When you’re writing a good song, it’s important to know what keywords are.
When you’re a hip hop artist or songwriter, knowing how to use keywords is an extremely important skill to have. Knowing how to use them will help you stay relevant and allow you to reach a wider audience. Think about a song or rap. It has a title and that title shows up within the song, so when you search for that song not only would you search for the title, but you’re also searching for specific lyrics (a.k.a keywords).
So what are keywords?
Words or phrases that people search for. Keywords help people find information, products and services. They also help with names, movie titles, slang words, you name it and that’s sometimes how hip hop artists and songwriters even write music. They go through their own little rabbit hole. Think about keywords as words and phrases that people Google and also search for when on social media.
For example, when someone types in “When will Snoop make an album again?” they’ll get more relevant results if they also type in “Snoop Dogg, hip hop, west coast, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Wine, etc…”. Or, if you’re searching for information about how to write songs, typing in “how do I write a song” will bring up different results than typing in “songwriting tips”.
Keyword research is also a big part of any content marketing strategy. It’s also an important tool for advertisers looking to improve their brand awareness or sell more products online through paid ads (i.e., Google Ads).
So how does research work?
It’s about writing down things like words and phrases that describe who you are and what you’re about. Determine that if someone wants to find you, what should they look for? It’s the same process as writing a song. What words or phrases describe who you are and what you’re writing about. I think of the title of the song as the brand, and all of those lyrics are keywords that describe the brand or title. I think of writing my blog as songwriting. I think of my social media as songs within my great big album that defines me. .
Think of keywords or the song you’re writing and how it’s going to help you get more traffic to your website. Same as songwriters, those keywords within the song are a better chance you have of getting noticed by listeners and record labels.
So what does it have to do with Social Media?
One word, trendy. People search for what’s trendy. So is your new song relevant? Is your strategy relevant for what people want? Is your brand or product what people need to be trendy? Keyword research helps you stay relevant when you write about what is trendy. What are people searching for and how can you incorporate it within your writing.
Keywords in social media are also your #hashtags. So maybe create a list of top keywords and then add in a few extra that define what you’re talking about in the post specifically. Other ways to use keywords? In your captions, stories, titles,etc…
And don’t forget the last thing.
Know your competition!
Ok, so think Biggie vs Tupac. East Coast vs West Coast. Coca Cola vs Pepsi. Do you think that they didn’t size up their competition? Know what the competitor is writing and be influenced to write what sets you apart. What makes you different and perfect for those that invest in you. It’s not about what they do, it’s about what YOU offer them.
Make A List
Start out with a list of words or phrases that define you, what you do and what you have to offer. A list of these things that when I’m on google what I would be searching for and when I hit “search” you’re the first brand that shows up on my results.
If you don’t take the time to make keywords a priority within your marketing strategy, you’re not setting yourself up to succeed a little bit further. It’s a strategy. It keeps you relevant. It keeps you trendy. It is an important part of your digital presence.
“If knowledge is the key, then just show me the lock.” Q-tip (Tribe Called Quest)
Thanks for listening