If you are serious about building a fanbase and getting your music heard, proper marketing is not an option but a necessity. With the sheer volume of music being released every day, your promotional efforts may well determine if and how your music connects with an audience.
If you are an aspiring artist looking to launch their first album, the below music marketing tips and strategies may help you get started.
Music Marketing Tips and Strategies for Aspiring Artists
1) Know Your Audience
To reach out to the right people, you need to first know who the right people are. To do this, develop a fan persona based on things like your target audience’s age, gender, and the online platforms you are likely to use them on.
Understanding your audience can help you devise a marketing strategy that reaches them more precisely. Besides, targeting people who are likely to be interested in your work will help you get more out of your marketing efforts than if you blindly marketed to everyone.
The more familiar you are with your audience demographics and interests, the more fruitful your marketing efforts are likely to be.
2) Prioritize Your Current Fans
You cannot effectively reach out to more people unless you first look after your current crop of fans.
As a musician, your focus should be on building a dedicated community. Learn how to create an environment around your music, brand, and marketing platforms, that can convert a mildly interested follower into a loyal superfan.
To make this happen, your primary focus should not be on grabbing new followers but on providing value to your existing fanbase. By offering value to your current fans, you will be able to create the kind of community that people looking from the outside would want to be part of.
Being a musician is not like being a salesperson; the more you give your community, the more reason other people will have to join you on your journey.
3) Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy
Whether you want to drum up interest for a live event or spread word about your first album release, no marketing strategy is ever complete without social media.
Use social media to direct fans towards your website where they can learn more about you and your music, and over time, become true fans.
When formulating a social media strategy for your music, opt for platforms you are most comfortable with. Next, create meaningful and relevant content – this could include themed posts, BTS (behind the scenes) clips, and even non-music content.
You may want to consider paid social media advertising to spread your posts to more (and more relevant) users.
Wrapping Up
The prospect of independently creating and marketing your music may sound daunting.
However, this journey can not only help you build momentum but also direct focus towards your true fanbase and build lasting support. With the right marketing strategy, your fans will continue to increase with each release, allowing you to carve out a career that is both sustainable and enjoyable.
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. As the host of the weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” Eric chats with pioneering entrepreneurs from diverse sectors. Through the “Eric Dalius Foundation,” he offers four scholarships to US students. Stay updated with Eric on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.