In the relatively new world of digital music promotion, musicians would be wise to acquaint themselves with every form of popular social media. Sure, it’s a given to set up a Facebook page and Twitter account for your music project, but creatively infusing Pinterest into a music PR campaign has proved surprisingly successful for many artists. At first glance, Pinterest seems more geared toward admirers of superficial or edible products; some of the most popular “pins” tend to relate to food, fashion, and celebrities. While it is true that these topics tend to dominate the Pinterest-sphere, it’s all part of Pinterest’s general aim: to have its users share their interests on a visual-savvy layout, where interaction among users is encouraged – even if it’s little more than a love fest for an oddly specific topic. Artists frequently use Facebook and Twitter to share their interests, and Pinterest is simply a highly specified and more concise way of doing that. Artists who share their favorite cuisines, guitar models, travel locales, and so on, become more intimate with their fan base, resulting in a more reactive and consequently passionate group of followers.
Even beyond the basic gist of Pinterest – to post about one’s interests – there are several interesting strategies that a musician can use on Pinterest to increase the visibility of their music. Whenever an artist releases a new track, they can post the single’s cover art on Pinterest. This alerts all followers to click on the cover art, and then the ensuing link can take them directly to an audio stream. Again, this is nothing that Facebook or Twitter cannot do, but the savvy user interface on Pinterest tends to be friendlier for picture-based releases like these. Many people tend to think that receiving news via a picture is more fun than reading text, anyway. That’s a big reason for Pinterest’s success. Just as Twitter capitalizes on our desire for concise yet alluring statements, Pinterest takes hold of our desire for quickly exchanged information – which, when done via a graphic, requires no intricate thought process.
Although the advantages of self-promotion on Pinterest are obvious, the site actually isn’t too keen on the practice. “Try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion,” they state. But no fear: “Pinterest is an expression of who you are. We think being authentic to who you are is more important than getting lots of followers. Being authentic will make Pinterest a better place long-term.” Essentially, this means to mix up your PR efforts with good-natured posts that have nothing to do with your music. Fans would like to learn something personal and not related to music, anyway. They already know your music rocks, and that you use a Gibson SG. But if your Pinterest is geared toward one topic only (your music PR efforts), this doesn’t seem very “authentic” – unless you have very linear interests. And Pinterest prefers topically diverse individuals to linear ones, by quite a bit. Stick by that rule and you shouldn’t have any issues with the service and its staff.
Large corporations like Whole Foods actively promote their products on Pinterest, so attempting to promote a song or EP shouldn’t seem that daunting. If anything, browsing other Pinterest accounts may open pathways to other promotional opportunities. There are plethoras of music blogs now in Pinterest, so getting in touch with the blog’s owners by interacting with their Pinterest page can be a good idea. Just remember not to be overly intrusive; comment on their actual pinned interests, as opposed to just writing “Check out my band!” Then after some small talk, send a single link to a press kit or audio stream. If they’re receptive, then great. If not, then just move on to another prospect. It is wise to create a unique board for music blogs that you enjoy. This will make your interest in a blog’s Pinterest seem authentic, which hopefully it already is. But if you need that extra illusion, adding the blog to a board called something like “My Favorite Music Blogs” seems ideal.
Overall, Pinterest has plenty of opportunities for musicians to promote their music and interact with their fan base. In addition to posting about new tracks or tour dates, artists can reach out to music blogs and Pinterest users. Pinterest is also a great way to feel out a fan base’s reaction to a track or artwork before launching a larger campaign. While it may initially seem not too different from Facebook or Twitter in terms of PR advantages, Pinterest has several unique visual-friendly advantages that attract a wide variety of users – many of whom may be your future fans.
Check out ConcertTour’s Concert Photography Collection on Pinterest
How Musicians Can Use Pinterest for Digital PR
In the relatively new world of digital music promotion, musicians would be wise to acquaint themselves with every form of popular social media. Sure, it’s a given to set up a Facebook page and Twitter account for your music project, but creatively infusing Pinterest into a music PR campaign has proved surprisingly successful for many artists. At first glance, Pinterest seems more geared toward admirers of superficial or edible products; some of the most popular “pins” tend to relate to food, fashion, and celebrities. While it is true that these topics tend to dominate the Pinterest-sphere, it’s all part of Pinterest’s general aim: to have its users share their interests on a visual-savvy layout, where interaction among users is encouraged – even if it’s little more than a love fest for an oddly specific topic. Artists frequently use Facebook and Twitter to share their interests, and Pinterest is simply a highly specified and more concise way of doing that. Artists who share their favorite cuisines, guitar models, travel locales, and so on, become more intimate with their fan base, resulting in a more reactive and consequently passionate group of followers.
Even beyond the basic gist of Pinterest – to post about one’s interests – there are several interesting strategies that a musician can use on Pinterest to increase the visibility of their music. Whenever an artist releases a new track, they can post the single’s cover art on Pinterest. This alerts all followers to click on the cover art, and then the ensuing link can take them directly to an audio stream. Again, this is nothing that Facebook or Twitter cannot do, but the savvy user interface on Pinterest tends to be friendlier for picture-based releases like these. Many people tend to think that receiving news via a picture is more fun than reading text, anyway. That’s a big reason for Pinterest’s success. Just as Twitter capitalizes on our desire for concise yet alluring statements, Pinterest takes hold of our desire for quickly exchanged information – which, when done via a graphic, requires no intricate thought process.
Although the advantages of self-promotion on Pinterest are obvious, the site actually isn’t too keen on the practice. “Try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion,” they state. But no fear: “Pinterest is an expression of who you are. We think being authentic to who you are is more important than getting lots of followers. Being authentic will make Pinterest a better place long-term.” Essentially, this means to mix up your PR efforts with good-natured posts that have nothing to do with your music. Fans would like to learn something personal and not related to music, anyway. They already know your music rocks, and that you use a Gibson SG. But if your Pinterest is geared toward one topic only (your music PR efforts), this doesn’t seem very “authentic” – unless you have very linear interests. And Pinterest prefers topically diverse individuals to linear ones, by quite a bit. Stick by that rule and you shouldn’t have any issues with the service and its staff.
Large corporations like Whole Foods actively promote their products on Pinterest, so attempting to promote a song or EP shouldn’t seem that daunting. If anything, browsing other Pinterest accounts may open pathways to other promotional opportunities. There are plethoras of music blogs now in Pinterest, so getting in touch with the blog’s owners by interacting with their Pinterest page can be a good idea. Just remember not to be overly intrusive; comment on their actual pinned interests, as opposed to just writing “Check out my band!” Then after some small talk, send a single link to a press kit or audio stream. If they’re receptive, then great. If not, then just move on to another prospect. It is wise to create a unique board for music blogs that you enjoy. This will make your interest in a blog’s Pinterest seem authentic, which hopefully it already is. But if you need that extra illusion, adding the blog to a board called something like “My Favorite Music Blogs” seems ideal.
Overall, Pinterest has plenty of opportunities for musicians to promote their music and interact with their fan base. In addition to posting about new tracks or tour dates, artists can reach out to music blogs and Pinterest users. Pinterest is also a great way to feel out a fan base’s reaction to a track or artwork before launching a larger campaign. While it may initially seem not too different from Facebook or Twitter in terms of PR advantages, Pinterest has several unique visual-friendly advantages that attract a wide variety of users – many of whom may be your future fans.
Check out ConcertTour’s Concert Photography Collection on Pinterest
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