In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for aspiring artists. The quote “If you are not on Google, you don’t exist” rings true, and it’s especially important for those trying to make it in the music industry. Social media has revolutionized the way we consume and interact with music. A staggering 43% of people aged 20-29 spend over 10 hours a week on social media platforms. Even our parents are on Facebook! Social media is a powerful tool that can launch an artist’s career, as seen with Justin Bieber, Karmin, and Carly Rae Jepsen. Even established artists like Wizkid, Davido, Beyonce, Frank Ocean, and Lil Wayne use social media to connect with fans and promote their work.
Social media has transcended its role as a mere communication tool; it has become a powerhouse for artists to showcase their talents, tell their stories, and directly interact with fans worldwide. Unlike traditional marketing channels, social media enables musicians to build a direct and unfiltered connection with their audience, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of intimacy that was once unimaginable.
The impact is not limited to established artists alone; emerging talents now have a global stage at their fingertips, allowing them to bypass traditional gatekeepers and reach a diverse audience. Social media has leveled the playing field, enabling singers to carve out their niche and leave an indelible mark. Social media plays a significant role in fans’ entertainment decisions, influencing where and how they spend their money. As an aspiring artist, having a strong social media presence is no longer a luxury, but a necessity.
So, after this whole truth about social media, the question that comes out is why your favorite celebrity doesn’t seem to be running their own social media account since it is good to use social media to boost their upcoming album. Well, you are in the right place to get the answer to your question. If you remember, recently, one Nigerian singer Chike made headlines for sending a whopping ₦1 million to a Twitter troll who accused him of gaining fame through the late singer Mohbad.
The troll, identified as Daniel Lawal, had taken to his X account under the username @hate_ofx, claiming that Chike’s recent success was largely due to the late Mohbad’s influence, referencing a feature by the latter on one of Chike’s songs titled, ‘Egwu’. He wrote, “Mohbad made you. If not for Mohbad, where would you find 40 million streams?”
However, responding to the troll, Chike said, “Now I doubt your mother even made you right. If she didn’t teach you manners, she should have taught you research. I for send you like 1M now, make hunger comot your eyes, make you see the road but your account will collapse. Let the good guy rest in peace.”
He then went ahead to credit the troll N1m. However, many fans had divided opinions about Chike’s actions. While some felt that it would further encourage more trolls to be vile, others opined that it was just an innocent show of love from the artiste.
But what caught my attention was the lack of involvement from Chike’s management team in the matter as we do see how male artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and even Davido claimed that it was because of the handlers or social media managers that made them not say something in order not to log them out to protect the brands.
According to Pulse News, they had a series of interviews as they spoke to experts in talent management to find out why managers often take over an artist’s social media accounts. According to Okiki Oyeyiga, who has worked with social media influencers like Kitchenmuse, management gets involved to ensure consistent posting and protect the brand image.
Okiki said, “We ensure the social media page stays active, and we also ensure what is posted stays in line with the brand image the talent needs to be perceived as. Most times, the talent may want to post something contrary to the brand image the management wants the brand to be positioned as at that point in time. Therefore, it is very important that there is someone on the ground to check in on that.”
Korie, who manages Nigerian artists like Magicsticks, emphasized the importance of managing perceptions online. He explained, “Sometimes, it’s to manage perceptions of the talent online. because one tweet or post can change the tides for an artiste. With Afrobeats audiences so volatile, it’s better to protect the proverbial “bag” or brand by applying discretion.”
But it’s not just about protecting the brand. Management also steps in to help celebrities spot opportunities for collaboration or business expansion. As Korie pointed out, “Sometimes you take over an artistes social media to communicate vital information as and when due. This is because things change quite quickly sometimes and it’s important for management to be adaptive, sometimes independently of the artiste.”
Baba Joe, who manages artists like Badman Niko, added that management must step in to prevent the star from going off-script. He said, “What an artiste will do that would make me take over his social media is probably going out of context, Let’s say we are rolling out a project and we have a particular theme that we have. If the artiste goes out of context or the script we have, then his social media might be taken over up until the point where we have passed the message we want to at that particular point in time. When this is done, the artiste can always regain access to his social media.”
Onah Uzonwanne, who has managed names like Toyosi Etim-Effiong, debunked the idea that an artiste can be “locked out” of their social media by management.
He said, “The social media manager is under the directive of the talent managers and the celebrity in question. But there’s always an agreement between the talent manager and celebrity on how best to handle a situation. If there is a legal battle, then lawyers are involved first before anything is done online, because truly, anything you say or do can be used against you.”
So, the next time you wonder why your favorite celebrity isn’t running their own social media account, remember that there’s a team of experts working behind the scenes to protect and promote their brand.
If you are still an upcoming artist or still struggling in the industry, use this as a take-home advice on how to use social media as an advantage, with or without a handler or social media manager.
Optimize your social media pages:
Your social media profiles have to be up to date with the necessary information you want people to know once they visit your pages. Include the latest releases in your bio, create highlights on Instagram so people can easily access information, use professional-looking icons, pin your most engaging or important post at the top of your Twitter page, tag people in your posts and many other steps to be taken.
Run social media ads:
Connect your Facebook and Instagram pages and begin to run ads. Facebook ads are pretty affordable and allow you to target specific audiences. Running these ads serves as a promotional tactic to get your music to a larger audience. Be sure to make sure the ad designs and captions are catchy and interesting enough to convert a passive viewer to an active follower and fan. Make use of “call to action” buttons when creating your ads such as “learn more”, “sign up”, etc.
These tips serve as a great starting point for implementing a social media strategy that’ll engage fans. Through your audience analysis, you can come up with other great creative ideas to connect with your audience.
Post consistently & give regular updates:
Being consistent with your posts keeps you in the minds of your audience. Picture an upcoming artiste who only posts once a month versus another artiste who posts more frequently. The person who posts more and gives regular updates will be at the top of the minds of the audience and will stay more relevant. Keep in mind not to over-flood your audience and followers with random posts. You can create a pattern for your posts e.g. posting ‘Freestyle Friday’ videos.
Engage with your followers:
Don’t just use social media to keep telling people what to do; use them as platforms to connect and show your fans that you care.
-Reply to comments and messages as much as you can
-Host social media contests to engage with them, which will in turn earn you more followers
-Ask them to ask you questions they may like to know about you and your music
-Share posts relevant to you. For instance, ask them to share screenshots of them listening to your music or photos of them at your show and further retweet, like, share and even comment on them.
By understanding my audience and tailoring my content to their interests, I can develop an effective social media strategy that increases engagement, grows my fanbase, and ultimately boosts my music career.
