I used to wonder about new ways to get in touch with music lovers beyond the area of my home town, people that would probably enjoy the same music that I do, or that have similar interests in life. That’s the main reason I turned my attention to social media; that virtual space that allows us to have a conversation with people from around the world, burning down the bridges that physical distance creates.

Becoming good at “virtual socializing” is like performing any other activity; that means it involves daily practicing and learning, as well as consistence, which I think is key for keeping an audience interested and engaged.

Being a musician nowadays requires having an online presence. It’s been said thousands of times before, “far are those days when it was mostly about making music inside the walls of a recording studio”.  I realized this the day I decided to document my musical journey when writing the songs for my second studio album “Fearless”, which was a brand new experience for me, but I was excited to share the process of making an album with the fans that have supported my work all along. I started to see some great response from them as well in engaging with the content I was sharing every time.

So here are some tips I’d like to share with other artists to increase fan engagement according to my own experience.

Staying consistent is key: Having a schedule for posting on every social platform is a great way to stay more organized, for instance, posting on the same days of the week and around the same time. I’ve noticed that having a schedule for delivering new content increases its visibility. Since my most engaged followers already know when to expect an update from me, thus for them it’s easier to stay on top of the latest news.

Documenting instead of trying to craft the perfect post: I used to (kind of) struggle with creating content that could be interesting to my followers, which would often lead me to feel stuck about it. So instead, I decided to document my journey as a composer writing songs for my new album as well as part of my favorite activities during my spare time, when I’m not in the studio.

Asking fans questions: People love to give their opinion on things that matter to us as artists. For instance, I chose my first single of my upcoming album with the help of my fans. I wanted to know their choice, for such an important matter. Making them feel like they’re part of our journey, that we’re listening to their suggestions and choices are great ways to keep our audience engaged.

Commenting back on your own posts: Social media is about having a conversation; it’s a two way Street, so I think that taking the time to reply to the comments left by our followers shows appreciation for their time and interest on our journey. It’s also a great way for getting to know each other. After all knowing and understanding our audience is the key to success.

Every so often, an artist comes along who speaks right to the heart of his or her listeners; no matter which language they speak. Montreal-based electro-pop/urban artist K-Bust expresses herself fluently in English, Spanish and French while managing to speak three additional languages. Originally from Valparaiso, the cultural and artistic center of Chile, this self-taught musician has transformed from a shy little girl learning to write songs on her grandfather’s guitar into a strong feminist and rising international sensation.

Since 2008, K-Bust has performed live at the Chilean earthquake benefit concert, at World Music Day and at “The Apollo Nights” show, where she shared the stage with Alan Prater, a former Michael Jackson musician and back-up vocalist. Her career really took off in 2009 when she recorded a song by Cirque de Soleil composer, Benoit Jutras.

K-Bust is currently working on the release of her second studio album titled Fearless, which has been produced entirely by Albert Chambers, a Juno award nominated music producer from Montreal. Check out the lead single “Over” here, and follow K-Bust:

FOLLOW:
Website I Facebook I Twitter I Instagram I Youtube | Bandcamp