Wondering if you really still need to be active on Facebook in this day and age as an emerging musician? We think so! Let us tell you why.
Alright, so Facebook – I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of it, right? It’s this massive social network where people post pictures, share updates, connect with friends, join groups, and even run businesses. It started out as this small project by Mark Zuckerberg and his college buddies in 2004, and now it’s one of the biggest websites in the world. It’s changed a lot over the years, but at its core, it’s about connecting people.
Now, about Meta. In late 2021, Facebook Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus, decided to change its name to Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short. Zuckerberg, the big guy behind all of this, announced that the company’s focus would be shifting towards creating what he called the “metaverse”.
The metaverse, as Zuck describes it, is this virtual reality space where you can work, play, socialize, you name it, kind of like in sci-fi movies. It’s not just about using your computer or smartphone; it’s about immersive experiences that could involve VR headsets, AR glasses, and who knows what else they come up with.
So, Facebook is still Facebook, the social media site we all know (and some love), but Meta is the big umbrella company that owns Facebook and is trying to build this futuristic virtual world.
Aside from being one of the largest social media platforms in the world, Facebook also has some other tricks up its sleeve.
You may not like Facebook and think it’s irrelevant or for “older” people, but if you are on Instagram, which you absolutely should be – then you are shooting yourself in the foot if you aren’t also on FB.
There is a lot of integration between Facebook and Instagram. If you don’t have a FB account, you are missing out on some special features that this integration offers. For example, you can connect your Facebook and Instagram messages so you can receive and reply to either on one platform.
You can advertise directly from Ads Manager to both Facebook and Instagram in a very targeted way. If you don’t have FB, your ability to advertise on Instagram is quite limited and broad.
Sharing posts and stories can be done from one platform to another. Once you build an Instagram post or story, you are often given the option to share via FB as well. This is an easy way to get more reach and engagement instantly. However, there are problems that arise from this also – when you tag pages on Instagram they do not actively cross over to FB. This means that if someone wanted to click through to that handle on FB, they will not be able to.
One of the best integrations that FB has is Meta Business Suite. Meta allows you to schedule posts to both Facebook and Instagram seamlessly. You can create separate posts with the correct handles, links, and hashtags for each. You can even schedule each of the posts to publish on different days. Meta has the ability to schedule stories and reels, but this is still a bit patchy and could use work.
Ads Manager is one of the cheapest platforms to advertise on. For as little as $5 a day, you can advertise on Facebook or Instagram. Given the vast amount of data and targeting that FB has at its disposal, this is an incredibly cheap price. Compare this to Tik Tok or Snapchat which have a buy-in cost of $500 minimum spend for advertising.
You can also choose to specifically target Instagram followers or Facebook followers on this platform and Ads Manager offers suggestions and tips along the way to help your ad perform better. However, people are often fooled by the “front end” of Facebook ads. The front end is on Meta Business suite and allows you to create a basic ad with very little complexity. This is great one would think! Only, it isn’t. When you use the front end to boost or publish an ad, you let Facebook choose your audiences to target. Generally, in order to get you higher results, Facebook will target broader and less relevant audiences. This means that they are targeting audiences for the sake of clicks, not for the sake of relevance or interest. Those people may give you 10k views on your single video, but you may never see them return to your page again.
It is more strategic to use Ads Manager properly to target audiences that are either following you, has engaged with your pages, or are very similar to your current followers. You are more likely to grow your following and networks this way!
Facebook Events is like your digital invitation tool. You create an event right there on Facebook, name it something catchy, add all the details like where it’s happening, when it’s going down, and what’s gonna happen. You can even add cool photos or videos to make it look extra inviting.
Once your event is all set, you can invite your Facebook friends to it, or if you want it to be a big bash, make it public so anyone can see and join. Then, people can RSVP right on the event page, letting you know if they’re going, interested, or can’t make it.
They can also see who else is going, start discussions, ask questions, and you can post updates too. It’s like having a mini-website for your event, and it’s super easy to manage.
Aside from the ease of the tool, Facebook events are a key feature that collects important data. When people RSVP, even if people don’t end up attending your gig, you now know they were interested at some point. You can use this information and so can Facebook Ads Manager! Did you know you can retarget people who clicked attending or interested in your events? Maybe they didn’t physically attend this time, but a bit of marketing might be the thing that encourages them to attend the next show.
