new fans could find your music. You can even put your videos through a couple other applications to add text on the bottom and top to create a totally new experience (adding lyrics, etc).

Acoustic versions – Are you a pop or hip-hop artist? Grab your friend with a guitar and create a stripped down version of your songs for IGTV. It shakes things up with your artistry and again gives IGTV exclusive versions of your tracks.

Shenanigans – Just be yourself. We have a client that not only creates amazing rock n roll music, but they also do crazy and ridiculous things with their friends like chasing raccoons, burning old furniture, and getting drunk and playing pranks. use this as the TV Channel of your life.

 

Social Media is the New Television and this is your T.V. station. Experiment with different ideas and see what works the best. But most of all, jump on this trend. When a new feature is released, the majority of users won’t post anything on it. Be the minority and actually post content to give yourself an edge.

I am really excited to see what you all create, and I encourage you to tag @artistcollect & myself @ac_evan on IG so we don’t miss it!

 

Do you want FREE Instagram Tips sent to you weekly?

Sign up here to join my “InstaTips for Musicians Training Series”

 

———-

Evan Price

@ac_evan

Social Media is the New Television

Social Media is the New Television

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I know with all of the tasks on your plate, posting on social media usually isn’t at the top of the list. But I am here to tell you that it should be. Social media is the direct portal to your fans. They use it to stay up to date with your music and what you are up to on a daily basis. Believe it or not, it is replacing television, so all the more reason to make sure your brand is “on air” on Instagram.

Social media is the new television.

It is no secret that television viewership is decreasing while social media users are skyrocketing. Instead of families gathering around the latest episode of American Idol or Seinfeld, they have their own personal devices and they’re scrolling through Facebook and checking their Instagram stories, it is the reality.

Instead of mourning the loss of TV, how can you use this to stay relevant?

Staying relevant.

The answer is simple here; post more and post smarter. Just as the ritual of watching your favorite tv show airing at 6 pm was effective, so is social media engagement.

Begin to create a routine of when you post, how often you post and keep the content interesting. Posting smarter simply means focusing on posts that will bring your fans value and/or appreciate.

The more you post, on your story, for example, the more possibility you have of your fans seeing it. Then once they start watching it more, the Instagram algorithm will kick in and it will offer it to them more at the top of their feed. A.K.A. you are building a ritual for them. Don’t lose this momentum.

Keep it organic.

The key is to stay genuine with all of your posts. Your fans don’t want to keep seeing your new song or video, or the next show you have coming up. Those are sales pitches. Nurture the relationship first by showing them who you are, giving away things, and providing genuine value.

Talk soon.
Record Labels Are Dead

Record Labels Are Dead

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 RECORD LABELS ARE DEAD//

For ages, there’s been a cliché dream for any would-be musician. It starts with some huge opportunity, playing a new stage. Scouts are in the audience. Your nerves are tingling with the promise of potential. Italian suit clad representatives from record labels are waiting in the outskirts of the pit. You shake the nerves as you’re announced and walk out to the stage front. Sputtering out an appreciative blurb to the crowd, you launch into your first song and click into place. You flow with the music and wow the audience and agents alike. You’re immediately bombarded by these different suits throwing you offers from every record label you could think of, and finally, you’ve made it. You’re “signed.”

IT’S ALL BULLSHIT/

I have bad news about this picturesque dream. It’s all bullshit. Movies and television have portrayed this as the way that you “make it.” Are there exceptions?—of course there are—but the idea of getting signed is as dated as an 8-track player. Plain and simple, record labels were at one time the pinnacle of musical success. There just happens to be a wonderful invention that has made record deals completely obsolete. That invention is the internet.
In the 1970’s, record labels ruled supreme. They used all sorts of manipulative maneuvers to get their music on the radio. According to “Hit Men: Power Brokers andFast Money Inside the Music Business” there were pseudo-gangs on payroll for almost every label that would coerce disc jockeys to play whatever tunes the labels chose. Greed, egos, violence, and mafia tactics from these self-proclaimed “Indies”secretly carved the industry into what it is today. There are hundreds of horror stories of these musical mobsters terrorizing radio stations, their families and friends simply to guarantee they controlled the airwaves. Eventually, with the creation of the internet and the help of a brave band named Pink Floyd, these flunkies have lost most of their power. However, the aggressive strategies of these labels remain the same.

