**Guest post written by Cyber PR, originally featured on the Cyber PR Blog.

 

"I’ve been thinking a lot about social media music promotion...when I start to reflect and take stock of the year we’ve had. This one has been complicated, to say the least. I’ve lost a lot of sleep thinking about the massive shifts in music marketing—not to mention our global economy, the climate crisis, and the distress caused by a divisive election. Creatives have felt these impacts profoundly.

We watched in awe as Taylor Swift changed the GNP in every city she stormed through while many of us scratched our heads, wondering how to build our own audiences in this evolving environment.

Social media has transformed, and its implications for music promotion must be unpacked.

The Evolution of Social Media

Remember when social media was a space for genuine connection? A place where fans could discover your music, support your journey, and engage authentically? Those days seem distant. Platforms that once thrived on community interaction have shifted focus. Now, they’re engineered to maximize user engagement, often by exploiting emotional triggers. If you’re feeling disillusioned with social media, you’re not alone.
+Social Media: The Best Friend A Musician Never Wanted

Social Media Algorithms Are Designed to Exploit

Before you consider abandoning platforms like TikTok, let’s clarify: social media isn’t disappearing. However, user behavior is changing. Fans are moving away from mindless scrolling and seeking meaningful connections.

Here’s the kicker: social media platforms don’t care about that. They’re not designed to help you connect with your audience but to keep people glued to the app. And while you’re spending hours crafting the perfect post or story, your audience might not even see it.

The Impact of Negative Emotions

Social media platforms are designed to elicit emotional reactions, not the warm, fuzzy kind. Anger, frustration, and sadness keep people glued to their screens longer than joy or inspiration ever could. Strong negative emotions drive engagement, and engagement drives revenue.

Here are some facts and articles that back this up:

Anger as a Driver of Engagement: The Wall Street Journal widely reported that internal documents from Facebook revealed that posts receiving “angry” reactions were amplified more often than those with likes or loves because anger leads to more comments, shares, and overall activity.

Negativity Bias in Algorithms: A study titled “Can Few Lines of Code Change Society?” found that algorithms designed to maximize engagement tend to overexpose users to divisive and harmful content, perpetuating an “algorithmic negativity bias.”
+8 Tips to Help You Maximize Your Efforts With Social Media Marketing

Implications for Musicians Relying Too Heavily On Social Media Music Promotion

Okay, so if studies show that prolonged exposure to negativity on social media can leave users feeling stressed, anxious, and burned out, and these platforms profit from keeping us in heightened emotional states, why on God’s green earth are we spending so much time trying to figure out how to convert users from social media to become real fans?

As musicians, your goal is to inspire, evoke emotions, and connect. You create to share joy, reflection, empowerment, or even heartbreak—emotions that resonate with our shared humanity.

However, promoting music on platforms that provoke adverse reactions can feel misaligned with our artistic intentions."


Find out how to rethink music promotion strategies in the Cyber PR blog HERE."

 

 

Related Blog Posts:

+Promoting Your Music: Email vs Social Media Marketing

+Why musicians are burning out

+How To Be Your Own Music Publicist