This is a guest post by Tom Siddle of the Brighton Institute of Modern Music.
Your band’s presence and exposure on Facebook has just became all the more vital. Facebook Graph Search is on its way, and could possibly change the way potential fans hear and find your music.
There are many ways to market your band with little or no budget, and social media is an excellent place to start your online marketing strategy.
So far potential fans have been able to find your page by studying their friend’s list of recommended pages, or when enough of their friends comment on your bands posts. Facebook Graph Search however will be able to expose your band’s page to new fans in a way that Google search results have never been able to.
Read on, as we talk more about this new Facebook feature below.
How Does Facebook Graph Search Work?
Mark Zuckerberg describes its use: “Graph Search is designed to take a precise query and return to you the answer”, he said, “not links to other places that might take you to the answer”.
‘The Zucker’ in person at the Facebook Graph Search Press conference.
The new search function can understand a mixture of phrases. In the case of your band, a search for ‘Friends in Australia who like electro-funk’ core and going to gigs’ will show you exactly who this criteria matches. If your band’s page lists you as ‘electro-funkcore’, and their friends in Australia have interacted with your page, you may have just found yourself a new fan.
The varied use of this service, rather than searching essentially for music has other possibilities for your band page.
Online Dating- Yes. Yours could be the music of love. Who doesn’t appreciate a partner who you can share your incredible music taste with?
Searching for ‘guys in Manchester who like country music and eating out’. What are the chances of someone spotting they like your band, giving you a ‘Like’ for their own profile in order to feign interest and secure a hot date with them? Stranger things have happened.
How To Tune Up Your Band Page For Facebook Graph Search
Have your band page appear in as many search results as possible by completing these instructions. You will also be left with an informative and interesting page for your visitors.
- Your band profile: place your band name, genre, and location in the main headings. This includes your URL and the ‘About’ section. Also include any other key words that you think people would search for in relation to your band. Fill in as many sections as possible so that every potential search category is complete.
- Photos: Facebook shares your visual content a lot wider in your news feed than it does a long written post. Tag everyone present, including a tag for your band page. Title each one with its location and something that will stimulate discussion around them.
- Privacy settings: the best settings are no settings. Remove any age limits and country restrictions on all of your band’s content. This makes them as widely available as possible for search results.
Here is Facebook’s guide on managing your page
What Matters Most For My Band Or Rap Page To Appear In A Facebook Graph Search?
- Engagement: creating conversations around your band has the ability to increase your visibility in someone’s news feed.
People are naturally curious about something already gaining plenty of attention.
The number of conversations around your band and positive mentions will become more important as Facebook Graph Search becomes more intuitive. Engagement is the first step to encouraging ‘Likes’…
- ‘Likes’: these are the most important way to ensuring your visibility in search results. ‘Likes’ are the confirmed stamp of authority that your band is worth someone’s while. The posts that you create must be written and designed to ensure they receive the most likes.
How Can I Turn Engagement Into Likes?
Facebook lets you become more than just a band. You have the potential to create a whole community centered on your music and your combined personalities.
Give them unique reasons to ‘Like’ your band. They want to feel part of something exclusive. They want get closer to the people who create the things they enjoy. This is how.
Organize competitions and offer exclusive giveaways such as tickets and downloads; be as creative as you like with what you offer. Place a condition on each entrance that they must ‘Like’ your page. Here are a few ideas.
- Caption competitions: the best photo comment wins. This also encourages ‘engagement’.
- Album artwork contest: announce a new song; the best artwork is chosen for the song/album.
- Simply ‘Like’ or share our band page and receive a free download.
- Post a favorite lyric on your band page.
You can get more Facebook marketing tips for musicians here.
The below handy info-graphic shows you how to write those amazing posts that will result in fans sharing them far and wide.
Source: blogs.salesforce.com via Vesa on Pinterest
Go forth and spread the word of your musical genius. Facebook Graph Search is coming; your band page will be ready.
About The Author:
Tom Siddle is a musician and experienced music industry writer who works on behalf of BIMM: Brighton Institute of Modern Music.’