Social Media : Research & Development

This blog post, written by me (Beatrice), outlines the process of developing our artist's social media presence. It includes research into the social media pages of several artists within the same genre as our artist, explanations of how this research shaped our decisions, and the development process for our artist's social media page.

RESEARCH

Laufey

Laufey’s Instagram includes promotional posts about her performances, new albums, world tours, and behind-the-scenes moments. Her pinned post highlights her Grammy Awards achievements, showcasing a key milestone. However, her account feels personal and informal due to its spontaneous nature. She often shares unpolished, casual images without a consistent theme, which creates a more authentic and relatable vibe. Unlike many artists, she doesn’t heavily emphasize promoting her merchandise or albums and rarely shares frequent performance updates. Moreover, her captions enhance this casual tone with conversational language, often using pronouns like “my,” “me,” or “I,” along with playful phrasing and cute emojis that reflects her natural speaking style.

Technological convergence allows Laufey to engage with her fans more effectively by integrating multimedia content within a single platform. She actively interacts with her fans by replying to comments on her posts, whether they're questions, compliments, or casual remarks. She mirrors the energy and enthusiasm of her fans to strengthen her connection with them. Interactive features like polls, Q&A sessions, and live streams further allow fans to connect with her in real time, creating a more personal and engaging experience. Fans also interact with one another in the comment sections, as they bond over their shared admiration for Laufey and her music. Additonally, dedicated fan accounts and hashtags like #Laufey also foster tight-knit communities, making it easier for fans to connect and share their appreciation for her artistry. This reflects Blumler & Katz's Uses and Gratification theory, as fans engage with her content to fulfill needs such as building social relationships and exploring aspects of personal identity.

Laufey promotes her music through Instagram by announcing upcoming releases and encouraging her fans to sign up for early access. For example, in October 2022, she posted images of her performance with the caption "i have new music coming 🤍 sign up at the link in my bio to get an early tease :)”. She does this with a lot of upcoming music. In addition, she acknowledges and shares fan-made contents to promote her music while creating a sense of community among her fans. She often shares behind-the-scenes moments, which provides fans an intimate look into the process of creating her music. These glimpses make her promotion feel more personal and engaging. Furthermore, she shares personal stories and insights related to her music, which helps to add depth to her promotional efforts, making them more appealing and meaningful for her fans. 

I like how she maintains interaction with her fans, even amidst the huge amount of comments she receives. Additionally, I like how she subtly establishes a unique brand identity by consistently using an aesthetic that authentically reflects her persona.

Beabadoobee

Beabadoobee’s Instagram is primarily promotional, with around 90% of her posts dedicated to content such as performance clips and images, world tour schedules, and awards. Despite this, her page maintains a personal feel, as she frequently shares personal photos, including selfies, moments with friends and her cat, and even screenshots of personal chats. These spontaneous and unpolished posts adds an authentic, raw layer to her image, giving the impression that she actively manages her account. Her captions style are also consistent, often informal and playful, featuring emojis, which builds a personal connection with her fans. While her promotional content showcases her professionalism, these more candid posts humanize her, making her more approachable.

Though Beabadoobee’s direct engagement with fans is limited due to the amount of interactions, she occasionally replies to or likes comments. This gesture helps to maintain a sense of appreciation and connection. She also hosts live streams from time to time, which provides fans with real-time opportunities to interact and ask questions, creating a more direct and personal connection. Fans further engage with one another in her comment sections, sharing interpretations of her music and bond over shared iterests, which helps to foster a strong community. Fan accounts play an important role in this, as they frequently repost her content, sharing fanarts, and using hashtags related to Beabadoobee to connect her fanbase. Fans use these tags to share their own creations, explore others' posts, and participate in broader conversations about her music and events. This strengthens the overall community and enhances fan experience.

Beabadoobee promotes her music effectively by sharing clips and announcements of performances, such as her appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform one of her song, “Beaches.” She also celebrates milestones, like her album reaching number one in the UK or her recent nominations for two Brit Awards (Artist of the Year and Alternative/Rock act). These acknowledgments invite fans to share in her achievements, deepening their investment in her music. Sometimes, she interacts with her fans. By engaging with fan pages and allowing her fans to be part of her journey, she strengthens her community while promoting her music. 

I like how she shares both her public and personal personas, as it makes her more relatable and approachable to her fans. I also admire how she uses her posts to create a 'narrative' around her life and career, as it allows her fans to feel connected to her journey. Additionally, I think it's a great touch that she uses Instagram highlights, as they give fans easy access to important updates.

Clairo

Clairo's Instagram offers a balance between personal and promotional contents, which offers a glimpse into her life. While much of her feed includes promotional posts, such as merchandise and tour dates, her casual and conversational captions create a sense of authenticity and approachability. Alongside these, she shares personal moments, including selfies, polaroid photos, sunsets, and videos of her playing instruments or spending time with her dog. She even includes images of her fans, which fosters a sense of community and appreciation. Captions like “tour starts next week” keep her audience informed while adding a personal, friendly tone that strengthens her connection with fans.

Although Clairo doesn’t frequently engage directly in comment sections, she uses Instagram stories to share updates and personal moments, allowing fans to interact by reacting to these stories or participating in polls and Q&A sessions when she includes them. This provides an alternative way for her fans to feel connected to her. Fans also engage with one another in her comment sections, while fan accounts and hashtags dedicated to her allow for further interaction. These platforms provide spaces for fans to repost content and share updates related to Clairo, strengthening the sense of community within her fans.

Clairo’s promotional strategy includes creating excitement and anticipation. For example, on 11 January 2024, she teased her upcoming album with a post captioned “maybe this year,” which sparks speculation among her fans. She also announces music releases, such as lead singles, through her page, which provides fans with immediate access to her new music. Furthermore, her album 'Charm' received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards, which further highlights her achievements on multiple platforms.

I like how she balances promotional and personal content, as it keeps her feed dynamic and engaging for her audience.

DEVELOPMENT