I can’t even run after the ice cream van any more…
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Bandcamp 
Down with Instadiaper
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Just know what time it comes and lay in the road.
That’s what I do.
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Some of the suggestions people have made boils down to the fact that self-promotion often feels icky. Getting someone to do it for you if you can afford it is probably great, as promotion is important if you actually want to make money.
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There’s a bunch of you guys on here that are awesome.
Why not band together and start something.
I had dreams of ‘blintz recordings’ back in 2001. Got together with a bunch of really talented guys. And wanted to press an EP to send out to college radio stations, and if anything, to have just done it to do it.
But I never did. And wish I had. The guys I was talking to were awesome. But I couldn’t justify putting something I did on the release. It woulda just brought it down. Again, that thinking ruined an opportunity. I also worried about money. That too…should not have gotten in the way cuz I don’t think that is something I could pull off anymore.
Just do it man. Get a collective of people together and give it a whirl. At least you can say you tried. Unlike myself. 
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I’m in the use-it-on-your-own-terms camp. Put some stuff up, check in occasionally, don’t get involved in the bullshit. Not a lot to lose, and never know what might come of it.
Also #WhyDoPeopleHateHashtagsIDontGetItTheyreAlright
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To piggy back on what @darenager is saying, just do what feels genuine and put stuff out there on IG. Follow for follow seems fake because you’re not getting follows because they like your music, they’re following because you followed. It may inflate your numbers and make you “look” like you’re this big musician, but how many of those follows are true fans that really support your work. Take the icky out of it and just share the stuff and tag it correct.
I think some musicians nowadays focus on 80% self promotion and 20% musicianship. When you flip that number, the music gets much better and it starts to promote itself. But I’m not a shining example of anything, I have very little Bandcamp sales, therefore I may be completely wrong in my analysis.
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It’s good advice. You should follow it yourself, man. I’ve really enjoyed some of your stuff. Better than sitting around feeling sorry for yourself innit 
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My rules: no filters and no hashtags. I’m also on lockdown/private as a school teacher. My phone is basically perpetually on mute unless I’m listening to a baseball game, so I don’t follow music accounts unless they’re just friends. But I don’t really listen to their posts either.
The one minute snippets with thirty hashtags is completely annoying. But you can ignore that branch of IG. If a person is using Instagram under some delusional sense of becoming known, their worldview is drastically different from mine. Different strokes, I suppose.
Thankfully, Instagram is a lot more than that.
The solution is to follow a bunch of dachshund accounts and enjoy Instagram as a haven of happiness.
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The only reason I’ve joined is because a couple of dozen people, when finding out I make music, have immediately asked me if I’m on Instagram and always look really bemused when I say I’m not. I’m bored of having that conversation. Not really seeing it as a route to fame, just broadening my reach a little beyond the Elektronauts/Bandcamp cul de sacs.
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Bandcamp, build a community through the new community feature.
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I guess I haven’t really tapped in to any of those features yet.
I guess the question is, what’s your IG? Follow for follow right? J/K
In reality though I like following some that are on here on IG. @darenager @Unifono @nilsec @GyZa and @sinkingfeeling to name a few. It’s nice to be able to get a steady stream of their music / live jams that would typically take more time and effort for them to upload to YouTube. Bandcamp is still my baby, IG just let’s people know where my Bandcamp resides.
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I think this is exactly how it needs to work for me.
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After dropping off IG and FB for over a year I got pulled back on IG for a job I had at the time. They wanted us to take the wheels on the social media aspect of the restaurant, so I was taking pictures of food and hash tagging them. Pretty corny.
I do like Instagram but mostly because I follow people and things that I’m interested in. Dogs, tiki mugs, drums, electronic music shit, roller skating.
I don’t have it in me to use it as a self promotion tool, though I know folks who do and it works for them but they spend way too long on it. What’s to promote anyhow? It’s getting on noon, I’m walking around the house in my underpants, I really need a haircut, I haven’t shaved in days, and I ha not worked since March 13th due to the restaurant industry collapsing in the span of a week.
But what’s your IG handle? I’d totally follow you. I like your music. Sense of humor too…
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It’s not going to be a game changer. But I use it try to use it as a social media platform.
My main guidline is to try and behave how I wish other artists would behave. Laid back, a post here and there every month or so and basically try to have as much close contact with you listeners as possible. I send a message to everyone who buys something on my bandcamp.
Small things, long time span.
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I was just thinking that Bandcamp needs a social area. Will check.
Yeah like a couple choice hash tags ain’t no thing. I’ve found some really good stuff through some.
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i gave up in advance.
will just sponsor my own music activities while i can.
p.s. i don’t know about western world, but here in ex-USSR IG is for mature people, and FB for old (40+). neither are very active music consumers.