Marketing and music might not have sounded such a great combo a decade or so ago. Associated with the likes of Simon Cowell and generic boy bands, marketing would have been used to promote good looking boy bands with zero charisma or talent. These days, however, things have changed.
In the digital age, marketing has lost its stigma and become a cool and authentic way of promoting businesses, brands and bands. With social media, YouTube, search engine marketing and PR, you can reach your preferred audience in a matter of moments, and to great effect. You don’t need cheesy TV ads and radio spots to make your mark these days.
But how do you market your band effectively? It’s too easy to just say “use YouTube” or “get Tweeting” and expect people to know what you’re talking about. The best way to market your band online is to educate and inform yourself on how to use these marketing tools effectively by reading up on them thoroughly. There are hundreds of blogs, websites and agencies out there who provide free advice and guides on how to use these tools and techniques. Search for them via Google or the other search engines.
Getting Your Name (and Face) Out There
If you know what you’re doing and have experience with YouTube and social media, you will understand just how far-reaching it is, and how important it has been to the careers of so many artists. YouTube has become a breeding ground for singer-songwriters looking to find representation and an audience, and we all know about Justin Bieber’s rise to stardom. Your band might not want to be Bieber, but what worked for him can also work for you.
To stand out from every other band or artist that uses social media and video marketing to promote their music, you have to find your voice and consider your audience. What kind of band are you? Who are your fans? What do your audience expect from you? Once you answer those questions, you’ll have a better idea of how to marketing yourself online, and can build your online audience on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and beyond.
Having a Website
Social media, YouTube Channels and Soundcloud accounts are great for letting people listen to your music and get to know you as a band, but there should always be an end-game to your marketing efforts, and that is to bring people to your official website.
Every band should be looking to have their own website – filled with videos, interviews (press clippings), downloads, streaming for music and blog posts – where your fans can find out where your next gigs are taking place, buy T-shirts and anything else they might want to do. Your website is the central hub of activity for you and your fans, and it’s essential that it’s updated regularly, looks fantastic (graphic design and photos of the band) and branches out to your social media accounts from the Home Page.
Consider Outsourcing Your Marketing
Alternatively, you can go straight to a marketing agency that specialises in promoting bands. A great example of this is Quite Great Music Marketing, who take care of everything from local promotion (radio spots, press releases, etc.) to social media campaigns and YouTube music videos. If you have the budget to outsource your marketing, an agency in the music industry is definitely the right way to go. It is worth spending the extra cash and guaranteeing results. You could end up spending precious rehearsal time marketing yourself badly and receiving no positive results whatsoever.