Social Media

• Social should be a core tool for marketing for independent musicians, however its use to grow a fan base is dependent on striking an effective balance between social and promotional content.
• It's noted that an ideal balance is having about 80% of posts be conversational, and 20% promotional content.
• Examples of ideal content to include are video and photo of recording in the studio, short song previews, and images from performances or tours.  

• Other social media strategies for independent artists to promote include targeted hashtags, Facebook groups, and cross promoting on social media with other independent musicians.

Crowdfunding & Contests

• Two suggestions for gaining fan engagement are to use an online crowdfunding platform, as well as creating online contests.
•  Crowdfunding can involve support that allows fans to contribute in a meaningful way, such as sharing photographs for an album cover, collaborating with song lyric creation, or offering rewards such as free swag for financial support of a project.
• Contests similarly can be promoted on social media, and ask fans to contribute in exchange for potential prizes, such as free concert tickets, albums, or music access.
• Both these strategies allow independent artists to get the word out about their music, while generating organic fan engagement. 

Artist/Band Website

•  The artist website can also be a tool to reach new fans if designed and promoted effectively.
• Various platforms allow artists to embed streaming music into a website, allowing fans to visit and preview content, which can aid in building an e-mail list for later promoting content and events.
•  One source notes that new fans are more likely to genuinely engage with content on a website than on social media platforms.