SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE

 

Introduction

Clementine and I decided to make Instagram pages, as it is a modern media form that artists use frequently to connect with fans. We created 9 posts to promote the release of our album, and for the music video we created for one of the songs. Before creating the page, I created a list of things I wanted to include, and intentions for each of the posts.
  1. I wanted to include at least 1 post building anticipation for an announcement, to encourage engagement with fans and to create curiosity so they would return to the social media page
  2. Create a post announcing the drop of the album
  3. Create a post announcing the early release of a song from the album - I wanted to differentiate the song we created a music video for by doing a surprise release a little earlier than the album
  4. Create a preview of the music video to generate excitement
  5. Show a preview of the digipak design to encourage sales
  6. Announce tour dates to connect with fans
This left space for a few extra posts, which I could use to further promote the products. With this list of intentions, I was able to plan out the posts I wanted to create. To create a sense of branding, I decided to stick to the main colour schemes present in the music video, predominantly red with a little bit of blue. I wanted the theme to be quite dark, to create a sense of mystery surrounding the artist and her announcements. To link the social media page, digipak and music video, I used the projector images we had taken for the photoshoot for the digipak. The profile picture is a variation of the picture used for the front cover of the digipak, and in the bio I put a lyric from the song and a link to the music video.


For inspiration I looked at Taylor Swift's Instagram page, and how she created anticipation for the release of her most recent album Midnights. Although she posted a lot more, I followed a similar pattern to how she announced her album, music videos, and tour dates. On the left is Taylor Swift's feed, and on the right you can see my Instagram feed. Similar to her, I revealed a track from the album, released a teaser trailer for the music video, and did a post counting down until the release of the album. Additionally I also encouraged fans to buy the CD by hinting at surprise inside - in Taylor Swift's CD version of the album she included an extra song that isn't available anywhere else. However I chose to post in slightly different order, and I created more of a build up before announcing the album.



Creation

Similar to the digipak, I used Canva to add text to all of the posts and format the images.



Final Product

Link to Instagram page: click here

   I wanted to make sure the page looked aesthetic in both dark and light mode, to accommodate for all followers who might view the content, so I edited two versions to show both variations.




Representation and Branding


The first three posts are meant to build anticipation by announcing a new project, and revealing the date it will be released. At this point fans don't know what is being announced, so it encourages discussion around the topic and leads to increased engagement on the social media page. The sense of mystery is carried across in the imagery of the posts, as the artists face isn't fully revealed and she is obscured in shadows. The use of projection is a hint towards the upcoming project, as this imagery is continued in the album cover and music video for Under The Table. Another hint is the blue picture posted, as it is a reversed version of the back of the album cover. This is an easter egg that fans will later be able to pick up on once the album is released, and this once again encourages fan discussion which helps create a community around the artist.


The next three posts were focused on new releases. First, the artist announced their album, saying "So excited to announce that my new album Projection, the story of regaining our power, will be out on March 31st". Not only does she tell fans the name of the album, show the cover design and reveal the date it will be released, but also gives a short explanation of what it is about tp help fans relate to the album before they even hear it. This is also the first time the artists face is in the light, her face is revealed as she reveals her album. The next post announces an early release of a song. The caption expresses gratitude to fans, and gives a message relating to the theme of the song. This further establishes a connection to fans, and builds their sense of loyalty towards her.



This is followed by a video, which is a preview for the music video of Under The Table. This announces the date of the early release of the song. The post helps build anticipation for the song and the album, while giving insight into representation of the artist. I made the video a loop, so that when is watched in reel format (a recent feature introduced by Instagram), it is a smooth transition when the video restarts. Although this is a minor detail, it adds to the presentation of the artists work and when new listeners watch a polished product, it is more likely to attract their attention. The section of the song repeats the lyrics "I would beg to disagree but begging disagrees with me", which matches the lyrics in the artists bio. This further ties together the posts with the rest of the page.


The last 3 posts were about encouraging sales of the album. First, I posted a slide with the words "I won't shut up" repeated across it. The caption references this, saying "Ask anyone, I won't shut up about my new album... Only a week to go!". This is a countdown to the album release to create anticipation, but also references the words on the slide. Unbeknownst to the fans this is also a lyric from the song Under The Table, which is another easter egg for them to uncover once the song is released (2 days before the album drops). I got this idea from Taylor Swift, who has been known to use the lyrics of her songs in the captions of posts as clues. Next was a post announcing the release of the album. This post reveals the digipak design to the fans, whilst also disclosing there was a surprise if fans bought the special edition CD. This was meant to encourage sales of the physical copy of the album. Finally, the artist announced tour dates. The announcement was delivered with a heartfelt message to fans, to further develop the connection between consumers and the artist. Tours are generally announced after the release of new music, and help to generate loyalty to the artist as people tend to feel a connection when watching someone perform, as they are in the same room and having the same experiences.


Finally, I made use of Instagram stories to generate more excitement for the album. Stories are a way to constantly appear on followers pages, and there is a sense of urgency to view them as they disappear after 24 hours. The countdown is a feature that can be reposted and shared, and people can also save them so it sends a reminder when it runs out. This means that people can keep track of the time left before the album drops. The repetitive projector imagery reinforces the fans association of the colour scheme and imagery with the album, creating a clear identity of the music and portraying the artist as mysterious. This representation creates curiosity, so that fans are eager to listen to the album and watch the music video to discover more about the artist.

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