On the surface, what sets @ThatEricAlper apart from
other music-focused content creators is his understanding
of music, of social media, of his brand. Yet on a deeper level,
it is his positive outlook, which shines through and attracts a
following. I have heard him say on more than one occasion
that you should always be positive on social media.
He also likes
to help. Good
news for you if
you’ve ever been
stuck regarding
what you should
post on social me-
dia: in April 2020,
Alper launched a
YouTube chan-
nel where he
gives artists daily
one-minute tips
about what they
might want to post
in such a case.
Here is one of my
favourites:
ERIC ALPER
“This one is a
little bit different
and it’s especially apt for these times. Always be nice on so-
cial media, no matter what is going on in your life. No matter
what is going on in the world: always be kind. It costs exactly
zero dollars and zero cents to be kind to someone online.
Forget about the fact – in the business sense – that you never
know who these people are or what they could be doing five
years down the road that can help out your career, but be
nice to everybody. Not just online, offline too. Be nice to the
booking agent. Be nice to the people behind the bar. Be nice
to your merch people. Be nice just in general. You’ll find that
you’ll enjoy music that much more. Music is supposed to be
fun, so do your part.”
It was great to be able to get some answers about the
series from Eric Alper himself.
CM: What or who inspired you to create this particular
series on social media?
Alper: I’ve always wanted to have more of a presence on
YouTube, but didn’t want to do long TED Talks or a video sub-
scription series teaching PR, and I get asked to do that every
few months. I wanted to have something light, something fun,
something fast for the viewer, conceding I didn’t want to have
the artist do what I thought they should be doing all the way –
just putting the spark in there. It’s really not some self-entitled
proclamation of what is going to bring you to the top or get
you a million followers, but it will keep those ideas flowing so
you’ll never say again: “I have nothing to post.”
CM: Noting that until recently, your accounts posted
mostly images of others in the industry, did you have
any reservations about this series?
Alper: Not really. I do 6-12 interviews a week with the media
around the world about the latest music industry news or
issue, so I’m good with putting a fact out there, even if it’s
not my personal views. The main difference is I’m actually
giving away ideas, something I’ve rarely done but have more
than 15 years on social media to guide me through what’s
worked for me, that can easily be transferrable to artists.
Above all, it allows me to wear a different artist or band
t-shirt every day, so people can see I’m not joking – it’s really
all I have in the closet.
CM: What has been the response to your series?
Alper: Overwhelming, to be honest. I usually get about
10,000 views across social media in the first hour, and have
already received emails from artists that have started to do
the ideas. I just love the fact I get to share these ideas I’ve
done in the general scheme of the music industry for years
and now get to offer them up for free to everyone. That’s
really been my attitude towards everything since I started
doing PR – keep the values and principles there and share
knowledge with whoever asks. In this case, nobody asked,
but I did it anyway.
CM: What advice do you have for artists to get noticed
when everyone is clamoring for attention online –
especially now?
Alper: There has never been a time in our lives, and likely
never again, when everything just stopped. Just. Stopped.
We have a real opportunity to change the way everything
has been done – and in our world, that means marketing,
advertising, entertainment, release schedule, consumption of
music, streaming and live concerts, and what that all means
anymore. Without getting too politicized about it, things
may go back to normal, but I have a feeling every single day,
we’re training and teaching people around the world of the
benefits of “live” music without actually being at a venue or
festival. Nothing can ever replace the physiological benefits or
economic value of a music festival, but there’s still something
amazing being part of an online living room show with 20,000
other people. It also means any artist can go live, can do their
own thing, and that’s no different, really, than trying to stand
out with your new single or video in a world where 22,000
new songs are being uploaded to Spotify every day. Great
music has to win out. It’s the only thing that keeps me going
– to continually work with amazing artists putting out great
music. Keep going. Keep creating. Artists who don’t have a
booking agent might not actually need one for the time being
if they can find their fanbase and community online.
SOCIALS SKILLS
As music industry social media guru Rick Barker often says,
numbers are not nearly as important as engagement. For
your inspiration, here are some artists who successfully
engage with their fans, whether during the COVID-19 crisis or
just in general, along with platform suggestions. So go ahead
and like, follow, comment, share, and find some inspiration!
ARKELLS
@arkellsmusic **Instagram
Gotta hand it to the Hamilton-based rock group Arkells, who
took to Instagram Live in the immediate wake of COVID-19
with a daily “Flatten the Curve” music session. Frontman Max
Kerman dedicated each episode to teaching some of their
songs to fans, even releasing the music with chord changes
in advance. The resulting daily hangs gave many fans an
opportunity to connect with the band while getting some free
musical education. Too cool for (private) school!
CANADIAN MUSICIAN
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