Need to sharpen your music advertising and marketing abilities as a way to develop your fanbase?
You may create one of the best tracks on the planet and distribute that music worldwide, however your songs received’t go very far with out good music advertising and marketing.
Sure, that’s true for artists in any respect ranges, together with superstars like Billie Eilish. When you think about the careers of your musical heroes, I’ll wager most of them had been the beneficiaries of fine music advertising and marketing.
However does “advertising and marketing” sounds intimidating? Or possibly like some soulless enterprise exercise? The let’s body it as one thing extra thrilling and inventive.
Good music advertising and marketing is:
- telling part of your music’s story
- in a compelling means
- to the suitable viewers
- by the suitable medium
- on the proper time
- so your perfect listener will discover, care, and take motion
In case you have a strategy to monitor outcomes and follow-up with audience-members based mostly on the precise actions they’ve taken, all the higher! However I’ll go away extra superior ideas resembling optimization and retargeting for one more day.
At the moment I need to discover 5 widespread music advertising and marketing errors it’s best to keep away from if you wish to steer your profession in the suitable path:
Be careful for these music advertising and marketing pitfalls!
1. Not advertising and marketing your music in any respect
What’s the MOST widespread crack in an artist’s advertising and marketing basis? It’s not advertising and marketing in any respect.
You may know such a artist. They excel at taking part in exhibits, recording tracks, even releasing music. All of the enjoyable stuff. Maybe they put up a couple of present in Instagram Tales or create a Fb Occasion. Or they may put a hyperlink to their newest single on their homepage.
However they’re actually simply checking issues off a listing. These artists don’t take extra steps to make these actions really feel really particular. They don’t incentivize participation. What a disgrace!
It’s essential join the dots between the specified outcome and the steps it’ll take to get there. As a result of the precise legwork of fine music advertising and marketing begins by discovering the STORY you need inform, after which determining the way to inform that story nicely.
Earlier than you launch a track, announce a present, or drop an album, it’s best to reply these questions:
- What’s distinctive about my track, occasion, or profession?
- Who’s it for?
- Why ought to they care?
- How will somebody really feel as soon as they attend, hear, or buy?
- The place do they reside?
- When do they should take motion?
Not every bit of promoting content material you create has to deal with ALL of the above. However YOU ought to know the entire story earlier than you start telling it.
Then it’s best to record all of the avenues and instruments it’s a must to inform that story. Phrases, video, photos, emails, texts, and extra. Make use of what you might have!
2. Neglecting your target market
One of many greatest advertising and marketing errors musicians make is failing to outline WHO their diehard viewers actually is: their demographics, preferences, wants, and behaviors.
We wish our music to be beloved. By everybody. However that ain’t gonna occur. Each time Taylor Swift sells out some huge metropolis stadium, there are tons of of 1000’s and even tens of millions of people that stayed residence.
Don’t dilute your music’s influence by anticipating will probably be all issues to all individuals. If the web proves something, it’s the facility of leaning into your area of interest. You don’t need to forged too broad a internet. It’s essential start with a target market in thoughts which helps you focus your efforts on the suitable individuals, the suitable platforms, and the correct of content material that successfully drives engagement and motion.
Your viewers and your concentrating on can change over time. However a minimum of start each advertising and marketing effort with a selected viewers in thoughts.
3. Not creating sufficient video content material
TikTok, Reels, Shorts. Social video is all the pieces proper now. It’s THE major means artists attain new listeners as we speak. So it’s arduous to overstate the significance of a vertical-video technique. I imply, frequent, high-quality video output.
It is best to create a mixture of movies, together with:
- Efficiency movies (“reside” at residence, in live performance, or in an fascinating setting)
- Behind-the-scenes whereas recording
- Touring adventures
- Enjoyable information about your songs or lyrics
- Speak to us immediately (whereas strolling the canine, placing on make-up, and many others.)
- Livestreams and AMAs
- Cowl track snippets
- Gear opinions or tutorials
- Highlights from non-musical elements of your life
- Occasional memes, skits, or developments (so long as it pertains to YOUR artistry or pursuits)
The best way that social platforms work now, viral moments have an more and more shorter shelf-life. So you may’t lean on just a few good movies for too lengthy. They’ll go stale.
As for high quality, social video can seem informal, nevertheless it ought to NOT look newbie. Make sure it has stable sound and lighting.
You may “batch” your content material creation by capturing a bunch of movies as soon as a month, or you may combine TikTok into your every day life. Both means, video content material creation needs to be baked into your ongoing efforts as a musician.
4. Squandering social engagement
Have you learnt the place your lifelong followers are more than likely to be? Within the feedback of your posts!
And but numerous musicians make the error of ignoring the facility of social engagement. They put up content material as if social is a one-to-many distribution channel. They don’t encourage additional dialogue, ask questions, or invite participation. Or they DO — however then fail to answer these feedback. Both as a result of they’re too busy, too disorganized, or worse, they consider it as a job that’s beneath them.
These are your followers, your advocates, your clients. A coronary heart or a thumbs-up is the least you are able to do. Now think about how endeared you’d be in case your favourite artist put aside time to have a small however precise human dialog with you within the feedback part.
This form of personalised social administration isn’t “scalable,” it isn’t at all times enjoyable, and also you received’t instantly see the outcomes. However on condition that it’s a free, easy, and direct strategy to deepen your reference to individuals who’ve already responded to your content material, I’d argue there’s no higher use of your time.
Write ‘em again!
5. Ignoring the info
Knowledge sounds chilly. Artists are heat, feeling, distinctive, proof against numbers. However we shouldn’t ignore what the info is telling us. Knowledge is the story of how nicely we’re telling our story. How, if, when, and the place our music is connecting.
Knowledge doesn’t promise to current a reasonably image. However it may be a goldmine for musicians. In all these analytics dashboards, advert units, and insights, you’ll discover the keys to your profession development.
The place do it’s worthwhile to enhance? How must you pivot in your advertising and marketing? What are your choices to get higher outcomes for cheaper prices?
Your intestine instincts are beneficial, however the information doesn’t (normally) lie. Make a behavior of checking your numbers and the story they inform. Comply with the surprises. Lean into the successes. Study from the failures. Repeat.
Conclusion
Whereas the music trade continues to vary quickly, lots of the widespread music advertising and marketing errors above are (sadly) perennial.
So maintain them in thoughts this 12 months, and in all of the years forward. All the time try for a extra strategic method to your storytelling, concentrating on, content material creation, engagement habits, and evaluation.
Higher music advertising and marketing could imply the distinction between obscurity and notoriety in our more and more aggressive and noisy world.
Need assist reaching new followers? Try our Alternatives as we speak!
