Get Yourself Organised!

As creators we’re naturally chaotic, spontaneous and disorganised. But when it comes to working, a little bit of organisation can level you up and open doors you never thought were possible! Let’s take a look at how to prepare yourself for paid shows.

 

Use Social Media Tools to reveal key insights, archive and schedule posts for maximum impact

Social media channels

This is your first priority as a musician. We live in an age where your social media profile can either serve or destroy you. Clients will visit your social media channels to understand your brand and your abilities. Here are some tips to go by:

  • Get some hd pics: often songwriters evenings and free shows have photographers who’ll snap you for free!
  • Include some videos/reels of you singing. Clients like to hear what they’re hiring!
  • Instagram (25-60) has the most reach across all demographics and also focuses on quality over quantity (compared to tiktok (16-30)). Facebook are generally favoured by older demographics.
  • Post about your shows, both before and after. If you go to an open mic, you could ask people to video you.
  • Schedule posts – time your posts right for highest engagement!
 

We’ll go into more detail about social media in the future – it takes time to build your profile but stick with it and benefits will pay off!

Set goals

Set macro goals to achieve through an allotted time slot. Here are some examples for this website:


Once the macro goals are defined, you can break them down with micro goals, e.g. release one newsletter and two posts a week. 

Calendars, to-do lists and reminders 

Greatly increase your productivity by using calendars and reminders: 

  • Use multiple calendars; daily, work, shows. 
  • Use multiple to-do lists: daily, holistic, task based.
  • Use notes on your phone to save links, hashtags, scheduled messages etc to save time.
  • If you’re not able to address an enquiry or have a time-sensitive task, use reminders and make sure you enable the alert!
Organise yourself with to-do lists; you can pin and save notes to help prioritise things properly

Choose a day to get your admin done

Your admin includes your socials, calendars, outstanding tasks, replying to emails, etc. Allocate time for it and stick to it. This will help you stay on top of things and force you to achieve your goals. Try setting aside a regular time per week for: 

  • Expenses 
  • Invoices
  • Replying to emails
 
 
Consistency helps you stay on top of things and increase your productivity!
Learn to use spreadsheets to manage any accounting, list shows, gather contacts, invoicing, etc.
Try saving down drafts of captions, post ideas, hashtags, emails and anything else that can be time-consuming - that way you spend more time on what matters!

Go mobile

Try and get all of your operations on mobile. Use a laptop for invoicing and spreadsheet based tasks, but you can set up the following on your phone:

  • Social media posts and captions
  • To-do lists
  • Calendars
  • Emails
  • Poster design apps
 

Going mobile means you can get any tasks done there and then. Promptness is appreciated, so clients will respect a swift response! 

 

A lot of these apps are cloud or online based, meaning when they are updated on your phone, they’re also updated on your other devices. 

If you’re passionate enough to turn your craft into your income, you will need to be organised – that way every client, venue or contact will value your reliability and be prepared to compensate you for a good service. 

Use the tips above to maximise your efficiency and spend more time creating, innovating, networking and enjoying the fruits of your labour! 

We’ll be releasing further bulletins into how to prepare for shows, how to market yourself and how to create a brand that works for you!

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