10 Music Social Media Ideas by Eric Alper

by Robert Flis / December 3, 2021

Eric Alper is one of Canada’s leading publicists, music commentators and voices for developing artists trying to make a name for themselves in the music industry. He is the host of top-rated Sirius XM show “ThatEricAlper”, a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year at Canadian Music Week, a 19-time JUNO award winner overseeing PR campaigns and he has worked with some of the greatest artists of our time including Snoop Dogg, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ray Charles and many more. The Sincop8ed Noize Foundation is honored to have had Eric host one of our Rockalypse Music Workshops where he revealed 60 music-related things you can post on social media right now. In this article, we’re selecting our Top 10 ideas from his presentation. Be sure to check out the full podcast episode of the workshop for all 60 tips, on our workshops page!

Eric is no stranger to social media, having amassed a following of over 1 million across his accounts. In a time where social media has become integrated into the lives of most artists, it’s critical to take full advantage of these platforms to build an audience. But as daunting as that may sound to some, Eric’s light and humorous tone made it clear that it’s really all about having fun and connecting with people. “The most important thing about posting on social media as an artist, manager or label is that it’s not really about your song or your video,” says Eric. “This is your opportunity to reveal something about yourself and make those connections that much stronger. It’s really easy for people to hit the like or share button, but in order for people to follow you throughout your career, you need to be able to relate to your audience.” According to Eric, the way to do that is very simple: Explain who you are. Remember that you’re a human being with real thoughts, feelings and things to share, and the more you can put your whole life out there, the more people you will attract. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Music Social Media Tips from Eric Alper.

1) Tips About Learning in Life or Being in a Band

Share what you’ve learned being an artist so that others can learn from you. Be someone that others can look up to and people will follow not only for your music but for the wisdom and knowledge you can provide through your personal experiences. How did you get over grief or a bad breakup? What do you do when you’re happy or when you’re sad? Be candid and let people in. Sharing inspirational quotes that have helped you out during hard times is great as well!

2) Share News

This could be music industry news, like the latest information about Spotify, new platforms, record deals, etc. In this case, your ability to relate what’s going on in the industry positions you as an expert and pulls back the curtain for people who are interested. Reading sites like Billboard and FYI Music News can be a great source of content to post.You can also post news about your city, province, country and the world. Share stuff that you love, from small things that happen in your neighbourhood to worldwide events.

3) Photos of You Doing Something Fun and Inspiring in the Studio

The studio is a bottomless well of potential social media content. Post about everything from the song you’re recording that they won’t even hear until 7 months from now to what kind of gear you’re using. Take your audience on a journey with you. While you’re at it, give lessons on how to use some of the products you’re using, from new software to gadgets and instruments. Don’t forget to tag the manufacturers because you never know when they might decide to send you a package in the mail with some cool new stuff to try out.

4) Ask People to Post Photos of Their Favorite Album Cover or Artist and Why

Asking questions is a great way to create engagement with your audience. Everyone has a favorite, so ask them to share! What album do they listen to from start to finish without skipping a song? What’s their opinion on the best album of all time? Ask for suggestions on what to add to your playlist if you’re bored with what you’re listening to. Everyone loves talking about themselves and this is a great way to get people involved. Go ahead and share your favorites with them as well! Getting to know what your fans are listening to can have compound benefits down the road. If you see that a number of your fans like a certain band or artist, then you know which audience to go after when it comes time to boost a post on social media. You might also be surprised that fans of your music are also drawn to genres that are completely different!

5) Info About Your Favorite Non-Profit

Post about your favorite non-profit or charitable organization that needs help for fundraising or just general awareness. Eric puts particular emphasis on this point: “You are put on this planet to help other people. Your job is to make this place a little better for the people that come after you.”In the music world there are plenty of organizations worthy of your support, such as Music Counts, Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund and of course the Sincop8ed Noize Foundation (wink wink). It’s great to bring awareness to these organizations over the holidays and they will likely share you to their audience as well. You can take things a step further by volunteering at a local non-profit or music school and then sharing about your experience!

6) Teach Others How to Play Something

Teach others how to play a guitar or drum riff from a great song that inspires you or one of your own songs. You don’t need to play the song all the way through, just show them how to play the riff. Again, this positions you as an expert and you only have to do 30 second snippets. This is great bite-sized content that’s easy to produce and shows off your talent in a way that your audience can directly benefit from.

7) Get Your Crew Involved

Post about the people you work with on a daily basis. Take pictures with them and share them on your socials or have them do the same for you. Is someone on your team (or just someone you know) really hilarious? Have them do a takeover of your account for 24 hours. Highlight the people who were involved in the making of your art, whether it was the mixer, sound engineer or someone who went to get coffee for the team. Express your gratitude and why you loved working with them. This goes a long way in showing your fans that nothing goes unappreciated.

8) Create a Musical History

Talk about musical things of significance that have happened in the place you live. Which local venues have a particular story or interesting history? What’s the greatest venue you’ve played in your city? Go on a walking tour and show off significant locations or places that are important to you, then edit it down to 30 seconds or a minute. Consider it a condensed history lesson that gives your audience a peek into your surroundings and teaches them something interesting! While you’re at it, take the opportunity to post some “Where am I?” pics. Take a photo in an interesting location and ask your audience to guess the place. You can also turn it into a contest where the winning guess gets prizes like CDs, t-shirts, downloads, etc.

9) Ask Your Fans to Post Cover Songs They’d Love You to Do and Post a Video of You Doing It

This is a great way to get your fans involved and build a real connection with them. Not only will it develop your relationship, but it will also provide an interesting musical challenge for you! Other ways to foster interaction with your fans could be creating an in-studio VIP package. Hold a contest for a fan and a few guests. Take them out for lunch and bring them into the studio to hang out and have an intimate jam session or a private concert.

10) Thank your fans for following you

Take every opportunity to tell your fans how grateful and lucky you are to have them. Express how thankful you are to be able to create art in a world where millions are simply unable to do so. Gratitude works!

Conclusion

The vibe of this workshop and the amazing community in attendance made it one of the most fun we’ve ever hosted and served as a perfect reflection of Eric’s final message. After blasting through his 60 ideas in just under 45 minutes, he left us with one bonus tip: positivity is everything. “You’re there to have fun and to not slam anybody else,” Eric insisted. Everyone’s allowed to have negative feelings about someone or something. However, sharing it can not only reflect badly on you to your fans, but it can also come back to haunt you down the road. When you sign with a new agent or manager or label, one of the first things they do is look at your social media to see who they’re dealing with. Horror stories abound of bands or artists who lost out on amazing opportunities because they publicly insulted others online. Being positive and expressing what you love will open up so many more doors than being negative. Focus on sharing the things you love and you will receive love in return.

Sincop8ed Noize Foundation | We are a non-profit organization whose mission is to support, promote, and develop emerging musicians. Consider making a donation here.