RapTV’s Social Media Guidebook
Treat your social media platforms as though they’re public forums like Reddit or Discord, or as though it were an in-person meet-and-greet.
We get it. What good are all the platforms and strategies that help artists grow their digital reach if it seems impossible to cross the thousand-follower mark? It’s hard to think through building a multi-dimensional media empire without an understanding of how to build your base first.
Cultural media empire RapTV boasts a multi-million follower reach now, but it wasn’t always that way. In our “RapTV’s Social Media Guidebook” Webinar, COO David Katanka broke down the step-by-step approaches the company used to develop its social media presence from the ground up. We dove deep into how independent artists should utilize the thought processes that turned RapTV’s niche hip-hop standing into a pop culture social media powerhouse.
Note – you should treat this editorial as a Cliff Notes. Watch the full conversation (above) so you don’t miss out on any of the free game David brought to the table!
STAGE I: GRASSROOTS GROWTH
David walked through two focus areas in particular that prompted the platform’s growth in the early stages.
The first mission they attacked was being extremely intentional with tailoring content to the audiences they wanted to reach. Content is a buzzword today, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a simple box to check. Do your due diligence studying fanbases and online communities, and try to answer these questions as you research:
What is the niche audience that your music and brand will be most appreciated by?
What types of content will resonate with that niche, and what type of content do they seek out?
What type of experience does that niche want to be a part of?
As you find your trademark approach to content and a consistent posting schedule, David’s second focus area comes into play. Frequent interaction with your followers creates a well-rounded experience. Treat your social media platforms as though they’re public forums like Reddit or Discord, or as though it were an in-person meet-and-greet. Spend time engaging in real-time with people who engage with you or with similar content.
These focus areas are key to facilitating the organic connection to your audience that turns them into an active fan base.
STAGE II: OPTIMIZE FOR VIRALITY
Virality isn’t the only way to scale your audience from a small group of believers to tens of thousands of followers. However, it is a tool that puts the power in the hands of the independent artist. Thanks to TikTok, Reels, and other similar avenues, you can set yourself up for an online explosion just as much as a major label can.
David explains that a large part of going viral is organic and up to chance. Still, creating a process behind your posts enhances your chances of having a piece of content blow up. According to David, RapTV views virality as the blending of a few factors: posting the right thing at the right time, with the right details.
The right thing – know what’s hot today, what’s most relevant, and what people care about.
The right time – study trends in when to post, how certain events or holidays made similar content go viral.
The right details – “We’ve got a really strong team who put together the post composition. Everything is on point from the imagery to the caption to the placement [of text on the image] – the really fine details that a lot of people aren’t taking the time to look at.”
STAGE III: CROSS PLATFORM EXPANSION
For RapTV, the rapid growth of their Instagram allowed them to transfer their popularity to other social media channels. Because the company treats each channel as its own ecosystem with its own content, fans are always landing on quality and unique content on each platform.
As an artist, you don’t necessarily need to lean into one platform and make it your flagship. If you cater to multiple different platforms with a unique approach to each, you have a better chance at capturing more fans.
Take a look at how RapTV has utilized each pillar of their social media network:
Instagram — zeroes in on the platform to make it their flagship. Now, it serves as their primary content driver as well as what they use to point to their other growing channels
Twitter — prioritizes conversation-centric features like Threads to engage with people in real-time.
Snapchat — provides underground news bites and catchy taglines about relevant topics
YouTube — uploads high-quality long-form content that adds a new dimension of entertainment to their digital presence
TikTok – posts content that remains true to their voice and image on Instagram and adapts to what’s popular to capitalize on the viral potential
Think about doing things like making a spreadsheet where you list content ideas per platform. When you shoot music videos, allocate some BTS clips to platforms that have momentum or ones you want to grow. Use resources like Google Docs and Sheets to help you keep track of your ideas and progress.
