Chris Robley of CD Baby highlights the five things every artist must include on their Facebook page that are so frequently neglected. When it comes to your Facebook page, a first impression is likely the only impression you’ll be able to make.
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By Chris Robley of CD Baby from the DIY Musician blog
People will only visit your Facebook page ONCE!
Your fans are never going to check your Facebook page again after that first visit. It’s just not how Facebook works. They’ll see your stuff in their feed, or they won’t.
I mean, think about your favorite artists. How often do you check THEIR Facebook pages? I absolutely love the music of Jason Isbell, but I have NEVER ONCE gone to his Facebook page. If I’m proactive about visiting one of his web properties for information or content, I’ll turn to his website, YouTube, or Spotify.
Are Facebook pages still important if most people never visit them?
Yes, they are!
Why? Because when your content (videos, posts, pics, etc.) reaches and impresses a new listener on Facebook, or when you reconnect with an older fan for the first time on that platform, THAT is the moment when people are most likely to go and check out your page. And when they do, you want to make a great impression.
Hell, don’t stop at impressions; you want them to be able to DO something right then besides simply seeing that you’re amazing. Ya know: get merch, buy a ticket, give you their email address, etc.
But for some reason, lots of musicians don’t optimize their Facebook pages.
Below are five oft-ignored components of a Facebook page that are easy to customize, and can have an impact on your page’s usefulness.
Your Facebook page needs these five things in order to impress new fans and drive action:
1. A cover video
You know the adage, how a picture’s worth a thousand words. Video’s worth a million.
So plant a 20-90 second video right at the top of your page, and it’ll start playing automatically whenever someone visits your page.
The video should be something that conveys your vibe, message, or accomplishments with the sound OFF, since that’s the way the video is defaulted to play. Good audio is a bonus though, just in case the user un-mutes you!
Here’s how to add or change your Facebook page’s cover video.
2. A call-to-action
Want to sell CDs? Get people to visit your website? Start a conversation in Messenger?
Whatever your #1 goal is at the moment, make sure the big blue C.T.A. (call-to-action) button right at the top of your Facebook page reflects that priority.
Remember, it’s all the more important to drive action NOW, because the visitor will probably never be back on your page again.
3. A reference to the call-to-action in the cover image or video
There’s a lot of clutter online. Our eyes are growing immune to ads and action messaging.
To idiot-proof your page (not that I’m calling your fans idiots in particular; we’re ALL idiots), you should use your cover image or video to draw extra attention to that big blue call-to-action button right below the header.
When you’re designing the visuals, keep in mind that things can shift around on different devices, screen sizes, etc. As long as those arrows are pointing in the right general direction, you’re off to a good start.
4. Product!
Merch, merch, merch, merch, merch, merch, merch, merch, merch.
Or if you only have one product: merch.
Either way: merchandise! (The noun and the verb).
And if you don’t want to run to the post office for every single CD sale, you can even integrate your Facebook shop with CD Baby.
5. Complete ABOUT Page
Fill it out. Rock it. Post a great big pic.
If I haven’t made it entirely clear yet, NOW is the time to capitalize on your visitor’s curiosity about your music and career.
They ain’t coming back. So carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero already.
Does this square with your thoughts on the average Facebook user’s behavior? Do your fans ever actually head back to your page? What are some other Facebook page essentials for musicians? Holler in the comments below.
Chris Robley is the Editor of CD Baby’s DIY Musician Blog. I write Beatlesque indie-pop songs that’ve been praised by No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, & others. My poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, & more. I live in Maine and like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, a little too much.