7 Effective Digital Marketing Strategies for Musicians
With so many artists releasing music daily, it's hard to make it in the music industry. Unfortunately, the place in the spotlight is typically reserved for well-established people. That fact alone can deter many aspiring musicians and prevent them from getting their work out there. However, now's not the time to be discouraged. Just the opposite! If you are an artist trying to have your music heard, know that that's still possible, despite the fierce competition. There are digital marketing strategies for musicians that are effective and might be the game-changer that helps you make a name for yourself.
Top 7 Digital Marketing Strategies for Musicians That Guarantee Success
Emerging musicians are met with so much uncertainty. The questions like ''Will my music reach the audience? Will they connect with it?'' and so on are constantly swirling around their heads.
And while some things, such as whether fans will like the final product, cannot be controlled, the one thing you absolutely can control is how your music, and your brand as a whole, is marketed over the digital channels. Here are seven examples of how to do it correctly to ensure success.
#1 Be Present on Social Media
We live in an age when social media presence is an absolute must for everyone trying to build an audience. It's a massive part of every individual's life, regardless of whether they are musicians or not. And although there are numerous accounts out there already, it's still a tool that could get you discovered and ultimately help you launch your career.
While platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and more are all places that will, once you've gained recognition, help you interact with your fans better, they are also places where you can showcase your talent while you're still relatively unknown. After all, you never know who might stumble upon your content! It might as well be a producer, a manager, or someone well-known in the music circle who believes that you are the next ''hot thing.''
The first step toward becoming a well-known artist is to create social media accounts.
#2 Develop a Content Strategy
It's not enough to be present on social media, but rather to be present the right way. This ultimately means you'll have to be smart about the content you post. Bombarding your followers isn't going to get you the needed results. It might even cause you to lose your following, which isn't the goal.
So, how do you go about actually using social media once you've set up your accounts? Well,
first, you'll need to develop a content strategy. Think carefully about the kind of content that you want to share. Is it going to be strictly videos of you performing, or are you going to share bits and pieces of your life, as well? That's up to you to decide. Either way, you'll need to create a plan. Use a spreadsheet to keep track of everything; if the ideas are lacking, you can always look up your favorite artist's pages to see what they have been up to.
#3 Do Audience Research
There is a multitude of tools that help you research what type of audience you are attracting. Spotify and YouTube statistics, for instance, both give you a peek into who's listening to your music, where they are based, and how old they are. You might not be thinking twice about it now, but knowing where most of your listeners are coming from and what age group they belong to should allow you to adapt how you use these platforms. In other words, by being aware of these details, you will know how to alter your content and post it so that you can target that specific, primary audience.
#4 Create a Website
As one of the digital marketing strategies for musicians, social media can be extremely helpful, but at times, it can also be limiting. As you may already know, these accounts are prone to hacking, and the content you upload might get flagged should it violate the platform's terms, thus making them a bit unreliable. On the other hand, when you have your website, you get complete control of what you post there and when you post it. Furthermore, from the business side of things, using it to market yourself is considered a hundred times more professional.
Another great thing about having your website is that you can even generate revenue through it - in a much easier way than it is to generate some through socials! Digital marketing experts at Digital Dot New York suggest you even set up an online shop that would allow interested parties to buy your music and, possibly, merch.
If you want to be taken seriously as a musician, creating your website is necessary.
#5 Reach Out to Influencers and/or Suitable Websites
Influencers aren't that easily reachable, but if you manage to do it right, you might get a chance for a promotion. For instance, if there is an established website that you would like your music featured on, you might as well start looking for an email address of an editor/writer. The next step is to pitch your work to them and hope they'll consider it good enough to give you a chance. Fingers crossed!
#6 Collaborate With Another Artist
If you know someone who's already made it in the music business, you're halfway there to make it yourself! From the marketing perspective, a good idea would be to collaborate on a project with them. A collaboration will introduce their fans to you, and they could, in turn, quickly become your fans, as well.
Collaborations are among effective digital marketing strategies for musicians because they help you build a following.
#7 Paid Advertising
Paid advertising might be one of the most effective digital marketing strategies for musicians as far as getting views, and listens are concerned. And it doesn't take a millionaire to make use of it. Many believe that if they were to start an ad campaign, it would render them penniless when investing in ads isn't that expensive at all. If we're talking numbers, a mere $50 spent on paid advertising, when done right, could get you thousands of views/listens. Now, you may have your doubts, which is absolutely fine. However, think about it this way. Isn't it worth spending a little if it helps you gain recognition and earn more in the long run?
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