Who is this actually for?

Not “everyone”. Please don't say everyone.

I know your mum likes it. Your mate Dave likes it. The woman who lives three doors down thinks you've got a lovely voice. That's lovely. But if you want strangers to discover you, you've got to think a little harder.

It's not about you... well, it is, but it isn't

This sounds slightly contradictory because, obviously, your music is about you.

Your songs are your stories, your experiences, your ideas. But marketing them isn't. Marketing is about the person on the other side of the screen. What will make them stop? What will make them think: “Hang on... what's this?”

And what will make them care enough to stick around?

That's the bit you need to understand. You're not trying to reach everyone

One of the biggest mistakes I see musicians make is trying to make content that appeals to absolutely everybody.

It doesn't work.

Imagine you're playing a gig and someone tells you: “Tonight you're performing to anyone who happens to be within a 50-mile radius.” Helpful.

• Are they 18 or 80?
• Do they like soul, metal, indie, country or electronic music?
• Have they got kids?
• Do they go to gigs?
• Do they discover music through friends, radio, TikTok, YouTube or carrier pigeon?

You'd have absolutely no idea what to say.

And that's exactly what happens when you try to make content for “everyone”.

So who actually is your audience?

Start with the people who already like what you do.

If you've got an existing audience, look at them.

• What other artists do they listen to?
• What gigs do they go to?
• What else do they talk about?
• What sort of content do they respond to?
• What do they have in common?
• 
  

You might discover that the people who really love your music aren't necessarily the people you originally imagined.

That's useful information.

And if you're starting from scratch, look at the artists you sound like. Not because you want to copy them. Because their audience might give you some clues about who is likely to connect with your music.

Now think about the video

This is where it gets interesting.

Let's say you've written a song about losing someone. You could make a video of yourself standing in front of the camera saying: “Here's my new single. Out Friday. Link in bio.” Or you could tell the story behind the song.

• Maybe it was written after a relationship ended.
• Maybe it was about losing someone close to you.
• Maybe there's one particular lyric that took you six months to get right.

Suddenly you've given me a reason to care. And that's the difference.

You're not just promoting the song. You're giving me a way into it. Think about the person scrolling

Here's a useful exercise.

Before you make a video, imagine the person you're trying to reach is sitting on the other side of the screen.

They're not waiting for your video. They're not sitting there thinking: “I wonder what that lovely musician I don't know yet is posting today?”

• They're scrolling.
• They're looking at football.
• They're watching somebody restore a rusty old toaster.
• They're watching a dog fall off a sofa.
• They're doing literally anything except waiting for you.

You've got about three seconds to give them a reason to stop.

So ask yourself: Why would they care?

Not:

“What do I want to say?”

That's an important distinction. Your audience isn't just a demographic. This is where marketing can get a bit dull.

“Female, 35-54, lives in the UK, household income £45,000.” Fine. That's useful data.

But it doesn't tell you much about why somebody might become a fan.

I'd rather know:

• What makes them tick?
• What music do they love?
• What do they care about?
• What makes them laugh?
• What annoys them?
• What sort of stories do they connect with?
• What sort of gigs do they go to?
• What makes them feel something?

Because those things give you ideas. And ideas are what you're going to need.

Make content for the person, not the platform

This is another trap.

People spend an enormous amount of time asking: “What does Instagram want me to post?”

I'd start somewhere else. Ask: “What does the person I want to reach want to see?” Then worry about the platform.

Because platforms change. Algorithms change. Formats change.

Apparently we're all going to be making videos in vertical hologram format from our kitchen cupboards next year.

Who knows? But people don't change quite so quickly.

They still want to be entertained.

They still want to discover things.

They still want to feel something.

And they still want to connect with other people.

Here's the really useful bit

Once you understand your audience, making content becomes much easier.

Instead of sitting down and thinking: “Right... what the hell am I going to post today?” you've got somewhere to start.

If your audience loves the stories behind songs, make more of those. If they love seeing you perform, give them performances. If they respond to your sense of humour, let them see it. If they love the process of making music, take them into the studio. If they're fascinated by your live shows, show them what happens before, during and after the gig.

You're not creating content because somebody told you that you need to post three times a week.

You're creating things your particular audience actually wants to see.

That's a much better place to start.

One final thought

You don't need to know exactly who every single person in your audience is.

You're not building a dossier on them. You just need to understand enough about the people you want to reach that you're no longer shouting into a crowd and hoping somebody turns around.

Think about one person.

• What do they like?
• What do they care about?
• What would make them stop?
• What would make them stay?
• 
  

And most importantly...

What would make them want to know more about you?

Because that's what you're really trying to achieve. Not another view. Not another follower.

A person who stops scrolling, discovers your music and thinks, “I like this. I want to hear more.”

That's where a follower can start becoming a fan.

And that's a much more interesting target than “everyone”.