To my French Caribbean artists...
As I’m wrapping up the #streamcaribbean podcast, I’m glad to see that artists from Guadeloupe and Martinique are starting to implement strategies to get global visibility and to get a bigger global audience. For instance, I see more music videos with Kréyol and/or English subtitles. I see people releasing ALBUMS and trying to use their social media to create a connection with their fanbase through their artistry and not through their daily lives. With that said, digital branding is a key aspect that French Caribbean artists are still neglecting. What I’m about to say is for French Caribbean artists specifically but feel free to use it in another context.
Authentic digital branding cannot come from what producers/record company executives say. Authentic digital branding can only start with the artist and the direction they want to give to their career.
Basic questions
1) why do you create?
2) what’s your definition of success?
3) who do you want your audience to be?
And in that order. Your answers should be personal to you, to your story, and what you want to accomplish. This is the foundation of any marketing and promoting strategies.
If you just want to create music, create and stop expecting any kind of validation.
If you just want to make money, then LEARN THE BUSINESS and then CREATE. If you can do both at the same time, good for you. But chances are learning, the business will take more time, so that should be your priority if you want to make money.
If you want to create music AND make money, your VALUES should lead any of your decisions to figure out who is HELPING YOU and who is BLOCKING YOU while pretending to help you. LEARN THE BUSINESS, CREATE, LOVE YOUR AUDIENCE, BE CONSISTENT, BE PATIENT.
starting kit for digital personal branding to go global
claim a marketing music genre and stick to it. Your versatility is NOT a selling point. If you don’t claim a genre already established such as dancehall, reggae, zouk, konpa or soca, if you’d rather sing soul, R&B, jazz, rock etc then your marketing music genre is Caribbean pop*. Embrace the title, create whatever you want within this category, but identify yourself through your Caribbean identity.
stick to one social media platform according to the first audience you’re targeting.
communicate on your music every single day with an English translation (we really don’t care about your life, but there should be more posts about your music than about your daily life)
all (French) Caribbean artists should use the #streamcaribbean and #caribbeanmusic to get a boost in any algorithm.
build a website to archive your achievements (stop relying on traditional media and the number of social media followers to validate your accomplishments, it has no value to the non-Caribbean experts you’re seeking validation from)
have a newsletter and actually use it to develop your superfans community
I’m looking forward to see our Caribbean artists develop their digital branding. Here’s a bonus tip related to media training. Whenever you’re asked about “why Caribbean artists [insert negative perception of Caribbean artists]”, your reply should be “you’re the media, what’s your take on that?”.
*Composer Joël Jaccoulet has been using the term “Creole pop” since the 90’s. It made sense back then, but a lot of artists sing in French now, so that’s why I’d rather use Caribbean pop.