The world has over 4.6 billion Internet users, of which 4.5 billion are using social media. Within the last year, we welcomed an additional 409 million users to social media. This is the state of the global digital ecosystem and it’s important for creators, musicians, brands and businesses to identify ways to tap into this constant traffic of people with many different interests, hobbies, music tastes, styles and culture.

There are growing discussions around the music industry globally, as artistes are becoming more invested in how to secure royalties, negotiating the best record deal, exploring new markets and collaborating in different ways. But much of this discussion is also set in how the digital landscape plays a role in getting a musician’s career off the ground. There’s YouTube, a free platform boasting over two billion users and home to many career starters. But how are our local musicians tapping into these spaces that sometimes offer great monetisation on content and opportunity for reach? Some of them are getting it right. We see trailblazers such as Spice, Alkaline and Koffee with well optimised YouTube channels, which means their profile leads you back to most of their other digital channels.

The Internet is also revolutionising how we do things and the music industry is adapting. Digital media provides a great place to build an audience, host virtual concerts or “fan connects”, live stream or discover new talents. This is where investing in the right digital strategy comes in.

GET THE RIGHT TEAM

Pursuing a career in music should be treated as a business. The artiste is a brand and a brand requires strategic vision, objectives and key performance indicators. Finding the right team to do this can be challenging, but it is very critical to have digital experts guiding the journey around social media use, intellectual property, copyright and digital partnerships.

The strategy should zone in on how to connect with fans across the different sectors — a newsletter to announce new music, an Instagram takeover, a Twitter Spaces or Clubhouse listening party. These are all great ideas, but will only take flight if the artiste has the right team executing them.

Our artistes need to understand that being Jamaican is already an advantage given our international influence on music. This means opportunities for monetisation go beyond just making music. Shenseea copped a brand deal with international fashion company, Pretty Little Thing, which is on brand for her fashion style.

THINK BEYOND THE BORDERS OF JAMAICA

People are always consuming content and music outside of their geographic location. It’s a global industry that brings us together and connects experiences. Jamaica commands over one million Internet users and while this is a great number to tap into, it’s important to operate with a global mindset, so focus on the millions of global users.

This mindset should aim to include an inclusive strategy that zones in on the use of closed captioning in the content being produced. That way, non-Jamaicans can understand what is being said in the native tongue. This also accommodates fans/supporters who are from the deaf community and want to bask in the enjoyment.

It’s also a good tactic to think global, as any artiste should work towards securing as many streams, listeners and subscribers as possible – this only increases visibility and grows the fandom. However, a multicultural mindset is necessary to manoeuvre this, as people consume content in many different ways and are drawn to a plethora of subject matters creatively expressed through the music.

CONNECT, BUILDAND RETAIN ONLINE COMMUNITY

The word “community” has given a new meaning to audience relations in the business and brand-building sphere. This is the same in the music industry, as artistes must meet the fandom where they are.

We are witnessing a reset with how people interact and have seen limited opportunities for physical gathering for concerts and events. More folks are moving online and turning to personalities with a visible digital presence, so it’s critical to show up. Analyse which social media platform works best and where it presents the best opportunity to nurture and connect with your community.

This suggests taking on a more authentic approach to content creation, which is only bolstered through being in constant dialogue with your community members and paying keen attention to their demands and areas of interest. Social media and survey tools present such a unique way to gain feedback through polls, Q&A and just having an open “DM” . Yes, you need to answer your fans and respond to their comments.

This is your window to curate an experience around your work and place community partnership as a focal point of all interactions. Our local artistes are blessed with the natural rhythm and vibe to create some amazing projects, but the world is moving quickly and having an effective digital strategy is a great first step in positioning for the best opportunities.

Joel Nomdarkham is a journalist, marketer and digital strategist. Dubbed t he Corporate Eccentric, he bridges the gap between personal branding and corporate life. He spends a great deal of time mobilising online communities around causes such as global marketing, diversity, equity and inclusion, and creator advocacy. Nomdarkham is head of social and digital branding at a Caribbean agency and currently writes for international publications, including Adweek, Popwrapped, Social Media Examiner and corpeccentric.me