Music marketing changed almost entirely in the last decade, and while variety of new tools and techniques are now available to artists, many of them require a significant investment. Here we look at seventeen different marketing tips that, while still effective, remain affordable to the average musician.
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Guest post by Eugene Eaton
Music marketing has changed drastically in the last couple of decades, offering artists all sorts of promotion tools and channels. But it’s not easy to find too many marketing tactics that are both effective and inexpensive.
If you are looking for a way to promote your music on a shoestring budget, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn 17 accessible and affordable music marketing tips.
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Create a Website
The year is 2019 and we need to begin with digital marketing tools. A website is the first place fans visit when they search for you online, so you have to make a good-looking site for your project. Using a platform like WordPress, you can do it quickly and free of charge.
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Build an Email List
Creating an email list is easy when you have a website. Invite visitors to subscribe and receive notifications about your activities regularly.
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Blogging
Blogging may not seem like an interesting marketing tip for musicians, but rest assured it does miracles for your ranking in Google searches. Therefore, you should publish a new music-related article every week to make a website richer. If you don’t want or don’t know how to do it, you can consult with essay help professionals to give you a hand.
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Social Media Marketing
Social platforms gather more than two billion users daily, which means that almost all of your audience is reachable via Facebook, Instagram, and other networks. You should create a band page on popular platforms and publish entertaining and informative content every day.
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Go Live on Facebook
People love live streaming because it looks more natural than prerecorded videos. You can go live from gigs to tease followers and inspire them to go to your concert next time.
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Organize Q/A Sessions
Q/A sessions are another interesting way to market your band without spending a dime. You can invite fans to ask you questions on Facebook, while you can answer through live video or comments. This tactic makes communication interactive and gets fans closer to their favorite artists.
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Organize Contests
Social contests are a genuine engagement driver because people love competing. One idea is to invite followers to write alternative versions of your own lyrics. Those who think of the best/funniest lines win concert tickets or some of your branded merchandise.
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User-Generated Content
You can create an extra buzz around your band by promoting user-generated content online. The process is simple – ask fans to take photos and shoot videos related to your music/gigs. Such content is often very attractive and has the potential to go viral.
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Make Music Videos
This goes without saying, but we cannot overestimate the importance of music videos. You don’t have to invest a lot of money in video creation: it takes just a good idea and you can do it yourself.
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Create a YouTube Channel
YouTube is the reason why you have to shoot music videos. Users watch more than a billion hours of video content on YouTube every day, so you just have to launch your own channel and post fresh content consistently.
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Location-Based Advertising
Advertising platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook allow you to reach highly specific audiences very cheaply. You should make use of these tools to target fans based on locations and attract more visitors to your concerts.
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Old School Marketing
Of course, you shouldn’t forget about old school marketing. Marketing tools such as posters, flyers, and leaflets are always a good way to promote your concert without wasting money.
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Organize Free Shows
If there is one thing fans love more than your shows, it is definitely a free show. Besides regular followers, a free gig will probably attract a lot of people who don’t know your music, so you get a chance to make new fans.
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Genre-Specific Festivals
If you play heavy metal, it won’t do well to attend a folk music concert. You should target genre-specific festivals where you can reach out to your type of audience.
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Keep In Touch with the Media
A little bit of free PR can never hurt a band. You should meet journalists who write about music and build a strong relationship with them. Every article in media outlets is a valuable contribution to your career.
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Sell Merchandise
A band cannot function without branded stuff like shirts, badges, and so on. This marketing trick has two benefits because it helps you to promote the band while earning money aside.
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Publish Follow-Ups
The last tip on our list is to always create follow-up reports after a gig to thank the visitors. Besides that, it’s a good way to tell fans who did not attend that your show was amazing.
Conclusion
Music marketing is not easy at all, especially if you have to run it on a shoestring budget, but there are still enough tricks and tactics you can try here. We showed you 17 accessible and affordable music marketing tips, so make sure to test them and let us know how they worked out for you.
Eugene Eaton is a british blogger for bestdissertation.com and EssaysOnTime.com.au , who is into stand-up comedy. His favorite comedians are Louis CK and George Carlin. A good morning laugh is what keeps Eugene upbeat and motivated through the harsh day.