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Social media is a powerful marketing tool and for those music artistes who are always professing their grouse with disc jocks and other influencers in the industry who they think can get them ‘out there’ to a great fan base, it’s time to rethink your strategy!

In case you have missed the memo, let me take you down memory lane to a struggling Gully Bop, nondescript and lost in obscurity until a single clip of his went viral and overnight his situation underwent a 360 degree turn.

No doubt it is a painstaking exercise trying to get as many likes, updating your page and staying on top of the game, but in the end it could pay off big time in unprecedented earnings – big rewards for your persistence.

The power of social media should never be underestimated whether in music or any other business venture. Billions of people are on Facebook on a daily basis. LinkedIn is a wonderful site for the business savvy and with selected groups which zone in on your areas of interest, it could be a match made in heaven when it comes down to making it work for you.

There was once a time when artistes had to struggle for music sales with the rigorous and laborious task of getting the CDs to the various outlets.

The World Wide Web and Social media have changed all that, with digital outlets such as Amazon, CD Baby, last.fm, iTunes Store, Groove Music and the list goes on, musical products can be brought to the attention of fans without physically leaving your house!

A lot of upcoming acts don’t have the financial means to host a big album launch to advertise their album. Even some experienced ones are now finding it more economical to create a buzz on social media about their latest work.

It makes sense, as a physical album launch will never generate the kind of audience that flocks to social media on any given day.

It is erroneous to think that social media sites are just to keep up with friends and catch up on the latest gossip- ever heard of enjoying the best of both worlds!

Why not use your time to catch up with friends, make new ones and expand your business horizon.

Feel free to explore some other social media platforms that are more about business than small talk. You already have Facebook and WhatsApp for that!

Biznik, Partner Up, Entrepreneur Connect, Plaxo, Perfect Business, Pinterest and TalkbizNow. Since the target of this article is the creative industry, there are useful platforms such as Playlist, SoundCloud and Google+.

With your platforms all  identified, the task is there to set about building a  loyal fan base and this can be done by engaging them on a regular basis.

Respond to their comments– whether by direct message or on the page, you never know if someone might even give insight on what pleases them more.

Don’t be a stranger to social media … it can be your best friend and business partner … what are you waiting for?!