You’ve decided to put out a new EP. You’ve completely conceptualized the album from songwriting style to production and even dreamed up the artwork. The goal is to have the album out by your next birthday so you can begin to promote it. You work on songs for the EP, pick the top 5 of your overall work and begin post-production (mixing, mastering, duplication, etc.). Now you’re finished and the EP is ready for official release by your camp. How do you effectively plan a brand marketing strategy that will result in the greatest exposure for your music? Good question, here are some steps to consider.
Step #1-Identify your target audience by understanding your brand message.
Your brand’s message is contained in the music you create. Identifying what your music stands for will help you to identify the audience who’ll likely listen.
Step #2-Learn your target audience’s patterns and behaviors.
There’s a wonderful thing called “market research” and its useful to every business. Market Research allows you to look at consumer trends and behaviors and determine where your brand fits within these trends/behaviors. It gives you an understanding of the landscape in which your brand competes and if used correctly can assist you in making your brand completely different. No one pays attention to something they’ve already seen before!
Step #3-Start small.
Wanting to sell out Madison Square Garden is an impressive goal and very attainable, but before you start printing up merchandise to sell at your future sold-out concert think more practically at first. Find reputable venues where you can feature your music around your city. Whether it’s an open mic night or a full fledge show produced by promoters who are well known and respected, start where you can and then work your way up.
Step #4-Develop relationships.
This is where your networking skills come in. In this business of music, and in life, its not so much what you know as who you know. Build relationships with media outlets, performance venues, promoters, blog writers, magazine writers, DJs at your local radio stations, etc. Interning with a big name company within the music industry is a great way to build relationships. Whenever the person you’re networking with reaches out to you to check up on the status of your music movement, you’ve built a successful working relationship. Strive to make at least one to two solid relationships in each realm of the business (performance venue, promoter, writer, etc.)
Step #5-Write everything down.
You’d be surprised how effective this is. When planning to get your music out there, you’re going to have to try a variety of marketing tactics. There are no hard, fast rules to music marketing. It is truly an experimental sport. Rule of thumb: introduce a new marketing tactic every two months. Two months allows you the time to see what’s working and what’s not. If it works, write it down in detail including the impact your new marketing tactic had on your intended audience. Even if it doesn’t work, write it down. That way you’ll remember what not to do.
#BrandTipoftheWeek: If you don’t plan, you’re planning to fail.
