8 things musicians should never do on social media

Bobby Owsinki offers some usually unspoken but universal do’s and don’ts that musicians (and the rest of us) need to follow to maintain good social media health.

by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

If you’re too attached to social media (it doesn’t matter which platform) it will destroy your mental health and that’s a fact. Fortunately, it’s fairly easy to remain a sane user if you follow some common sense rules and manage to restrain yourself when necessary. Here are 8 Don’ts on social media compiled by social consultant Angie Gensler that are necessary for your social media health.

1. Don’t steal images. If you get caught, especially by a major supplier like Getty, it will not only hit you in the pocketbook but cause unnecessary stress until the issue is resolved.

2. Don’t expect instant results. We hear so much about posts, streams and videos going viral that we almost expect that to happen for us too. Maybe not on a global scale, but shouldn’t all posts resonate with the public? It turns out that even major celebrities and influencers may only have 1% of their audience react to any post or video. That’s probably what you should expect as well.

3. Don’t take haters personally. The downside of social media is that people can and do say things that they never would to your face. Don’t let it get to you. It’s best to not respond and move on.

4. Don’t compare yourself to others online. You’re probably never going to have the audience of your favorite celeb or influencer, and your videos may never have the same polish or spontaneity. Just be you as best as you can. Do what you do, try to get better every time you do it, and compare yourself only to yourself.

5. Don’t try to be perfect. Trying to be too perfect means that it will take you too much time to release your post or video and it may be an old topic by the time it’s released. Better to get it out with flaws (most people won’t notice them anyway) rather than constantly postpone because it isn’t where you think it should be. Besides, people prefer the imperfections on social.

6. Don’t spam groups. Groups are very helpful to building an audience but the last thing anyone wants to see is self-promotion. It’s usually okay to make an announcement of a new release or video, but constantly pushing it might get you banned by the admins.

7. Don’t focus on the wrong metrics. View count and likes are nice but not a real measure of engagement. Shares and comments tell you more about what your audience really cares about.

8. Don’t let it take up too much time. If you’re a musician, artist or in a band, you’re probably very busy already. Obsessing over a social platform won’t gain you much extra and just takes time away from things that are important.

Your social media health is essential to your overall well-being, and that means keeping it the proper perspective. It’s part of your life, but it’s not all of your life. If you’re a creator, you need time to create, so don’t let your social presence get in the way of that.

Bobby Owsinski is a producer/engineer, author and coach. He has authored 24 books on recording, music, the music business and social media.