In addition, what other social platforms have such an easy event-creation tool? Facebook events are an easy way to let everyone know about your upcoming gigs in record time. Furthermore, the events feature has some cool integrations with ticketing platforms and depending on which one you use, you can have the tickets available in the Facebook event itself which means that patrons don’t even need to leave the page to purchase.
Facebook Insights is a powerful analytical tool that provides detailed metrics about the performance of your Facebook Page. It’s designed to assist businesses, marketers, and social media managers in understanding the behavior and demographics of their audience, and to optimize their social media strategies accordingly.
With Facebook Insights, you can track a variety of metrics, such as the reach of your posts (the number of people who saw your post), and engagement (the number of people who liked, commented on, shared, or clicked on your posts). It also provides insights into the best times to post based on when your audience is most active on Facebook.
Moreover, you can delve into the demographic details of your audience, including their age, gender, and location. This information is invaluable for crafting targeted content and advertisements.
And finally, it’s absolutely free! All you need is a business account and it will start tracking your insights. This is Facebook’s way of offering you a boost when it comes to marketing strategy. Make sure you look at these frequently to help gauge your growth and levels of success.
So, should you be on Facebook? Heck yes, unless you want to miss out on all of the useful features mentioned above!
Want to know more about social media? Read our recent blog >> Best social media platforms for musicians.
Do you need to write a press release, but have no clue what key things should be mentioned? Have a read and by the end, you will know exactly what to include!
A press release? Sure thing! Think of it as a shout-out to journalists, bloggers, and any other media folks. It’s like you’re saying, “Hey, I’ve got something cool going on!” It could be about anything newsworthy like launching a new product, opening a new store, hosting an event, or even a big change in the company’s leadership.
As a matter of fact, a press release is a neat little package of information that tells the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your news. This is designed to make the journalist’s life easier by giving them almost everything they need to write a story about your news. It’s like you’re serving them a ready-to-cook meal; they just need to add their own spices and it’s good to go!
In essence, a press release is your chance to grab the media’s attention and say, “Hey, check this out, it’s pretty cool!”
The headline of your press release must tell all. What is the exciting news you are sharing? An example may be “Vampr drops newest Academy Course covering all things Press!”. From the headline alone, you should have an idea of what is coming. Next, you will dive right into the juicy news. Tell the reader about your project and why it is exciting. Maybe it is the first of its kind? Is it a new type of music? Is it a huge personal achievement? Why should we be excited about this?
Tell them a bit about yourself, where you are from, your experience in the industry, what drove you to make this project, etc. Now is the time to name-drop! Were there any people involved in your project worth mentioning? This could be another musician you collaborated with or perhaps even your designer for the album cover. If they are important, include their name!
Be sure to tell any backstory or meaningful insights about your project in order to evoke emotion and connect with the reader. In contrast, how is your project different from the next emerging musicians? Why is it special? You need to convince the reader that it is special enough for them to want to share it with others via their press outlets.
Make sure you explain what the music is like so people have an idea of what they will hear. You can do this by talking about your musical inspirations and listing artists who you sound like. This starts to form an expectation in the reader’s mind. For this reason, if they love any of the bigger artists you’ve mentioned, you may have already struck a chord of interest in their minds.
This one might seem obvious… but given that you are sending a press release about your music, make sure you include a clickable link to your music. The reader needs to listen to your track to make sure it is suitable for their audience. Don’t make the rookie mistake of forgetting that link or sending them to a link that they don’t have permission to access.
In order to pique the interest of the reader, having striking imagery is certainly only going to help. If the press outlet decides to run your press release, you need to have high-res press shots for them to include online. Low-res imagery is an immediate turn-off. Equally important, be sure to include color images over black and white images. Press outlets prefer color as it is more eye-catching.
By the same token, be sure that these images are easily accessible for the reader and that they have full permission to download them.
Want to know what else you might need for your release? Check out our Vampr Academy Content Creation Course >> HERE
Want to get an interview on the radio, but have absolutely no idea how or where to start? We got you!
