To be successful in music, you can’t afford to miss out on these two important steps. First, to define your buyer persona and next to develop a holistic marketing strategy. I’m no artist or musician but here’s what I know. You are competing with millions for the same attention at a time when it’s scarce.
The good new is this! ThisNielsen study found that fans aren’t able to buy the music they love. So the industry lost over 2 billion dollars over the last decade.
My aim for this article is to inspire you todevelop a strategy to connect with your fans.
And- I get it, like with most entrepreneurs, you are busy doing what you do best- your music. Marketing is just not your thing! But unless you can pay someone to market your music, you should learn to do it yourself.
I’ve compiled a list of 42 ideas to make it a little easier for you.
Bandcamp lets you connects you with your fans. It is where music lovers come to support the independent artist. It’s free to get started. And the pro features enable private streaming, custom domains and more. It starts from free.
Bandpage profile lets you create a clean online presence for your brand. It comes with all the features that you’d expect as well as robust social media integration. You can also showcase your upcoming shows and sell your tracks.
Blogging is an excellent way to create content to share on social media. You cannot just share your music all the time. You need to mix it with other information. Tumblr is a brilliant platform of choice because your potential fans are already there.
Blogger Outreach could get you before your audience quicker. But, you need to do some groundwork. Research bloggers in your niche and approach them to review your music. Once you discover bloggers, connect on LinkedIn, email or some other acceptable way.
Busking is where you perform in public places to entertain (well)- the public. Some artists look down on busking. But there are much success stories like those of these two Londoners.
CD Baby lets you make use of a complete marketing solution to distribute your music to 75+ sites. You can sell your music in both digital and hard-copy versions. Album listing fees start from $0 with a set-up fee of $59.
Dozmia App is a smart App that shares music to listeners based on their preferences. It is a targeted music sharing platform, and it is free to use.
Email Marketing is the second most effective digital marketing strategy. It has become more popular and useful among artist today. It could help you increase traffic to any site and increase sales of your music. You could use a favourite email marketing software like GetResponse to grow your list. Get Response lets you create attractive landing pages necessary to promote your offers.
Emubands also lets you get your music on digital platforms. They include Itunes, Spotify, Emusic, Amazon and others. It starts from $42.50. Also, the UK-based platform won’t deduct any commissions from your sales.
Event Promotion may be something you have to deal with in your early days. You should check for the relevant place to list your events based on your location. Sites like SongKick and BandinTown can help you to reach local music lovers.
Facebook lets you create artist and musicians pages for your brand. To grow your audience you can utilise form-gated tactic. This is where you share a track with those who completes a form. You can use Tabsite, ShortStack, Pagemodo or Wishpond to create form gating content. It’s an excellent way to grow your email list with fans.
Facebook Ads lets you promote your content in the Facebook newsfeed and right-hand column. It’s a great way to reach a targeted fan base. Facebook allows you to create well-targeted ads to increase your ROI. Many also use Facebook ads to grow their Soundcloud account.
Flipgram App is a unique platform where you create the stories with the music you love. Million of music enthusiast is already using the app so the potential is real. You could also link back to your landing page of choice to engage your fans further.
Get Help and Professional advice:No one can build a successful music career (or anything else) in isolation. Sites like TheIndiebible have many guides to set you on the right track.
Google+ can provide exposure to your brand. You could join music groups and foster meaningful relationships in these group. You could also create a page for your brand where you can share all your content. It’s said to be good for SEO. Here’s a tip to save you a headache: use the same account to create your Youtube channel.
Google Adwords when done right can be a cost-effective way to reach your audience. Many people are aware of the keyword bid campaign that appears in search results. But few are aware of the display campaign. This is where Google show your ads on the website that your audience already visits.
PayLoadz lets you sell your music to your audience. They don’t take care of distribution. It’s like a shopping cart that protects your content. You could also reward affiliate partners who sell your music with a commission for each sale. Or you can add the links for the products on your website and sell from there. It starts from $19.95 + transaction fee + 30 days free trial.
Reddit Music is an extensive library of recording artist. They make it easy for people to find your music too. Ensure that you read the guidelines before you get started. And engage with other users so they can discover your music in a natural way.
ReverbNation is a marketing powerhouse for the artist who’d like a complete solution. With this service, you can build a profile, sell your music, plan events and more. You can even access an electronic press kit here. It starts with a generous free service with unique premium add-ons services
SoundCloud is a subscription based platform where fans listen to the music they enjoy. As an artist, you can create a profile from which you share your music. The platform could help you connect with your audience and establish your brand. It starts from free.
