Now that we have a website and have set all of our tools up, it is time to start using them!
Social Media
Be consistent: The golden rule of updating is that it is more important to be consistent than to be frequent. If you can’t keep up with daily updates then pick once a week or once every two months! Pick whatever works for you and stick to it.
Engage: Its first name is Social for a reason. People get turned off by salesmen and artists that are only interested in self-promotion, look to engage with people for a warmer and more genuine reaction.
Pay attention: Sometimes we miss messages or comments that have been made. These can be networking opportunities or a chance to win a fan. Be on the lookout for them!
Social media is for creating a community — not selling!: Keep this one in mind when approaching other users online. Strike a conversation not an elevator pitch. If you don’t care to talk to other people then maybe you shouldn’t be on social media.
Blogs
Even though the blog is no longer the king of content marketing it used to be, it is still a powerful tool that can do wonders for a musician’s career when approached correctly.
Write a blog: The great thing about a blog is that it is very customizable. It doesn’t necessarily mean lengthy posts or insightful reviews, posts can be short 300 words updates on your latest album or a place for you to share your latest videos or images.
Approach bloggers: You can ask bloggers to review your demo. Sometimes bloggers won’t charge you for their services, but they may ask you for something in return (free tickets to a performance, or something else).
Content Ideas: Some content ideas for your blog could be:
- Singing tips
- Guitar (or another instrument) playing tips
- Go over your live performance ritual
- Write about the inspiration behind a particular song
- Review the latest album of a famous artist
Don’t forget about your website
Ideally, your website would be your hub, what all of the other outlets will be connecting to, the final stage where people will get to and buy your music or a ticket to one of your performances.
A website must be updated constantly: The website is the business card of the online world, if it’s not updated it will send the wrong impression.
Sell merchandise: A website is a perfect place to sell merchandise.
Stay in touch
One of the most important tactics when promoting your music online is to keep in touch with the people you meet. Here are a couple of ideas to stay in touch with your new friends:
Get into email marketing: Email marketing that it’s a great tool to keep your followers updated on your latest actions. Email marketing that’s well done only provides valuable information when it’s necessary.
Engage on forums: Forums are a good place to meet potential future fans, forums must be approached carefully since they do not appreciate ulterior motives (and for good reasons).
Approach other artists: Collaboration with other up-and-coming artists is a valid strategy for mainly two reasons: One, you expose yourselves to each others followers and two, the creative possibilities are huge.
Upload your music to Spotify and iTunes
You may consider uploading your music to Spotify and iTunes to expose yourself to millions of potential listeners. These type of platforms have their fair share of controversy, specially when it regards to how much they pay artists, but it is undeniable that they can be a great tool to approach potential new listeners.