The Best Way to Promote Your Music on Facebook

By
Heather McDonald
Heather McDonald
Music Professional
  • University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
Heather McDonald wrote about music careers for The Balance Careers. She has worked in the music industry for over two decades.
Learn about our Editorial Process
Updated on 09/23/21

If you've decided to start promoting your music on Facebook, you are joining thousands of other artists. To stand out, you need to strike the right balance of engaging with your fans and saving time to actually make music. To promote your music on Facebook so it has the most impact, follow these Facebook music promotion best practices.

01
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Shift Your Focus

woman playing a guitar while a young man types on a laptop
Hinterhaus Productions/Getty Images

The more people who like your Facebook page, the more people you reach with every post. However, your most successful Facebook "like" recruit actually happens away from the website—and away from the computer.

You're going to convince people to like your page by playing a great show and garnering positive word of mouth. In other words, don't spend all of your time online. Instead, devote time offline in order to engage with more people online. 

02
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Hit Reply

young people smiling at a post on a laptop screen
svetikd/Getty Images

Don't just hold court on your Facebook page. When you post something, and your fans start commenting on it, talk back to them. You don't have to reply to every single person, but responding to some will encourage your fans to stay active on your page.

03
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Mix Business and Pleasure

couple eating a pizza in Italy and sharing photos online
franckreporter/Getty Images

Your Facebook page is for promoting your music, but if that's all you do on it, you won't get very far. Instead, mix some personal stories in with your music-related announcements and updates.

You don't have to make your online life an open book. But, lets say you're a pizza aficionado and you're in Chicago (known for its deep-dish pizza) and you're ordering a pizza, announce that on Facebook. These sorts of things, mixed in with your business posts, give fans a peek behind the curtain and humanize you. 

04
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Don't Waste Time

Woman surfing the internet at 2 am on a laptop in bed
Peter Dazeley/Getty Images

You're a musician, not a social media marketer. Social media platforms can be seductive but make sure you don't waste hours on Facebook. Use it strategically to promote your work and don't neglect other areas of your music career, such as practicing and recording.

05
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D.I.Y.

A man playing guitar next to a laptop
Gary Burchell/Getty Images

If possible, manage your social media page yourself rather than depending on a social media manager. And, if you're part of a band, be sure to let all the band members jump in with you and engage with fans—a group post will make the page feel more organic and natural, giving fans a more personal connection to your music. And, if you're a soloist, include posts with your producer or promoter. 

06
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Posting Videos

Person filming concert on smartphone
gilaxia/Getty Images

Videos are the highest-ranked post type on Facebook. And, while uploading regular quality video content on Facebook is a sure-fire way to build an audience, not every video you post has to be a work of art. Facebook is a place where your fans can connect with the real you. Posting videos of band practices and pre-gig warmups recorded on a smartphone is a good way to keep the momentum going in between higher quality music videos.

07
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Posting Photos

two women posting photos from smartphone
 vjagic/Getty Images

Photos don’t reach as many people as they used to but are still good for driving engagement. There are also more opportunities on a daily basis to take photos than there are to take videos.

Keep photos relevant but don’t be afraid to branch out. If you're on a video shoot with the band and you spot a flower-filled field, it may not have anything to do with music but in the context of your recording day, it's relevant. Remember, your fans want to see your human side as well as photos of your instruments, performances, and bandmates. 

08
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Status Updates

using a mobile phone to post status update
Eternity in an Instant/Getty Images

Text updates can be a good way to connect with your fans by asking them questions, even if their reach can be minimal. That said, updates—about things like upcoming live shows—are a quick, easy way to keep your page active when other content streams are not available. 

09
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Use Caution When Sharing Links

Cropped hand of a woman holding a smartphone in front of a laptop, which is resting on a wooden table
Issarapong Suya / Getty Images

Facebook doesn’t want people leaving their website, so external links have always been punished in their algorithm; until recently. Facebook is trying to re-brand itself as the neighborhood newspaper and is showing leniency.

However, the key to share an external link is quality. When deciding what links to share, be sure that the content you're sharing is of high value or Facebook will punish you. 

10
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Managing Page Settings

Happy woman using mobile phone on sofa
Portra / Getty Images

There's a fairly easy process for managing page settings, as you'll see below.

  • Click the Settings at the top of your Page.
  • From General, click Messages.
  • Click to check or uncheck the box next to Allow People to Contact My Page Privately by showing the Message button.
  • Click Save Changes.
11
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Advertising on Facebook

Facebook on mobile
downloadsourcefr / Getty Images

Facebook lets you place most ads in the news feed of desktop users and mobile users, or in the right sidebar. If you need some help doing this, YouTube has a lot of instructional clips for those who like video tutorials.

In terms of cost, if you're measuring cost per click (CPC) Facebook advertising costs on average about $0.27 per click.