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Growing your social media from 0 in 2026
Published about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 5 min read
Welcome [back] to another week of your weekly dose πΆ
Every Tuesday, Iβll be sharing tips, updates, and must-know music marketing insights to help you get your music heard!
By Finch Bergling π
Your Weekly Reel Idea
The "Congrats!" hook that one artist is spamming to grow (and why it's genius)
βgothcandy is one of many artists who figured out something other musicians miss: you can literally turn being small into your strength.
She's posting the same hook format multiple times a week, and every single one works because it celebrates the viewer for finding her before she blows up.
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π Content Summary: A series of reels starting with "Congrats! You [found something special about being an early fan]" - highlighting the perks of discovering an artist while they're still small enough to personally connect with fans. [another example]
π¦ How to create a similar Reel:
Start with "CONGRATS!" in big text on screen β
Complete the sentence with a benefit of finding you now: β β"you found an artist who still reads every DM" β "you discovered someone who remembers every fan's name" β "you're early to an artist who sends handwritten lyrics to supporters"β β
Show visual proof: film yourself actually doing these things (writing names, packing merch, responding to DMs) β
Keep it under 10 seconds - quick hit of validation β
Post variations weekly with different perks β
π€ Why does it work so well?
It flips FOMO into JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) - Instead of "you're late," it says "you're perfectly on time." People feel special for finding you NOW, not guilty for not knowing you earlier. β
Repeatability without redundancy - The format is identical but each video highlights a different gift. Viewers don't get bored because the reward changes even though the hook doesn't. β
It makes being small feel exclusive - Like finding a secret restaurant before it gets a Michelin star. Your 500 followers feel like VIP members of an exclusive club. β
The psychology is brilliant - Starting with "Congrats!" triggers a reward response before they even know why. Their brain is primed to feel good about whatever comes next.
Are you going to give this Reel idea a shot? Reply with a link to your video and I will check it out!
β Your Weekly Tip
If I had to start social media from 0 in 2026, here's what I'd do:
Everyone's talking about AI taking over music. But here's the thing - the more AI floods the market, the more people crave real humans.
That's your advantage. But you need two things to make it work:
1. A clear brand - Who are you? What makes you different? (If you can't answer in one sentence, neither can your audience)
2. Consistency - Even if it's not perfect yet. You need to show up. β
β The platform question
Short-form video is still king. But which one?
TikTok: Easier to blow up. Your first video could hit 10M views.
Instagram: Harder to grow, but better for building real relationships.
My advice? Use both. TikTok for discovery, Instagram for depth. If you don't have time, post the same content to both.
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Growing on Instagram
I hadn't started from 0 since 2022. Last week, I created a new account to see how brutal it is now and help my friends promote their social club.
It's brutal.
But here's what worked: I followed 50 accounts in my niche daily. About 20 followed back. That's 20+ new followers per day, but more importantly - the algorithm learned who I was.
By day 7, my reels started reaching new audience, and I started getting the notification "___ started following you from your Reel".
This exact strategy grew my main account by 100 followers in the early days. Once I hit 1,000, I stopped the follow strategy and let content do the work.
Instagram action plan:
Follow 30-50 accounts in your niche daily
Engage genuinely (comments, DMs, reply to stories)
Post 3-4 reels weekly minimum
Make sure you have a clear bio, 3 pinned posts, and a highlight.
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Growing on TikTok
I challenged myself to hit 5,000 followers from 0. I took 20 days total. And I reached 1,000 in just 3 days.
Here's exactly what worked:
Days 1-3: I posted 3 videos daily. Each with different hooks. One hit (300K views) - It was a simple reaction video to local music.
The formula:
Respond to comments with videos
Make it about THEM, not you ("What song should I cover next?")
Use location to your advantage (local content gets pushed locally first)
Days 4-20: Doubled down on what worked. Kept the format, changed the songs. Engagement breeds engagement.
Growing from 0 sucks. Your first videos will not get exposure, and you will start questioning everything.
But here's what I know after helping hundreds of musicians: The ones who make it aren't necessarily more talented. They just didn't quit after 100 videos.
Some of the musicians you admire posted to crickets once. But they kept going.
Pick one platform to focus on this week. Post every day for 7 days.
By next Tuesday, you'll have learned more than reading 100 articles about growth.
It's not easy, but it's necessary if you want to get your music heard. Don't give up!
Thatβs it for this week! Hope todayβs email gave you something useful to work with.
Until next week, Finch πΆ
P.S. Newsletters arenβt social media - I canβt see what youβre enjoying unless you tell me. Hit reply and let me know what you liked (or didnβt) - Iβd love to hear from you! π
ABOUT: Hey there, Iβm Finch Bergling - a musician, business graduate, marketing specialist and playlist curator whoβs spent the last 10 years navigating the music industry while figuring out how to make the creative life not just sustainable but fulfilling.
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My mission is simple: to help independent musicians avoid the pitfalls I faced and give them the tools, strategies, and confidence they need to succeed. I specialize in ads, storytelling, content creation, playlist curation, and much more. Whether itβs creating Facebook ads that actually convert or building a sustainable online brand, Iβm here to help you grow your career without sacrificing your creativity or your sanity.
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If youβre ready to level up, I share free tips and resources across my social media channels and email community. At the end of the day, I want to see you succeed β and if you join me, I'm sure that I will see it.
β Letβs make this journey one worth sharing β¨ β
Every week, get content ideas, music marketing tips, exclusive tools & discounts straight to your inbox! Leave your email below to join 4,500+ musicians on my list ‡οΈ
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