Quick marketing tips that will get your music new listeners

Marketing your music effectively is just as important as being able to create it. An effective marketing campaign consists of identifying who your customers (fans) are, where they go for content, and how you will reach them. The concept sounds simple, but a lot of independent artists make critical errors when it comes to promoting themselves—often spending time and money in all of the wrong places. In this article, you will learn some marketing tips that many artists neglect.

Starting simple

Undoubtedly, marketing deserves a considerable amount of your time, energy, effort, and financial resources. But all that doesn’t mean that your marketing has to be intricate or overly complicated. In fact, there are a few simple things that you can do today that will bring awareness to your brand and your music.

• Engage your audience: Social media has made your target audience more accessible than ever. Search for trending topics that your audience talks about and join the conversation. Engaging potential fans is a great way to bring awareness to your brand.

• Create and share more music: Your music is your gold mine. Keep creating and finding creative ways to share it with your fans. The internet is powerful, but do not neglect the power of live performance, especially in your home city.

• Make shoutouts: Shout out venue hosts were you perform or journalists/bloggers who interview you or host your music. Showing love turns into receiving love. Showing gratefulness to those who have provided opportunities is the best way to ensure future opportunities.  

• Establish a network: Like and share the music of other indie artists you like or who are inside your realm of influence (City, state, target audience, etc.). Building a network and establishing relationships is a crucial aspect of any business. The more connections you have the more resources you can tap when the time comes.

Hone into your area

You represent your city/state’s talent. Consider starting a fundraiser or creating content that targets issues in your area. It doesn’t have to relate directly to your core subject matter, but it should be something about which you feel strongly. You could donate a portion of your T-shirts sales, host performances, or simply go out and volunteer. Supporters of your cause will want to know who is advocating for them and may become fans after doing some research, or just share your content on social media.

Events and press releases

A press release is a short but compelling story directed at members of the media with the goal of obtaining free publicity. Such releases are a good way to bring attention to a big project you have been creating. Link up with promoters, or host a release party for your mixtape or album. Then, either write a compelling press release for media outlets in your city or have a public relations professional write one for you. These announcements help you get free publicity, but media outlets receive hundreds of them a day, so getting yours to stand out is essential.

Consider this: There are millions of people who have hopes of becoming a superstar, most of whom have as much access to the internet as you. In order for you to stand out, your marketing has to stand out. Don’t fall for the conventional tactics. Go WAY out the box. Build a relationship with your audience; this will put into perspective how your marketing plan affects your brand.