Stuff Every Artist Should Know About Branding

In today’s social media savvy world there’s stuff every artist should know about branding. Contrary to what others may say, not every artists needs to act like they’re some media mogul but a social media presence is a must. When it comes to branding oneself as an artist, there’s a balance between someone who is playing the game and someone who just spams selfies. There’s a pseudo-science about all this stuff, a means by which you can cleverly navigate the social media landscape. Then there are people who just post memes and videos of themselves drinking. It’s all about brand management. Here are a few tips to get you thinking critically about what you want to achieve and how you need to situate your brand.

It’s Like Dating

Managing your brand is kind of like dating. You want to act like you don’t need the other person. You want to be self confident while seeming interested and, above all, interesting. Following the metaphor through, you don’t want to post 12 selfies of yourself in a row. You want to show that you’re a well-rounded, intelligent individual who is driven and works hard and who occasionally posts a great, interesting selfie so people know what you look like (and just how fab you really are). Let your personality shine through. Dress and look like your your most creative, spic n’ span self and, whenever possible, add some humor to the mix.

Everything Matters

Everything you put out into the world is a reflection of you. Every time you make a grumpy or negative post, it reflects on you. It shows a certain side of you. It says something about your character. As such, take into account what you put online. Don’t censor yourself, necessarily, but think twice about what you say and think online. If you’re excited about it and passionate about it, then continue on. Own your truths and accept that not everyone is going to agree with you and that’s A-OK.

Suspense and Mystery Are Your Friends

Having sense of wonder and mystery about you can make you TONS more interesting than saying, sharing, telling everything. Remember, people are attacked to the unknown. They like to attempt to decode the unknowable. Being mysterious can give you prime appeal. So, if allure is something you want to cultivate, show a little while also keeping other aspects of yourself hush-hush. Add suspense to the mix with posts that promote your upcoming show in Boston or New York but maybe withhold the exact location and opening act until the week of your performance. Or, post pics that show you in partial shadow (but which look great) and allude to the “Grammy winning” artist you’re working with but hold off on telling your fanbase who that someone is until a later date, when, for instance, you’re about to release the song you two did together.

Analyze and Imitate

When you’re forming your online identity you should look at what the artists you admire are doing online. Watch what works for them. Investigate how they do what they do. Then set simple achievable goals for yourself to do something similar that will stage your brand appropriately. Don’t just imitate though. Make your branding your own.

Being an online personality isn’t something that comes naturally to everyone. Especially if you work in more “behind the scenes” areas of the creative world, chances are you probably see yourself as someone who just puts their nose to the grindstone and gets things done. However, in today’s world you need to have a bit more of the “look at me” thing going on in order to stand out from the pack. By doing this you’ll inherently have a leg up on the competition. So focus on being someone who can do the work and do it really well, as well as someone who has a certain amount of prestige and value to bring to the projects they work on. This is currency people are trading in, so branding yourself is not an option but a must. Take pride in your work. Honor the relationships and moments you have in the present. Then, showcase your talents and experiences to build bridges with others and connect with your tribe all over the world.

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