LUCKILY, THE INTERNET HAPPENED/

There were quite a few things record labels did for an artist. They would help you find musicians and studios to record your music. They would enlist producers or co-writers to polish your product before putting it to wax. Also, labels would finance the projects, generally indebting the artist. This is often the biggest hurdle for an up-and-coming artist, but rather than owing your fortune to a label, there are hundreds of ways to finance your album. Once the project was completed, they would manage your image, package your product, and prepare it to sell. They would then distribute the album to various vendors and cross their fingers that they saw a return.
When I see that list, I think to myself, “I don’t see one single thing I can’t do myself.”
Given that I am a Project Manager for Artist Collective, I’ve learned and have acquired hundreds of hours of knowledge on how to do all of these things. However, let’s simulate how an Indie artist might do all of these things. Let’s call the artist “Q The Dude.” Q is an R&B singer/rapper from New Orleans trying to put together a debut album. He finds artists and a studio (and an in-house producer),through various online musicians’ classifieds. Rather than owing insane returns to the label, he uses Kickstarter to crowd-fund his project, giving friends, family,and fans fun incentives to donate. Using a management company (like Artist Collective), he affordably puts together an online promotion program, distribution system, and creates an online marketplace to allow fans to buy directly from him. This way, he’s in no debt, has full control over his own image and artistry, and has signed nothing that would hurt his career in the long run.

BRAND YOURSELF/

I speak of debt from experience in the industry. I’ve been tied up in contracts with reality shows and companies for years, not allowing me to brand myself as I please. A musical colleague of mine even told me how he was forced into selling his catchiest song to a big time artist. All to pay his growing debt to the label that had so hastily signed him. That song ended up winning a Grammy for said artist, and he barely broke even as the band was dropped from the label. I urge artists to take this musical journey on their own and sign as little as possible along the way because of due to stories like this.
All in all, the internet has opened any artist to a worldwide fan base with infinite ways to promote, create, discover, and distribute your music. And for those artists that don’t have the time or desire to do these meticulous but necessary tasks themselves, music companies like Artist Collective exist. We can cater to every aspect of your musical journey for pennies compared to what a label would charge. Control your career and carve your path in the musical world effectively and independently. We’re here to help. To learn more or submit your music to us, CLICK HERE

“Big City” Music Video Release

“Big City” Music Video Release

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“Big City” Music Video Release //

Mikey To The P Releases Hard-hitting Music Video titled “Big City” Showcasing the Beauty and Violence of Chicago

Rapper/Hip-Hop artist and Comedic Lyricist Mikey to the P has put forth an emotionally charged music video for his song titled “Big City,” combining the raw talents of local Chicago actors, directors, and musicians in what may only be described as an impassioned ode to a life in the Windy City. Filmed in 10 different locations throughout downtown Chicago, including Lower Wacker Drive, the steps of the John Hancock building, and the North Michigan Avenue bridge, the film follows the calamitous storyline of two young adults and how their love of basketball muddies into the harsh reality of life in the “Big City” (aka Chicago). The final verse illustrates Mikey to the P’s own experience moving to and living in Chicago, his fondness for the city and its people apparent:

“I’ll do my best to survive in the city / I just wanna be known in Chicago / I think I’m finally home.”

 

“Big City” was filmed by Chicago-based director and filmmaker Michael Chait (achievements include directing music videos for Apl.De.Ap of The Black Eyed Peas and receiving 6 Telly awards), who said, “I specialize in action and telling stories with dramatic and emotive visuals… [“Big City”] allowed me to do some of what I do best!” Chait proved to be exceptional collaboration for Mikey to the P’s poignant lyrics and flow, and the film, shot with an Arriflex Alexa XT Plus (used to film the cinematic masterpiece, Game of Thrones) brings their vision to life with impeccable quality. The artistic shots of Chicago and effective storyline truly capture the essence of the lyrics in “Big City.”

Read more about Mikey to the P in our ARTIST FEATURE

The Band: Mikey to the P consists of the front-runner and lyricist Mike Parrish, vocalists Kristina Reyes and Emily Nichelson, drummer Paul Van Altena, and beats by DJ Maxten.

**See Mikey to the P live at Cubby Bear Wrigleyville on Friday, December 30th.**