From Honky-Tonks to Hashtags: How Country Musicians Are Winning Fans Online

Country musicians built their fanbase one honky-tonk at a time, shaking hands, signing boots and cowboy hats, and hoping their latest single would make it to the radio. Now, the game has gone digital. Instead of bars, it’s TikTok trends. Instead of fan mail, it’s DMs and duets. Aside from TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms have become the discovery grounds for up-and-coming artists. It’s not uncommon anymore for a Nashville newbie to become the next star even without the backing (yet) of a major record label.   

Country musicians have also managed to grow their fanbase and increase engagement by posting acoustic covers of popular songs from their living rooms, sharing behind-the-scenes tour chaos, or dancing to viral dance challenges. In this article, we’ll see how these artists are leveraging the power and influence of social media to engage with their fans, one reel at a time.  

Like with other industries, social media fundamentally changed the country music industry, giving artists a way to build direct relationships with fans. Now, social media has the same influence in determining an artist's success. These platforms have also leveled the playing field for some artists with limited budgets who can’t compete with other musicians backed by the marketing teams of recording companies.  

Hashtags such as #CountryMusic, #CountrySinger, #CountryLife, #Nashville, #CountryLiving, #CountryArtist, #CountryMusicFans, #IndieCountry, #NewCountry, and #CountryStars used by country music influencers and viral content replaced traditional marketing and promotion and have been instrumental in broadening country music’s reach, which became the fastest-growing genre in 2024.  

TikTok became a game-changer for country artists to gain fame and connect with fans because of its massive reach of 1.59 billion global users who spend an average of 95 minutes every day on the platform. Aside from the number of users, the viral nature of TikTok and its algorithm allows 75% of users to discover new artists. In fact, in 2024, 84% of songs that charted in Billboard’s Global 200 became viral on TikTok first.   

Some country artists who gained fame through the platform include Lily Rose. Her song “Villain” led her to sign a record deal with Big Loud Records. Bailey Zimmerman’s social media presence also blew up when he started posting truck videos mixed with singing clips, while Warren Zaider’s “Ride the Lightning” had over 500 million TikTok views.  

Instagram is another popular social media platform that country artists use to build and maintain relationships with their fans. They mainly use the platform to post behind-the-scenes content. Artists and performers typically upload 20 Instagram Stories per month. Musicians also use Instagram Live for real-time fan interaction.  

Aside from well-known public figures, brands, even those with fewer than 10,000 followers, benefited from an improved reach rate of 35% by posting on Instagram Stories.   

Top country artists with massive followings include Carrie Underwood with 13.4 million followers, Morgan Wallen with 9.1M followers, Dolly Parton with 8M followers, Luke Combs with 7.7M followers, and Luke Bryan with 7.3M followers. These musicians use this platform to announce new music, tour dates, or to share their day-to-day activities as country music artists with their fans.   

Country artists successfully used social media to launch or significantly boost their careers. Zach Bryan released “Heading South” online and secured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart with his self-titled album. The song, which is about restlessness, human searching, and longing for a place to belong, resonated with a lot of fans because of the lyrics’ relatability.  

Like Lily Rose, Priscilla Block, who uploaded an original song, “Just About Over You,” on TikTok, led to her Mercury Nashville signing. The viral song peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 17 on the US Country, and No. 14 on the US Country Airplay. It also achieved platinum certification from the RIAA.

Andrew Jannakos, who appeared on season 16 of The Voice, posted a video of himself cooking dinner and singing “Gone Too Soon,” which reached over 10 million views. The song then debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Emerging Artist Chart.   

The original song “Good Time Girl” by Taylor Austin Dye reached 600,000 views on TikTok, leading to its release and peaking at No. 27 on the iTunes country singles chart.  

With the reach of these social media platforms and the strategic use of these country musicians, 34 country music albums were included in the Top 200 best-selling albums in 2024, a significant 30% increase from 2023.   

Country musicians should consider future trends and opportunities on social media to build a loyal fan base and increase engagement. Aside from TikTok and Instagram, country artists should also consider using YouTube Shorts, which receive approximately 50 billion views daily. Instagram’s Threads is another popular platform with 160 million monthly active users, BeReal with 23 million daily active users, and Lemon8 (the TikTok alternative that gained popularity during the brief ban) with over 50 million downloads and 15 million monthly active users.  

Social media also democratizes music discovery and artist development, and provides another platform for artists and record labels to promote their music. One of the advantages of AI in music marketing includes providing artists and labels with data analysis of audiences' habits, tailored marketing strategies, and predictive analytics to forecast trends, making it easier to respond to what the listeners want.  

Follow your favorite country artists on social media platforms and discover new talent through these channels. Social media has made the genre more accessible and interactive, and your favorite musicians are now within your reach.