My Senior Residency with 24/7 Artists

In my final year at Emerson College, I participated in the Senior Residency, a capstone course for students in the Business of Creative Enterprises program that offers the opportunity to work directly with a real-world company and apply the skills and knowledge developed throughout the degree. Taught by Dr. Jae Williams, my Senior Residency class collaborated with 24/7 Artists where I along with a small group of my classmates assisted in their social media marketing initiatives. 24/7 Artists, founded by Grammy-winning music industry figures Davina Thomas and Yudu Gray Jr., is an online platform that offers courses, workshops, digital tools, and networking opportunities to independent artists who want to turn their passion for creating music into a stable career.

The first semester of my work with 24/7 Artists was spent analyzing 24/7’s social media presence, figuring out what was working, and getting to the root of their brands messaging and what they actually wanted to say in their marketing initiatives. We found that their biggest platforms for content were Instagram and Youtube.What also became clear early on was that 24/7’s marketing vision was rooted in centering the voices and stories of the independent artists they serve. Rather than push a brand-forward, promotional tone, 24/7 wanted to build a sense of community and authenticity through storytelling. Our team leaned into that direction by proposing a multi-platform content strategy focused on artist spotlights to encourage current clients of 24/7 to engage with 24/7’s social media content and attract independent artists not already utilizing 24/7 Artists services.

By the second semester, our work took a sudden pivot to include blog content that could live on the 24/7 Artists website to increase discoverability and provide deeper value to the community. I developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) to help guide the creation and publication of this blog content. The SOP included a detailed SEO keyword list tailored to the needs and interests of independent artists, ensuring our content would be findable by those looking for career support online.

In tandem, I created a template system for outreach to artists and their managers via email and social media direct messages. This ensured consistency and professionalism when inviting talent to participate in the “Wish I Knew” campaign. The final deliverables I contributed included this outreach template, the blog content SOP, the SEO keyword guide, and a framework for continuing the “Wish I Knew” series in future campaigns.

Through this experience, I gained firsthand insight into how independent artist-focused platforms can build trust and visibility by fostering a genuine sense of belonging, something I believe is vital for any community-driven brand in today’s digital media landscape.