The DIY Musician: Why Tinder Is More Than Just A Dating App
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The DIY Musician: Why Tinder Is More Than Just A Dating App

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More and more stories of both local and international artists utilising Tinder to promote their music videos, album releases and even shows have surfaced online.

 

Starting around this time last year with artists including Zedd’s True Colours and Jason Derulo’s music video, bands are creating profiles to match with fans and a wider audience. More recently, musicians used Tinder to rally audience members to their shows during South By South West in the U.S. After pretending to be interested in those they matched with, they asked them to meet up at a gig at the festival – only for them to realise that their match was infact playing the gig, and not there for a date at all. Now, there is even a Tumblr page titled ‘Band Dudes On Tinder’ to keep you cautious of a potential heartbreak.

It’s clear that the app, mostly known for its plethora of ‘DTF?’ styled messages, can offer some value to musicians, especially those willing to spend some time making meaningful connections with their audience. So we thought we would offer up some handy-hints on how to effectively use Tinder as a promotion tool. Funnily enough, these tips would help even the non-musicians of dating apps.

 

Use Detailed Text And High Quality Images

As any Tinder user will know, nothing has a person swiping left quicker than an image that has you guessing how it became so terribly distorted. It makes the profile look fake. And let’s be real, if a fellow Tinder user cannot see what you look like, there’s really not much hope of you finding your next potential fan, audience member or soul mate for that matter. So, make sure to use a high-quality, eye-catching image. With over 15% of the Australian population on Tinder, you need to stand out. Get a little creative.

 

As well as a great image, you as an artist or your band need to create a profile that includes a witty, yet informative blurb. Make sure to include your band’s name (Duh!), a brief bio and as always, your social media URLS. Or you could go the opposite way and include minimal info and remain mysterious to your matches – your choice!

 

Be Upfront

Now, while mystery can sometime cause intrigue – it can also cause irritation. A Tinder match that strings you along is never good, so don’t do it as a band either. Whether you have your information on your profile or not, it’s best that once you do match with someone, you provide full disclosure. Tell them about your band, the latest project, what their support would mean to you and how you’d like them to get involved – just tell them the truth. The absolute last thing you need is to be breaking hearts along with strings throughout your day, guys.

 

Take A Genuine Interest In Your Matches

While you want to promote your work via Tinder, you don’t want to spam people and you also don’t want to give those ever-annoying one-worded answers. To avoid being ignored or even blocked, make sure your messages are tailored to the individual. Take the time to have a look at their profile and try to gage what they might be interested in. Ask them what type of music they listen to, what venues they enjoy visiting and if they’d like to take a listen to your music. You’d be surprised at how far a genuine, interesting conversation can go. Words might just be the way to your audience’s heart.

 

Don’t Expect Something For Nothing

In the case that your matches begin to wonder “What’s in it for me?”, it’s important that you are providing them with more than just information. People want freebies, people want entertainment and they want their time to be valued. Whether you include a link to a free track download or exclusive stream, there’s always something that you can offer a potential fan in exchange for coming to a show or investing in your recorded music. Another option could be following in the footsteps of Zedd and offering an album purchase at a discounted rate. At the end of the day, your matches and potential fans are more likely to become interested if they are profiting from your exchange.

 

Keep It Fresh

To maintain a sense of authenticity, it’s crucial that you keep your profile, your bio and your images up-to-date. This way, you’ll avoid any “You looked younger in your profile photo’ comments at live shows. A huge plus to this tip is that by updating your bio regularly, you can promote upcoming shows and releases. Past matches can then head back to your profile to see what you’ve got coming up next.

 

 

If you’ve had some success using Tinder as a promotion tool, we’d love to hear from you. For information on other alternative promotion platforms, head here