Today’s bands and musicians must engage their fans and audiences like never before – not only to increase exposure, sell cds and merch, fill up venues – but if you ever hope to get a record deal or have radio airplay – increasing your fan count is a ‘must’ – most labels will not even look at a band until they have a core of fans who are a dependable source of marketing for that band.
Today’s fans need constant engagement to stick around – between being able to process information faster than the last generation could, and being online during ‘work’ hours (so skimming and getting on and off line quickly), they need a constant influx of new information or they get bored. Any band that doesn’t keep up with this quest for new material (be it new songs, albums, photos, webblogs, videos, whathaveyou) is bound to be left behind by bands that do fulfill this need.
So what to do to promo yourself? Learn how to use today’s tools!
Nothing is more disappointing to me than a band who are good – great – and could be getting further in the industry but aren’t either because they ‘dont have time’ to look after the social aspect, (or dont know how) or have a mgmt company who doesnt understand today’s marketing tools.
So.. how to promo yourself? Small things. Simple things – but things that take daily or weekly dedication.Decide how badly you want a career in music and work at it daily, accordingly. And dont fall into the ‘I have no time’ trap – if its not a hobby then it’s a job – treat it like a job and get in there and do it. So.. how?
Get yourself a Myspace page and upload music. (Yes! Myspace.. labels and indie radio people still troll there looking for bands). Change your tunes at least monthly and send out bulletins to let your fans/friends know you’ve changed it up.
Start a Blog. Add photos taken at shows, on the road, etc. Add fan photos and give the fans credit by using their names –it’s a little thing but Hell, you expect them not to steal your music off the internet, right? Then don’t steal their concert shots without proper credit! It also builds a loose relationship between you and your fans. It shows that you value them enough to share their names with anyone viewing the photos. Cross post those photos to your Facebook Fan page.
Create a Facebook Page – not a profile – profiles are too limiting. Get a Fan ‘page’. Make sure that the settings allow fans to post on the Wall, and that the Wall is a mix of fan posts and posts by ‘the page’.. nothing worse than having all fan posts revert to ‘page 2′. Add some FB apps like Bandpage so you can add tour dates, upload songs from your hard drive or Soundcloud and add vids directly from Youtube. Bandpage is free but the $20 a yr upgrade is worth the money and then some. Encourage fans to upload pics of you or your band, allow them to tag photos of the band, ‘like’ their comments so they know you’ve read them, and answer them at random – give them the hope you’re going to answer their’s one day.
Join Twitter. Twitter was ‘made’ for mobile phones and with a band doing gigs and being on the road, Twitter is the ideal medium to share things with fans. Tweet anything from the ball games you’re watching, to backstage stuff, to grocery shopping to whatever interests you… dont make it all one sided though… you don’t have to follow all your fans back (and you shouldnt follow most of them) but check your @replies daily and make sure to answer questions, give people spontaneous shout outs and engage them.
Websites…thoughts about websites bounce around often depending on who you talk to and when – a site is a good ‘home base’ but be aware most fans wont visit your site often UNLESS you have new content to attract them back. This is a good place to house your blog, your tour dates, your photo albums and most especially your EPK for those industry people who you are hoping will find you.
There are a ton of other sites of course, but why go to sites that are not where most people are? You can only do so much, so stick to the sites with the largest user base – plant your band ‘flag’ in the sand and start building something that people will want to come and see over and over.
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