Should I Stay or Should I Go
When you’re launching your music career, one of the first things you need to do is get on social media. This is not news to anyone who is reading this. Social media is just another part of the job now – making sure you’re accessible to people via your social channels. Obviously, you want to be represented on all platforms, but do you really know what they offer? In this edition of Tuned In with Katy Krassner, let’s take a look at Instagram vs TikTok
So Many Colors, So Many Shapes
The first difference between them is the style of content. TikTok focuses on videos, though have given more space to photos as of late. The content on TikTok consists of a lot of tutorials, challenges and trends. Wanna see 100 videos of people you don’t know taking away a kids’ Easter candy? You’ve come to the right place. On the other hand, with AI and other 3rd party apps, some posts on TikTok are incredibly inventive and artistic.
TikTok allows you to share other people’s videos to your story (so it disappears in 24 hours) but encourages (and prefers) original and collaborative content (stitches).
You likely know that Instagram was originally just for photos – which coming out of Facebook and Twitter seemed very cool – and a marketers dream channel! Instagram now includes reels (videos), both long and short, and stories you can either share from another user or create on your own. Stories also disappear in 24 hours, but you can highlight your stories and create a reel from them. Instagram is a good tool to keep followers engaged with what you have going on.
Another way they’re different is how the channels present content. TikTok is based on a “user discovery” model, so it ‘shows’ people videos and posts that are getting the most interaction on the platform. It’s more organic than Instagram, which is now owned by Meta. The suggested content on Instagram is, by and large, from accounts that are paying for the suggestion. So, while it’s not as organic, if you have a budget, it allows you to get in on the game.
As for who you’re reaching, TikTok absolutely skews younger, especially now that early adapters to Instagram are now having kids of their own (yikes!).
If you are over 18, and have over 1,000 followers, you can go live on TikTok. Instagram does not have any restrictions to going live, but if you have a small follower count, it may be a waste of time.
Instagram is good for showcasing music or launching a new single/video ie – more marketing based – while over on TikTok, users might be interested in your music, but you will keep their interest if you do something fun with it.
Where Do We Go, Where Do We Go Now?
It’s fair to ask which platform is better for a musician, but it’s also fair to say that I can’t give you a good answer. It’s a lot of trial and error to see which might work out best for your music and your goals.
TikTok is faster moving and presents a better opportunity to go viral. Remember the guy drinking cranberry juice while riding his skateboard and listening to Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”? Why did that go viral? There’s no real answer – it was clever, it was different, and it caught on (like wildfire!). TikTok also provides weekly trends that you can participate in and hashtag. That being said, it’s a big pool and often it’s hard to get noticed outside of your fanbase.
If you skew older, Instagram may be the place for you since it’s more diverse. Instagram, while bigger, allows you to reach a more varied group of people. It’s also good for building a strong community you can encourage to share your videos to other users. You can also benefit by being able to post longer form videos on Instagram. However, most smaller artists only get notice when they spend money promoting their posts.
The best advice is to A/B the platforms. You may end up liking Instagram for one reason and TikTok for another and use them both differently. Give me a holler and let me know what your experiences have been!