Tunecore allows you to distribute your music to 150+ sites like Itunes, Amazon and more. They also offer other artist services such as radio airtime, professional mastering and more. The fee starts from $9.99 with a 0% commissions on sale revenue.
YouTube channel is the largest video streaming platform with almost one billion users. With a branded channel, you can position your music among potential fans. It is free to use
Joint Venture Youtube Channels lets you share your music with an established audience. Such channels include Majestic Casual and The Sound You Need.
Instagram provides another brand building opportunity for your music career. You can post photos and videos that resonate with your audience. User generated content and behind the scenes, exclusive experiences work well on Instagram. Like on Twitter, organise your conversation around your Hashtag.
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Internet radio stations could provide some exposure for your music. There are thousands of radio station online that would be happy to play your music. You should do your research well and get in touch with the ones that play your genre of music.
Last.fm is a community of music lovers that lets you create an artist profile. From here, fans can listen to your music, and you can see all your stats to measure your marketing efforts. A well optimised or labelled listing makes it easy for people to find your music.
LinkedIn is an excellent way to begin the networking process. Create a professional profile that’s dedicated to your music. Start by connecting with people in your industry and join relevant groups. From here, you could discover events and individuals who can help take your career to the next level.
Merchandise Marketing is quite popular among musicians and many services caters for this service. It’s a way to develop brand awareness using branded products. These include t-shirts, mugs, stickers and more. Bands on a Budget and Dizzy Jam are some of the services that provide branded merchandise.
Mobile App lets you connect with your fans on a more personable level. Offer exclusivity to your audiences such as discount tickets, video content and more. A service like GigRev can build your white label app.
Musical.ly App lets you create and share videos with a community of music lovers. The platform is the fastest growing social media music community so it’s a no-brainer. The platform also promotes curated videos to thousands across their social media pages. A tip here is to include hashtag #musicallyapp in the content you share on Instagram and Twitter.
Networking will never die out, and that’s no different for the artist. Get your business cards ready, attend music related events. Social media platforms have the added advantage to start key industry relationships.
Nimbit is a platform that lets you connect with fans. With your profile, access fan management features, sell your music, merchandise and more. You can sign up to Nimbit for free, but there is a commission on sales of your stuff.
Press Releases are to share newsworthy information with potential fans. Such news could be the release of a new single, event appearance or album launch. Your press release should be interesting and relevant to the publication of interest. It’s best practice to research your list of contacts and have them ready for your pitch.
Approaching Local Radio station is an age old tactic that still works today. Make a list of the ones of interest and research the best person to contact. LinkedIn or Email Hunter could help you to find contact information.
Storytelling could help you communicate your authenticity to your fan base. Use platforms like Snapchat, Periscope and Meerkat to get your message out there.
Selling CDs at events is another old strategy that could still work. If your fanbase is perhaps the older generation, then this could be a viable option.
Tools: The right tools could make your life easier during your marketing efforts. Tweet for a Track encourages your fans to give you a tweet in exchange for your music. Google Analytics lets you understand the traffic going to your site. Google search console enables you to the see the general health of your site. For 50 more marketing tools see this post.
Top Spin Media help artists connect with new fans and to sell music. The platforms’ focus is to assist you to develop a healthy relationship with your audience. You can create a free account, but the packages start from $9.99. You can also sell downloads, merchandise, tickets and more.
Twitter is where you can share short messages, images and video clips to engage with followers. Influencers are the powerhouse of Twitter marketing. So, you need an engagement strategy for influencer marketing. You could use the power of Hashtags and advanced search to connect with music lovers.
The Website is your home on the web for your music career. It brings everything together. You don’t even need to a pro to create a great looking, functional site either. Wix Music lets you create a site where you can sell your music and distribute to top channels. It starts from $2.55 a month.
Yik Yak App lets you connect with people in a ten miles radius. It’s an excellent tool for local marketing. It could help you connect with people especially if you are hosting a local show.
YouTube ads are effective to reach a music audience. Music lovers are already on the site for you to leverage. You can either promote a standalone video or include a clip before the start of other videos.
Finally, don’t neglect the power of great branding and learn from the best in your industry. There are tools and resources at your fingertip that you can start using right now. You can also outsource some of the marketing that you don’t have the time to do. Good luck with your music and all the best.
Please leave your comment below about how you are reaching your fans. I would like to hear how you market your music and the things that are working for you.
Fran Mullings my superpower is to help you get more eyeballs online with a high-performance digital marketing plan. Join me on social media for a chat, leave a message above or drop me a line. :-)