A radio interview is a conversation between a presenter and a guest, typically broadcast live or recorded for later broadcast. The interview may be conducted in person, over the phone, or via internet video conferencing tools. Radio interviews can be a powerful way to reach large audiences.
It is well worth the research and time spent if you manage to snag an interview on the radio. The number of new ears you may reach expands dramatically. All things considered, it is a great way to form relationships with the presenters at the radio stations. This could mean a higher chance of your new music being played in the future.
You first need to figure out which radio station makes the most sense for your music. You may want to start with something more lowkey and local. Local stations are often looking to champion local artists so you will already have that edge.
Once you have figured out which radio station makes sense for you and your music, you need to do some research. You need to do a deeper dive into the programs that the radio station offers. There will often be a tab on the website that says ‘Programs’ and if you click this you will see a list of what the radio station broadcasts regularly. Do some hunting and determine a list of programs that fit with your genre and style. There is no point in hitting someone up about your indie pop music when they run a death metal program.
If you are having immense trouble finding individualized emails, you may need to try another tactic. Go to the contact page of the website and you will often find a specific email for interviews on the radio. You can email this person and include the list of programs that you think you are best suited to – this is helping them ultimately do their job!
Once you have a list of programs that are relevant to your music and brand, you need to source the presenter’s emails. For local stations, these are often at the top of the page on their program run-downs. Once you have a list of names and emails, do a bit more research on their past shows and who else they have played. Have you perhaps collaborated or performed with any of those artists? Any commonalities you can pull at will be helpful!
Never send a mass email to different presenters. This is impersonal and generally a waste of time. What you can do, is curate an email and then adapt it to each presenter you communicate with. Always address them by their first name and ask them how they are doing. A compliment never goes astray – ” I love your show, I listen to it every week!” But, also do not send a long-winded email either. Most of these people are volunteers and only come in on certain days. This means they have limited time to check emails and plan their shows. So, get to the point quickly.
You can elude to what you are asking for right away in the subject line. Something along the lines of “Interview request for Vampr”. Include all of the crucial things they need to know in your email. A short bio about your project as short as 70 words is ideal. It should give them a snapshot of what they can expect.
Another key point is to include a link to your music that doesn’t require a download. Most radio presenters will immediately dismiss your email if they are required to download anything. A private Soundcloud is a good option instead of this. Any key information about your track should be included like the release date, who it is inspired by, what your story behind it is, and if there is an accompanying event that needs promotion.
The more compelling your story is, the more likely they are to interview you. Make sure you don’t hide the meaning behind your song but rather bring it to the forefront. Radio presenters want something juicy to chat about on air so you need to dangle it in front of them!
If you hear back from a presenter, be sure that you respond quickly! These people have taken the time to listen and check you out and they want to interview you. Yay! You need to ensure you lock this in quickly as they are planning their programs weeks in advance. If you don’t take the spot quickly, other artists will! Try to be as flexible as you can be, especially when you get your first interview! If the only one you get is a program that starts at 5.30 am – make sure you set your alarm super early and get your butt there! In any case, this shows commitment and initiative on your end and the presenter will appreciate this.
In the event that you don’t get any responses, do a friendly follow-up and see if you can get a reply. If you don’t get any, don’t be disheartened! Perhaps you need to tweak your email, or the programmers were already all full up, or that station just isn’t a good fit for you. You only fail if you give up, so be persistent!
Want to know more about the Music Business? Try our Vampr Academy Music Business Essentials Course >> HERE
Have you been thinking about management and whether or not it’s time for you to start working with a manager? But, before you jump into a 1-2 year contract with a manager, what are the questions you should ask yourself?
A management agreement is the documentation of a relationship – but not every part of the relationship will be in the contract. So, it’s important to have a clear understanding of aspects of the relationship such as communication, mutual respect, honesty, and creative empathy before the relationship even progresses to a written contract. There is no lawyer in the world that can draft language that can ensure any of those vital considerations will be provided by the artist or the manager!
I like to think of the manager-artist relationship as the same as a business partner relationship. You are ultimately choosing to go into business with your chosen manager and so you should ask yourself, would I partner with this person if it were a separate business? If your answer is immediate no, you know this may not be the right manager for you!
