How to increase your social media followers in 30 days using the 70-20-10 rule

Growing your artist brand on social media can often feel like a losing battle, but thanks to the 70-20-10 rule, there exists a solid way to engineer your content for maximum engagement. Marketing expert Angela Mastrogiacomo breaks it down for us.

Guest post by Angela Mastrogiacomo of the ReverbNation Blog

When it comes to social media, it can feel like you’re screaming into the void. You put all this time and effort into trying to create a post that people are going to care about, only to check back hours later and see you only got 5 likes. We’ve all been there. 

So, what if I told you that there was a way to never again wonder what to post. A way that you could quickly come up with new ideas—the kind of ideas that encourage people to actually interact with your content, so that the next time you post something you’re sure to get lots of interactions? And how about if the icing on the cake was that you’d also grow your following and create a true community of fans through all of this?

You’d be in, right?

What is the 70-20-10 rule?

The 70-20-10 rule goes like this. 70% of your content should be related to building your brand, 20% should be sharing the content of others, and 10% should be self-promotion. 

The reason this is so important is because if you’re like a lot of us on social media, we tend to lead with that self-promotion, while letting any branding or even sharing of peer content fall by the wayside. And it feels natural to do, which is why so many of us tend to lead with it.

After all you’re a musician, you expect people to want to hear about your music. And they do. But the thing is, if they’re going to stick around, engage, share your content, there has to be more than just the music. They have to feel a connection to you as a person or a brand. They have to want to engage. And that comes from knowing who you truly are.

Breaking down each section, let’s take a look at how you can best implement each of these.

When it’s time to spread the word about your music, it’s time to look at Promote It

70 percent of your content should be brand-building

We have a whole article on finding your brand, so if you don’t have a solidified brand, I’d suggest starting there, as it’s going to be important for the rest of these steps (and your music career as a whole). 

Once you have your brand nailed down, you can begin to brainstorm content around that brand as part of your 70%. Some examples of how to convey your brand include:

• Going live. This can be before/during/after a show or rehearsal or practice session or day off where the band is hanging out. You can take fan questions or share exciting news or just share what’s going on in that moment. The goal here is to show your personality through live video (the same way it might show through a live performance)
• Share behind the scenes photos of everything from major events (recording in the studio, planning new merch, writing a song) to the day to day (getting ready for your day, your morning routine, you and the band out for pizza)
• Creating content and captions that relate to your brand. For instance, if you’re a pop-punk band who writes about nostalgia, youth, and hanging with friends, maybe you share stories of you hanging out at the pizza shop because pop punk and pizza go together like PB&J. Or maybe you’d share a story about your closest friend and why a certain song was inspired by them.

Start to pay attention to the kind of content other artists and brands outside the industry share and see what resonates with you. Then ask yourself why they resonate and how you can make that your own.

20 percent should be sharing someone else’s content

The beautiful thing about the music industry is that at its best, it is a community. Meaning, we all look out for each other and have one another’s backs. One of the simplest ways to show your appreciation for other artists, industry, or brands, is to share their content. 

So, if you see a band that you’ve shared the stage with (or want to) has a new song out, share that and tell your audience why it’s meaningful to you (not just “listen to this new song!”) 

If a brand you follow shares a funny piece of content that resonates, then share it with your audience. (Quick tip: Always remember to tag people when you share their content so they get notified)

Overall, this is a really great way to not only mix up your content but to build and strengthen your relationships within the industry.

10 percent of your content should be self-promotion

This is where all of your content around your music, shows, merch, etc goes. While it might seem like a small amount, trust that once you’ve spent some time building trust with your audience through the other 90% of the content your posting, even the engagement on these posts will go up, as people will naturally be more interested in what you have going on.

Because now, it’s about more than just the music, it’s about feeling invested in you. And that’s a lot more powerful.

What do you think? How can you start incorporating the 70/20/10 rule into your own social media? 

Angela Mastrogiacomo is the founder and CEO of Muddy Paw PR. She loves ice cream, reality TV, and hanging with her dog Sawyer.