What they Post, Where they Post and When they Post It: A Content Analysis of Social Media Use of the Top 50 Artists in 2018

Abstract

Social media is an essential tool within the promotional mix for almost every recording artist today. Curating content on multiple social platforms can take many forms ranging from fan interaction and selling product (owned or via brand sponsor), to amplifying traditional press coverage, or could extend to public statements on social issues or political perspectives. These channels can be an extension of the artist’s personal voice or can deliver much more curated content managed by an artist team speaking on their behalf. In either case, social media is a direct channel for content distribution. Top artists manage millions of connections across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter alone, while billions of potential fans collectively occupy these platforms. Artists are often encouraged to develop their own brand voice on social media, however examining what others share can provide guidance and direction when establishing a content library and/or a social posting calendar for an artist without one established. This study explores the social channels for the top fifty artists as determined by Billboard in 2018. The content analysis breaks down the mix of content that the official artist social channels share, the frequency of these postings, as well as similarities and differences in usage across platforms over the course of a calendar month. This analysis can be utilized as a guide when developing a strategy for artists looking to establish their own voice on social media.