Your manager should be organized, proactive, passionate, and excited to be working with you. Likewise, you as the artist should be giving just as much as you expect. The term “diva” has been thrown around a lot when referring to artists and this is often because the expectations are one-sided. If you expect your partner to do all the work and you do nothing, then this will impact the relationship negatively. In addition, remembering that you work with your manager and that your manager doesn’t work for you is important.
If you want someone to work for you, where you direct their every action, then what you are looking for is an employee, not a manager. One of the benefits of having a manager on board is that they will often have strengths that you don’t. You should use this to your advantage! Let them execute their strengths to the best of their ability for the benefit of your career. If you keep a manager under strict direction and micro-manage their every move, you will not gain the full benefits that they can provide. In addition, you will ultimately have a glorified assistant rather than a manager.
What do you expect of a manager? Do you want them to attend every single show you perform? Perhaps you only want them involved in certain aspects of your career, to begin with. If you don’t have a clear answer to this, you cannot expect a manager to automatically know something you don’t. Write out your expectations and the scope of your relationship so you are clear on this from the beginning.
You can also test a new manager by showing them these guidelines and seeing how they work within them. If they breach your guidelines, you can reign them in and remind them of your agreement. On the other side, a manager may push back and say that some of your expectations are unreasonable or perhaps too low. It is important that you are open to feedback when working with others.
Do you expect your manager to book shows for you? What about driving you to your recording sessions? Make sure you set boundaries from the start. Your manager should know what falls within their realm of tasks and what doesn’t.
What is the scope of your manager’s authority? Can they make executive decisions on your behalf? Do you rely solely on their advice on important matters? Do they have a say in the musical direction at all? Or, perhaps they only work on the marketing side of things.
It is up to you how much scope you give your manager. Make sure that you are entirely comfortable with what you give. And likewise, if they ask for more, make sure you understand why and that it makes sense for you. Some bands may want a totally hands-off approach when it comes to their music. Other bands may want musical advice as well as industry direction. Nothing is set in stone, it is up to you and what feels right. If you are not sure, consult your bandmates or other emerging artists!
What finances will your manager be entitled to? The industry rate for managers is 20%. But the big question is, 20% of what? Does your side hustle as a photographer count? Or perhaps a modeling shoot for Rolling Stone you did a few weeks back? You need to decide if your manager gets 20% of only music-related work and where that begins and ends. For example, if you get a magazine shoot because of a new song you wrote, and the magazine will pay you $200 for the shoot and an interview, does your manager get 20% of that income? Would you count this as musically related? You need to draw very clear lines on what a manager has access to and what they don’t.
Are you offering ownership to your manager of any of your songs? Do you expect your manager to invest in your career at any point? And if they do, what do they get in return? Does your manager have a right to collect on things that you accomplished before you signed with them? What about after your contract ends?
If you got a grant of $30,000, will 20% of that go to your manager? What about if you get a sync that pays $50,000? Do they get a cut? Make sure you have thought out all of this and you understand how much work a manager puts in in order to get you opportunities.
Is your manager handling you and 10 other bands on the side? Do you require exclusivity from them? Are you in a position to really demand exclusivity? Do they have an assistant or work with a team of managers? Will anyone else be managing you at the same time? When you sign with an agency, this arrangement is entirely possible depending on time constraints and capacity. Make sure you are okay with this setup before signing!
Also, will you have the ability to employ another manager overseas and just have this one manage your home country? Or is their scope worldwide?
It is always a good idea to have a trial run before signing with them for a long period of time. This allows you to see how you might work together and whether this will be a fruitful relationship. There are no rules about the trial period, but you may want to agree to a short time frame like 3 months to allow for proper insight.
Some managers may ask you for an hourly rate during a trial period so they are compensated for their time. This money is worth it if it gives you peace of mind and clarity on whether to go forward with the relationship.
Want to learn more? Check our Vampr Academy’s course on Management Contracts >> HERE
Have you always wanted to collaborate with another musician, but you weren’t really sure where to start? We hear you! It can feel like an impossible feat when you are not studying at a university or don’t know any musicians in your local area. Don’t worry, we got you!
Before you go on Vampr and start your search, think about what it is you actually want to create. Are you a producer? Do you want to produce some existing original songs with some emerging artists? Perhaps you are a guitarist, looking to become part of a band. Or, maybe you just want to jam and as a saxophone player, you need a chordal instrument to hold down the rhythm while you tear up a solo!
