Why social media behaviour will make – or break – your career

When it comes to social media behavior, the way a DJ/producer presents their persona to the public is one of the key ingredients in a long and successful career. Whilst many DJs tend to keep clear of controversy on social platforms, others thrive on it. But thriving – and coming across as a lively, humorous character – is a delicate tightrope to walk, and sometimes you’re only one bad tweet away from a potential career crash. Whilst some producers, like ‘Walking with Elephants’ producer, Ten Walls, have seen their careers stutter (the Lithuanian famously launched a homophobic rant in 2015), other have boosted their profile hugely by clever online behavior.

Max Vangeli Vs Diplo

An ideal place to start when discussing such a topic is the well publicised recent spat between Major Lazer star, Diplo, and Max Vangeli – best known for his huge progressive anthem ‘People of the Night.’ The Moldovan producer launched a stunning tirade at the former Jack Ü member and continued to broadcast a flurry of expletive-filled rants over the course of a number of consecutive days. By the time Zedd got involved, Max and Zedd both teamed up on Diplo, accusing the American of a range of indecencies, including ghost production, and not caring about his fans or fellow producers.
Diplo responded by claiming that Zedd has 24 hours to essentially apologise (or ‘delete his Twitter’ as he put it), before he would go ‘full Pusha T’ on him (a reference to the recent online feud between rap star Pusha T, and ‘God’s Plan’ mogul, Drake.). With several DJs and producers, including deadmau5 and Laidback Luke, weighing in on the debate, it would seem that Max Vangeli has come out of the row with his reputation in tatters. But why is Diplo not suffering the same level of abuse as Max? Well, for one thing, the way Max’s tweets were all capitalized and filled with aggressive language indicated a passion for fury, which is instantly off-putting to fans. In an industry filled with love and spiritual vibes, feelings like anger and negativity are not welcome into the dance community. In heavy metal, such behavior may even be positively encouraged, but Max’s tweets showed that he had lost a grip on his audience, and his genre.

The deadmau5 effect

Joel Zimmerman – AKA deadmau5, has always been known to be the Troll commander of Twitter. Sometimes the posts are pure entertainment, other times they appear to be rather negative and unnecessary. While we’ll never be sure what the psychological reasons behind the mau5’s squabbles are, we know that they aren’t going to be ending any time soon. However, the way Joel constructs his arguments is done in such a tongue-in-cheek way, that no lasting damage has been caused to his career. Whether it is riling Kanye West, who ended up asking Joel if he could play at his daughter’s birthday party, or starting a dispute with Disney over the copyright issues between Mickey Mouse and his own iconic Mau5-head, deadmau5 has taken on just about everyone.
Joel’s spats even extend to a now permanent row with Skrillex, after he posted the ‘Would You Ever’ producer’s phone number online for all to see. Though his behavior is not quite Max Vangeli level just yet, Joel sits delicately between the lines of humor and entertainment and career damage.

Positive social behaviors

In order to maintain a glowing public image via your social media behavior, keep your content flowing regularly and make sure to interact with other artists, fans, and publications. It’s like being at an actual convention, make sure you talk to people and network, don’t just stand around and expect people to come to you because they probably won’t.
It’s not enough now to be good at DJing. You’ve got to bring more to the table than just a decent record collection and rudimentary mixing skills. These days, the public want their heroes to be funny, and to take a grasp of popular culture. This means a strong knowledge of the current meme circuit, understanding the differences between your Laurels and your Yannies, and knowing when to invite Yodel Kid in for a collaboration.
These are the images that mark you out as something special. Not just another run of the mill DJ or party, no, something greater, capable of giving laughter, capable of making even the most cynical fan give you a follow. Post your memes freely and liberally. As a DJ, what you get up to away from the decks is just as important as what goes on behind them. With that in mind, a surefire way of keeping interest in your personal brand piqued is through antics. Antics are a great way of showcasing your sense of humor, as well as gaining those all-important likes and shares. Why not do something really out of the ordinary like DJ in a local fish and chip shop, like English producer Eats Everything? Maybe invite a bunch of your biggest fans back to a secret location? Or Facebook live yourself taking on a fun challenge.

Emojis sometimes say it best

Sometimes, words can serve to do little more than trample on the delicate point you’re trying to make. Prove you’ve been to Amsterdam by taking a cheeky snap of your jet about to take off with a Netherlands flag emoji and an airplane emoji. Posts like this are really important for your brand.
Social media behaviors can – and will – make or break your career. So think before you post, and make sure you’re giving people the best version of yourself. Controversial social media behavior has played a part in the downfall of the image of some artists so learn that any kind of misbehavior will only take away from where the focus should be – your music.