Facebook is the biggest social media platform in the world. People make friends, share pictures, and chat with each other. When they find other people like them, they form groups. To many, groups are just a way to stay connected with your community. To an indie artist like you, they can be a gold mine.

Many indie artists try to promote their music by creating a Facebook page and they ignore groups. They don't yet know the power of groups. Facebook groups offer you benefits that you won't find anywhere else. Let's talk about some...

What Facebook Groups Offer Indie Artists

Massive Reach

Facebook has over 2.5 billion active users. That's more than a quarter of the world's population! If the point isn't already obvious, you get access to a massive audience by using Facebook, for free. It doesn't matter where you're from, Facebook can be where your music explodes. There's no Facebook group with the whole Facebook audience, of course, so let's talk about the groups.

Facebook groups have no limit to how many people can join. When the group membership exceeds 5,000, though, some minor functions become restricted. You can also join as many groups as you want.

You won't get the entire Facebook audience in a group, but they're an awesome way to start building as an indie artist. You're probably wondering how. Keep reading...

Community Building

Being a lone indie artist in a community of 2.5+ billion people makes you feel like a drop in an ocean. Groups help you with that by shrinking the community to a mere 5,000. Facebook groups are not only smaller, but they're also easier to penetrate because they bring together people with a common interest. Groups take you from 2.5+ billion people you have no idea how to reach to 5,000 people who you know are interested in music.

Groups could be vague like a group of music lovers for example, or ultra niche like a group for indie alternative rock lovers. There are even some fan groups for particular artists! As long as you can find people interested in it, you can find a group for it.

It's usually better to start with the ultra-niche groups and just go for people who love your kind of music. It's easier to convince them you're doing great because they already love your type of sound. They're also more likely to become superfans. Join a group, engage with them and build relationships until you become one of them.

When you become one of them, your music becomes their own, and that's when they become superfans. No affiliate marketer will match their energy when it comes to spreading your music. This tightly-knit community will form the base of your brand.

Brand Building

When you have a good number of superfans, you can create a group for them. This group will serve as an inner circle of sorts, where your listeners get to be part of your creative process and can even make contributions. This will give them an even stronger sense of belonging and ownership of your music.

Every mega artist has an army of superfans behind them. Justin Bieber has the Beliebers, Nicki Minaj has her Barbz, and Taylor Swift has the Swifties. You can build yours from a Facebook group.

These are the people who will stream your music no matter what you sing. They'll defend you online and cheer when you get onstage. They'll buy your tickets no matter how much and learn all your lyrics by heart. I know these examples are extreme, but that's the potential of a Facebook group when used right.

Joining music based Facebook groups are a great way to gain some free exposure. However, don't just join, be active to get your music heard.

Networking

A Facebook group is a subset of the larger multitude brought together by a similar interest. This means you'll find other indie artists, producers, club owners, DJs, and other music professionals in some groups. Being in a group with such people offers you a unique chance to network and build profitable relationships that could immensely benefit you.

All it might take to blow up is one club owner inviting you to perform, a producer showing you something you never could figure out when recording and editing music or even a fellow artist hitting you up for a collaboration.

To this end, it's advisable to join groups about your location. There's little good a club owner from Japan will do for you when you live in Lagos, Nigeria. It's not wrong to build a relationship with someone from a different country, but don't ignore your immediate surroundings. It's easier and more profitable to connect, bond, and work with people from your area. When you crack that market, you can start extending your tentacles.

Some Actionable Tips

Now that you know how Facebook groups can help your music career, you might be wondering how to get started and what exactly you should do. I won't go into much detail, but here are some tips and hacks for you as you navigate Facebook groups...

Target ultra-niche groups

The more niche the group, the more likely your potential audience is already interested in what you do. A music lovers group would contain lovers of rap, soul, jazz, and other genres all mixed up together. On the flip side, a group for alternative rock lovers is quite specific. So what's your genre? Find groups for it.

Target location-specific groups

If you're an indie artist out of Mumbai, India, there's not much a Nigerian DJ can do for you compared to an Indian DJ. Don't get me wrong. International connections are important and shouldn't be ignored, but it's more profitable when starting to focus on your local area.

Don't spam, be real

Nobody likes a spammer. Most groups will have anti-spam regulations so you could get kicked out. When you join a group, be real. Contribute to conversations, engage with others, and build real relationships. The rest will follow.

Create your group

It's good to start by joining already established groups, but you'll eventually need to start a group of your own. This group will be where you can build a community of superfans for yourself. It's where the actual music promotion happens because it's your community full of your fans.

Final Thoughts

Facebook holds the biggest audience in the whole world, and groups are one of the best ways to penetrate it. Join a community of creators, then build a community of fans. That's how you crack the matrix. That's how you become the artist you're meant to be.

Facebook Marketing For Bands