Social media can serve as an excellent marketing tool for musicians—or lead to an enormous waste of time and energy. How can you ensure that your social media efforts are productive? For clues, we can analyze the success story that is Notes from the Bench.
Notes from the Bench is a 12-episode web series on the business of opera. Its creator is Studio 113 Productions, a recording studio that specializes in audio and video for classical singers. The series features company principal Mikhail Hallak, who is also a pianist and vocal coach, and covers a wide range of topics of interest to Studio 113’s prospective clients. Among these topics are auditions, Fach considerations and, ironically, unwise uses of social media that ruin careers. Accordingly, the alternative title for the series is Musical Darwinism: Survival of the Fittest or the Most Informed.
Why It Worked
Social media content that is valuable, relevant, and consistent is what will “attract and retain a clearly-defined audience” and “drive profitable customer action,” according to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). Notes from the Bench clearly provides valuable and relevant content to its audience, and because the 12 episodes were delivered periodically over the span of six months, the series ensured consistency.
There is more to the Studio 113 formula, however. To attract and retain audiences, content must not only be informative and relevant but also engaging. Notes from the Bench accomplishes this through humor and the judicious use of clips and images to support points. Furthermore, most episodes last no longer than two minutes—which doesn’t tax viewers’ attention span and leaves them wanting more.
Engaging content is still not enough, because it does not necessarily “drive profitable customer action.” For Studio 113, subtlety was the driving force. Viewers of Notes from the Bench, it seems, appreciate the knowledge and enjoy the entertainment, but also become aware (consciously or subconsciously) of the following:
-Hallak is articulate and thoughtful. (These are important qualities in a vocal coach.)
-He is an opera insider with extensive experience. (This is another important quality in a vocal coach.)
-The sound and visual qualities of the videos are highly professional. (These are important qualities in the products of a recording studio.)
It is not surprising, therefore, that the series produces new clients for Studio 113. Hallak points out: “Many people were very excited about the amount of information we provided. Singers found it very helpful. Lots of people knew my name prior to the release of Notes from the Bench, yet they did not necessarily book a coaching or a recording session. Somehow being able to put a face next to the name allowed them to feel more comfortable in contacting me.”
Hallak’s comments reflect the dual purpose of Notes from the Bench: the series offers free advice to singers but it also generates new business leads for Hallak and Studio 113. In other words, there are benefits to both the viewers and the creators. That kind of result should be the objective of any social media effort.
What We’ve Learned
What does Notes from the Bench teach us? There are several lessons:
-Match your content to the needs of your target viewers, who might be potential customers, audiences for upcoming performances, supporters, employers, or partners.
-Choose subtlety over sales pitches. Allow your entertaining and informative content to showcase your skill and expertise indirectly.
-Keep your content on the short side, leaving your audiences wanting more, and provide it regularly.
To obtain more insights into why Notes from the Bench was successful and what others can learn from its success, I asked Hallak to share more specifics of his experience from concept to completion.
What prompted you to create Notes from the Bench?
I noticed over and over that lots of singers were taught how to sing, became really good at it, and yet did not know or ignored many things that would help them make it to the next level. For some of the seasoned pros, it appeared that they sometimes did not know how to stay at their level. Social media exposed all to a much wider platform, a bigger audience, and any mistakes become costly or possibly career ending. The advice we give is nothing new, everybody has heard it before; we simply packaged it in a fun, professional, and non-condescending way. It allowed us to showcase the skill set of Studio 113 productions as well.
How did you use social media to publicize the series and/or episodes? Which tactics or platforms were most effective in generating viewership and shares?
We used my personal Facebook page, but without giving it a sense of “pitch.” We also posted the episodes on a Facebook group called the NEW New Forum for Classical Singers—again, without pushing or pitching.
The attitude was more like “Here it is. Take a look if you would like to.” I have a deep aversion for sites that tell you what to think. Twitter turned out to be an amazing platform as well—actually more effective than Facebook in many ways.
Do you plan to create new episodes? If so, on what topics and what sort of timing do you envision?
Yes, we are setting up for the upcoming season. It will be a mix of episodes and interviews. Our next episode is called “The Theory of Marginal Improvements” and it will discuss how methodical organization over a period of time, in contrast to isolated tasks that are daunting, can have significant positive effects in the long term.
What advice do you have for other opera professionals who want to create video content?
Find your own voice, check your facts, never be arrogant, but rather ask yourself if the information you share can help people. If it does not help, make sure it is at least entertaining. The video quality is also a priority. Otherwise, best to stay quiet. Avoid ego trips at all cost—the world is full of those. I would love to see more high-level opera professionals sharing the wealth of knowledge they have gathered throughout their careers.
Do you have any general advice for opera professionals who want to become more active on social media?
Be kind. Know that anything you put on the Internet stays visible for a long time. Ask yourself if your future children will be embarrassed. Can your mom watch it and be proud? Avoid the trap of being opinionated; not everything is black and white. Remember the many shades of gray!
What do you think are the benefits of social media? Are there any downsides?
Social media are great equalizers. The old media were accessible by only a few. Without a very capable PR rep/agency, none of those platforms was ever accessible; social media changed this in dramatic ways. The problem is that without a clear set of principles and strong ethics, social media can make careers but terminate them as well. This was the subject of our first episode: “How to Make or F#*& Up Your Career in 140 Characters or Less.”
Is there anything else you’d like to mention?
Before getting yourself out there, ask yourself what the message you want to share is about. Does it benefit the people in the business or just you? The minute people in your audience feel it is an ego trip, they check out. Generally speaking, social media are beautiful. Enjoy your presence!