Either way, be certain so you can search with some confidence and purpose.
So, you have made a decision on what your collaboration will look like in reality. You are sure that is where you want to start and now you just need to find another creative! But, who is that? What does that person look like? What do they play? Do you prefer a specific gender? Are they local or international? Do you want to meet in person or do it all online? What tone or special qualities should this musician have? Do you want someone around your age or maybe a bit older so you can get some more traditional influences?
Make a list of all of your preferences. Think very clearly about what your ideal person looks like, sounds like, is located, and their general vibe and energy.
Yay, now it is time to find your next collaborator! This is the fun part. Open the Vampr app and head to the Connect tab. You can start swiping right away! Left for pass and right to connect. However, if you want to find your person faster and more efficiently, there are a few things you can do!
Adjust your filters so that they narrow down your search. In the top left-hand corner, you will see a filter icon. Click it and set your filters by preference. You can search by distance and location, for members with tracks and videos uploaded, and for pro members, by genre, gender, and age range.
Just like you can filter out profiles with missing bits and bobs, so too can other people. So, another way to find your tribe faster is to make sure they like what they see when you try and connect! That means you need to make sure your profile is entirely up to date, that is has example tracks and videos and any relevant information or content that showcases your talent.
When you do find someone who seems like they could be your next collaborator, don’t take any chances. Send a note with your connection request and tell them what you are looking for. You can also ask questions and find out more about them. Not only will they feel that you are interested in them, you will find out everything you need to know that much faster.
Now you have their details, you have spoken about your passions and you agree a collaboration is in order! Whether that be online, or in person, make it happen sooner rather than later. Make sure you verbalize any agreements or song splits for copyright so that is clear from the beginning.
Document your collaboration journey and save it as social media content for later! We also love hearing collaboration stories from our community. If you have an epic collaboration story to share, make sure you email us so we can feature you! We have 80k+ followers on Instagram and we love championing our community.
Have a collaboration to tell us about? Email social@vampr.me
How do you know which are the best social media platforms for musicians? Read on to learn which channels you should be posting on in order to optimize your audience build.
So, before choosing which platform is best for you, make sure you know all the facts about each social media platform. What are the promotional tools, audience’s ages, advertising costs, and larger benefits?
Facebook is a social networking website and app that allows users to connect with friends and family, share photos and videos, and interact with pages and groups.
All in all, Facebook has a wide range of features and tools for users. In truth, it has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with billions of active users.
By and large, Facebook’s audience is vast and diverse, making it a valuable platform for personal connections, content sharing, and business promotion. Its broad reach and powerful targeting capabilities have solidified its status as one of the most essential social media platforms.
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social media platform owned by Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook.
In a word, Instagram’s audience is diverse and primarily composed of younger users. This makes it a valuable platform for personal sharing, content creation, and business promotion.
YouTube is a video-sharing platform owned by Google that allows users to upload, view, rate, share, and comment on videos. Launched in February 2005, YouTube has become the go-to platform for video content worldwide.
TikTok is a short-form video-sharing social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. Launched internationally in September 2017, and it has become one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media apps, especially among younger users.
The first thing to do is to figure out who your current target audience is, and knowing your current audience allows you to target them better.
Demographics:
You can find this info via the analytics on the platforms you are currently on. Just go to Insights and have a look! But, if you don’t have any accounts yet, make an educated guess.
In short, look at which platform makes the most sense for your audience. Are they younger? Maybe Instagram makes more sense for you. Are you someone who makes lots of video content in sequences that people like to follow? Perhaps YouTube should be your priority channel.
Hot tip: Even if your main audience is not on Facebook, make sure you are on there anyways. As I have said, Facebook owns Instagram and has one of the most powerful and affordable advertising platforms available. You can run an ad for as little as $5 a day. For that reason, this makes it worth being on this platform as well as ease of integration.
In particular, we think Vampr is a must for musicians! You absolutely should be on Vampr. Yes, Vampr is different from other traditional social media platforms. Even so, it allows for content creation, uploading, and interaction between members. Most importantly, Vampr provides collaboration features that could be the thing that leads you to your next hit.
So, you don’t believe us? >> Try your free trial today!