How to Be a Rock Star on the Social Media Stage

Whether you love him or hate him, do you know how Justin Bieber got famous?

The answer: social media (and specifically, YouTube).

When asked by Elvis Duran about the changes to the music industry in the past few years, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy said, “The playing field is even, like you see kids can just do stuff in their bedroom now…you’re able to at your house produce music that people can fall in love with.”

The goal of social media for any entertainer or artist is to turn followers into fans and lead them to consume their product. A rise to the top of social media is a rise to the top of the entertainment industry.

What can social media do for entertainers? At the top of the list the benefits include:

• Getting more opportunities for paying gigs by getting seen by those who matter
• Interact directly with fans to improve and grow their fan base
• Communicate with the public by promoting upcoming shows, events, projects, signings, etc.

Artists can easily upload a YouTube video to be heard and seen, making the performance and personality a part of the music. Facebook and Twitter provide artists the opportunity to connect and communicate with fans, friends, pages, and groups.

Social media is not a platform for consideration; social media is mandatory. Is Justin Bieber too “big” of an example of how this works? Here are 5 more artists who harnessed the powers of social media to get big.

Maybe you’re next on the list.