Digital portfolio management is a key factor in anyone’s business success story. However, musicians who can’t tour right now due to the corona pandemic.
In other words, digital portfolio management becomes vital in order to reach out to people. This is crazy, in nowadays music industry, there are so many platforms and accounts you need to take care of.
By all means, it can be really tricky to keep an eye on all of them. Indeed, if you have a lot going on, the best way to go forward is to make it yourself as easy as possible.
Why not make a little excel sheet with all the platforms and accounts. In the next row, you can mark the frequency of how often you need to update them.
Next, you can write down real appointment with yourself in your calendar for digital portfolio management. Then, all you need to do is to get your little list out and go one by one.
That way, you can’t get overwhelmed. Also, you can hold yourself accountable much more easily this way.
What is digital portfolio management?
Important to realise, digital portfolio management is so much more than just social media management. Sure, this a big part of it. However, digital portfolio management goes way further.
What do I mean by digital portfolio management? For once, it’s basically the management of everything you do on the internet for a business or career reason.
By the same token, having it all sorted out is really important for various reasons. Firstly, it gives you a stronger branding altogether.
Also, your corporate identity gets much better. Next, you can really improve your overall search engine optimisation strategy. Why?
If all of your digital platforms are SEO optimised you have much more leverage. On the contrary, if you only optimise your website then it might not be enough for the search engines to pick you up.
Here are some digital platforms you should take care of
- Streaming: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer and so on are extremely important in your overall digital portfolio management. For once, people can stream your music over streaming platforms. What is more, you can really amp up the engagement rates with a clever streaming strategy. People love to share what they love. Make your music and profile as shareable as possible!
- YouTube: This refers to the video platform, not YouTube Music the streaming platform. Make sure that you upload regularly. Best practise is twice a week. However, if you can’t do this aim for a consistent schedule. Also, make sure all your videos are optimised for search engines. That means, taking care of all the text as in the title and description for example.
Social media is of course part of digital portfolio management
- Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and co: Your social media platforms need regular looking after. Not only do you need to post regularly. Moreover, you need to keep all info fresh like your bio or contact information. Also, look after the hashtags you are using and monitor which one performs best. Likewise, make sure to communicate enough with other musicians as well as your fans. Answer all comments and also write lots of comments to other peoples content.
- Content production: Here you’re taking care of all the content. For example, all your social media posts. Likewise, the text you have written on your website. Also, all the pictures for the various social media headers and so on. Make sure you follow a coherent corporate identity with all your content production. Also, make sure to frequently update all aspects of this. That means, regular checking in of all the header pictures and galleries.
- Video production: This is crazy, you already start digital portfolio management while producing video material. Make sure you have a clear script of what you want to film. Equally important, be sure why you are filming a video. Likewise, already produce all needed video formats in one go. That means having a long high-quality video as a start. Then go and cut shorter clips out of it and edit them with the cliff-hanger technique for the Instagram profile. Make sure to have the longer version optimised for YouTube. To say nothing of saving the juicy bits for your exclusive Patreon content.
Don’t forget to update your website
- Website: Keeping your website fresh is a must. Rather delete it altogether and only work with social media then having an old and slow website. Also, make sure you really use the space on your website for a nice press corner. Here you can display your press kit. What is even more important, you can really transport your storytelling an in a very direct way. To say nothing of the possibilities to interact with your fans and give them something really special. Something they can’t get from a regimented social media platform. For example, you can write as much text as you like. As well as you can display your pictures in any way and format that you fancy.
- Press-Kit -> Photos, EPK and Biography: You want to keep this updated at all times. Frankly, you never know when you will get a call and you want to be prepared for it! You don’t need an expensive photoshoot every time you want new photos. In the first place, most mobile phones are already really good with their camera. Also, you can also use photo booths or analogue cameras to capture your artistic expression. Continuously work on your biography and make sure it transport a real feeling of ‘you’ rather than just writing out your CV.
- Bandcamp and Patreon: Support platforms like Bandcamp and Patreon need regular updates and tending to. Nobody likes to support you here if they feel like you’re neglecting it. Also, in order to generate enough Patreons, for example, you need to offer them frequent exclusive content.
Live Streaming is important to plan properly
- Live Streaming: During the corona pandemic induced lock-down, live streaming grew massively. However, don’t just jump on the bandwagon only to abandon it once the hardest times are over. Fans don’t like the feeling of being only the cash-cow to you. Make sure you can offer them steady and regular content. If you’ve chosen to make live streaming a thing for you then keep ongoing. Treat every live stream as an event and create a Facebook event for it. Also, you can write them down in your Songkick/ Tourbox feature for Spotify!
- Collecting society: This is crazy, under amongst all the digital management, one thing that gets most neglect is the collecting society register. Make sure that you frequently update any collecting society that you’ve signed up with. In Germany, this is the GEMA, for example. Every country has a collecting society. Make sure they have all the important metadata from you!
Look after your digital distributor!
- Digital distributor: In likewise manner, make sure your digital distributor is up to date. Make sure to send them all the metadata they need as well as assets like photos, booklets and press-releases. You can also release videos as Art Tracks for YouTube and deliver them to Apple Music, for example.
- Songwriting and lyrics: In case you’ve uploaded music to SoundCloud or you’re having a lot of YouTube videos, it’s important to have an eye on the songwriting credits. Also, make sure the lyrics are displayed in the correct way everywhere. You wouldn’t believe how many fans actually care for songwriting and especially lyrics. For example, you can use All Music in order to make sure you’re credited right. Of course, having your metadata correct at all times is also super important.
This is just a selection of the most common digital portfolio pieces one can have. Make sure to adjust it to your needs.
Keeping a record of all digital platforms and accounts can be a great idea. At the end of the day, you need to make it as easy as possible for you.
Being consistent and thorough is one of the hidden success factors most people don’t really pay attention to. However, now you’re set up with everything you need!