You may be a super talented musician. Maybe you can shred like Jimi Hendrix. The way you spit rhymes has often been compared to Jay-Z. Perhaps you can belt out tunes like JT, with a few dance moves mixed in.
You have incredible talent, there's no doubt about that. Sometimes you wish ability was all it took to make it big, that you will just be "discovered." But talent only gets you so far in this world.
Some musicians actually make it big and earn a nice living doing what they love. In many cases, it's not because their music is better than yours. So why are they getting the recognition while you toil away? It's because they have taken a proactive approach to marketing themselves.
Here's the good news: You don't need a be on a major record label to market yourself. A well thought-out marketing plan does not have to break the bank. Most importantly, fine-tuning your marketing skills will get you heard. So here they are, 4 effective ways for musicians to promote themselves.
1) Rock Social Media
This is a great opportunity to get creative by putting your content out there and giving clever shout-outs to fans, promoting your gigs. Facebook is the obvious one. There are just too many potential fans out there to ignore. At the end of 2103, there were 1.23 billion monthly active users. SoundCloud is another good one. They have plenty of tools for engaging with adventurous listeners around the world. Here are 4 bands and artists who have created the best SoundCloud marketing campaigns. Finally, YouTube allows you to establish a growing fan base organically. Check out these 15 aspiring musicians who found fame on YouTube.
2) Create a cool website
You must have a website if you want to be legitimate. It's a place for you to showcase you or your band's photos, list your upcoming gigs, and sell your music. It's the hub that allows your fans to connect with you in a number of ways, including links to your social media pages. Band Zoogle is a nice service that can build a cool and effective website for musicians. Also, they optimize your site for multiple devices (see this article on responsive design).
3) Network with bloggers
Music bloggers are the taste makers and influencers. Mobs of people look to their advice on cool new music. Just make sure you're reaching out to the right blogger. Check out their signature at the end of each blog (ex. Metal Enthusiast). Also, find out what they've written about in the past. This helps you get a handle on their writing style but also shows the writer that you're genuinely interested in what they have to say. They'll return the favor and write about what your music has to say.
4) Create a Promo Kit
Want to get gigs a the hippest spots? An effective press kit expresses to venues that you WILL make them money. Music Think Tank tells you exactly what you should put in your press kit, including a bio, CD demo, a high-quality photo, and other essentials.
Lastly, talk to anyone and everyone who will listen to you. You have the musical skills, you just need to put a priority on your marketing skills to launch your success. You've got to be a hustler in this game. There's way too much competition out there not to be.
Need to bring more traffic to your band's website and want to do it by way of social media?
