Know Your Audience: Marketing 101 - Post #2
Bars Are Not Enough
In the last article, “Music Is The Bare Minimum,” I asked if you knew your target audience. Most artists have an idea, but if I asked you to create a profile of your audience, what would it look like?
Before we build the listener’s profile, we need to understand the difference between old media and new media. The reason many new artists, whom you may feel are not as “artistic” as you, are doing well is that they understand new media. New media doesn’t care about how lyrically better you are unless you present it in a creative way. Remember, you are an entertainer, and the goal is to draw a large audience.
Old Media vs New Media
Once upon a time, you had to read magazine articles to learn bits of information about the artists you loved. There was a sense of mystery, and fame seemed out of reach for everyday people.
However, in today’s media, everything is in your face, and nothing is left for the imagination. Becoming “famous” is available to anyone who can attract the attention of the masses.
YouTubers and Twitch streamers have more influence on the youth than “Famous Rappers.” TikTok has more influence on music discovery than Radio and TV. In fact, TikTok is the number one driver of music discovery for Gen Z.
Online Presence Matters
People look to your social media, including your job, to judge whether you’re worthy of their time and money. When someone stumbles upon your music, the first thing they usually do is check your social status.
It’s not about how many people are following you. Many listeners love discovering good music before the masses. They care about aesthetics, who you are as an artist, and how often you post.
Native Language
The platform you choose to build your audience is crucial, and it should be based on the demographics you want to attract. I suggest you focus on one platform and allow it to bleed over into the others.
I recommend one platform because every social media app has its own native language or format that users understand. You have to tailor content for each one, and it takes time to learn what works. For example, I can’t post the same way on YouTube as I do on Instagram. The users are different, and the platforms are formatted differently.
Creating The Profile
Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty; these are the questions you need to answer about the audience you want to attract:
- Where are they from? (City, State, Country, Ethnicity)
- What is their language? (English, Spanish, other)
- What is their age range? (Most important: 18-24, 25-35, 35-50)
You may realize these are the same questions that most ad platforms will ask you. If you have been putting in the work, you should know what age group and country your music attracts. You can find this information under “Insight” or “Overview” on the back end of any social media account. You can also find it with DSPs (Distrokid, Tunecore, etc.). If you don’t know, then you most likely haven’t posted music yet, and that’s okay.
Who Are They?
If your audience is 25 or younger, understand that you may not get direct payments for your music. However, they do spend on merch, and they currently have a fascination with cassettes. They are the ones who are creating memories to your music. Lifestyle and aesthetics matter to them the most. Also, they will probably be the ones at most of your shows.
If your audience is 25-35, then you have a buying market. They grew up in the age of buying CDs and downloading MP3s. They also will purchase merch, especially if it’s good quality. They are also more likely to subscribe to monthly memberships.
Pick A Platform
The answers to these questions are important because each social media platform has a particular age demographic. According to a recent study by Press Room, Gen Z is more likely to use social media to discover new music.
“TikTok is the most used social media platform for music discovery among Gen Z (45% of those aged 18-24).” – Press Room
Tik Tok
Tik Tok has 1 billion monthly active users. Tik Tok and Snapchat are some of the best social platforms for Gen Z. Keep in mind these platforms call for content creation and creativity. Tik tok is like the younger version of Instagram.
- Age:
- 27.37% of TikTok’s users are aged 13–17
- 39.91% of TikTok’s users are aged 18–24
- 25.11% of TikTok’s users are aged 25–34
- 5.97% of TikTok’s users are aged 35–44
- 1.67% of TikTok’s users are aged 45–54
- 0.32% of TikTok’s users are aged 55–64
- Source: Khoros.com
Facebook is the largest social media platform with 2.93 billion active monthly users. Most users under 25 use the messenger feature more than the actual feed. Facebook had one of the best marketing systems until recent iOS changes. However, it’s still one of the best social platforms for age ranges 25-65. Facebook is a wild card, but everybody has a Facebook account.
Age of internet users who use Facebook:
- 86% of people ages 18–29 use Facebook
- 77% of people ages 30–49 use Facebook
- 51% of people ages 50–65 use Facebook
- 34% of people that are 65+ years old use Facebook
Source: Khoros.com
Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users and is all about attention. Since Facebook owns Instagram, it’s also a pay-to-play platform. You can target your audience and attain more attention if you spend the ad dollars. Also, most consumers will search for your Instagram or Twitter to validate your social proof.
- 67% of people ages 18–29 use Instagram
- 47% of people ages 30–49 use Instagram
- 23% of people ages 50–64 use Instagram
- 8% of people that are 65+ years old use Instagram
Source: Khoros.com
Twitter is the SoundCloud of social media. It has 436 million monthly active users and is the hardest platform to grow. What’s special about Twitter is once you build a base, they are loyal, and people respect a legitimate Twitter account.
- 38% of people ages 18–29 use Twitter
- 26% of people ages 30–49 use Twitter
- 17% of people ages 50–64 use Twitter
- 7% of people that are 65+ years old use Twitter
Source: Khoros.com
YouTube
YouTube has 2.6 billion monthly users and is one of my favorites. Every artist should have a YouTube channel. It’s a great way to connect with a global audience and to create evergreen content.
81% of people ages 15–25 use YouTube
71% of people ages 26–35 use YouTube
67% of people ages 36–45 use YouTube
66% of people ages 46–55 use YouTube
58% of people that are 56+ years old use YouTube
Source: Khoros.com
Honorable mention
An honorable mention is Reddit; it’s one of those hidden gems. Reddit creates the virality of everything. It’s not the easiest to build, but if you can create a Reddit community, they will support you like no other. Twitch is another platform that’s worth mentioning for live streaming and community building.
No matter what platform you choose to build – TikTok, Instagram, etc. – everything should tie to YouTube and your website. In the next post, we are going to talk about building a website and how to use YouTube. We are also going to look at a few independent artists and the tactics they use to build their fan base. Stay tune.
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