Originally published at: https://community.envato.com/how-authors-use-social-media-facebook/
In a previous article I talked about ways to optimize your SoundCloud page, how it effects referral traffic, and the results I’ve seen from doing that in terms of item sales. This week I want to talk about the strategy I use for Facebook.
Why I use Facebook
Facebook is a great platform for networking, business and promotion. Because Facebook is linked with my AudioJungle and Soundcloud accounts, it often recommends video directors and game developers in my circles or that I should know about. Furthermore it makes it possible to redirect customers to AudioJungle if they’re interested in my material, thus giving me a channel to generate new buyers.The 5 main aspects of my Facebook strategy
Don’t be selfish
I never spam people’s timelines with posts about new releases on AudioJungle. I try instead to introduce them to my content gently, using accurate but engaging descriptions of my tracks, and suggestions of why they would be useful for particular projects. Nobody appreciates item spamming, so be creative and show that you have something to offer.
Be consistent
Do not leave your page without publishing for more than a few days. You should aim to post at least once a week. If you leave your page unattended, your audience will lose interest in it, and as a consequence your traffic and sales may suffer.I usually post 1-2 times a week, sometimes more if there is something to promote, for example a new track I’ve released, or a special event I’m creating.
Remember to blog
It's very important to post blogs because they express who you are as an individual and provide a great opportunity to engage your target audience. In other words, sharing your interests, your experiences and influences for your music makes the content more unique to you, and more personal, meaning your Facebook audience can build a genuine connection with you.
Share photos and videos of your tracks in progress plus your own photos
Don’t hesitate to show videos and photos of your projects in progress. I’ve found it very effective to do as people like it! It can be a simple sneak-peak of an upcoming track, photos of stems, anything!I also find it important to share your own photos - selfies for example, instruments etc. Similar to what I mentioned before it shows your individuality which is important to maintain for your fanbase. It’s why they like you.
Share videos using your tracks
If you have a YouTube channel with some good videos, and even partner channels that use your tracks, you should share that content on your Facebook page! In my description I always make sure I link my partner’s Facebook page as you can see from the examples below.
Why these 5 main aspects are so important to maintain
Figure 1. Engagement
Engagement
Your ongoing goal should be to engage and build your audience. To do this you need to establish and maintain a consistent routine for how often you post, but also a consistent balance of what you post.This graphic speaks for itself. It’s very important to consistently check what types of content are popular with the people following your page. Facebook is constantly changing what type of content its algorithm favors, therefore it’s imperative you regularly check what your audience is engaging with the most.
Organic vs Paid
In July of 2015 I started a paid advertising campaign on Facebook. I wouldn’t say the amount I invested was huge, but it was large enough for decent testing. Let’s take a look at how this went...
Figure 2. Post reach
Here we can see that paid posts had phenomenally larger reach than organic ones.
Figure 3. Likes, comments and shares
Here things get more complicated as the diagram shows my paid posts on July 1 and 5 netted no engagement, yet on July 9, we can see lots of engagement on my post. This is organic as fan base reaction has nothing to do with paid promotion.
Figure 4. Posts Published from 9 July
Figure 5. Net Likes
Net likes shows there was not a single “paid like”. However, on July 8-9 there were a significant number of “unlikes”. Like Fig.3, it seems to have nothing to do with the paid campaign.
Conclusion
Facebook is an excellent network for all Envato Authors, but at the end of the day it’s still a social network, so your main aim should be to build and communicate with an audience.As I noted in my examples it’s been an excellent place to share my experiences with music production, things that interest me, and so on. This tool gives you a great opportunity to establish useful contacts and make your products appeal to the right customers.
While I can’t say that paid promotion is guaranteed to get you what you want, it’s possible that with a huge investment it can be effective. According to my investigation it doesn’t make sense to start an advertising campaign with a low budget - however what it does show is that it does bring views, just not necessarily engagement, which confuses me a bit.
Anyway, if you haven’t already, give Facebook a try. And if you haven’t found it effective so far, try and implement the five aspects I mentioned. Remember to be creative, consistent and maintain your individuality, and I’m sure it will pay off.
