Advice: Step #2 to Building a Marketing Plan: Get Your Music Right with Jack Hedges

Source: RenmanMB.com

Ok because I can’t help myself, here is part 2 of my favorite interview.

What I want to mention here is picking the singles. As these two pros mention, the decision on who picks the singles varies depending on what your situation is as an artist. As a music fan, I want to say be careful with keeping the selection of a single in your head when your writing music. There are often bands that get one really great song recorded, they choose that for the single and the rest of the album isn’t very great.

Of course, I’m just a music fan and a student of the industry at this point…just my opinion.

Anyone have any other thoughts about Step 2?

-@AliciaMachuca0

Have Fun Promoting Your Music!

Photo by Craig Cloutier

Sure there are many suggestions out there on finding the right way to promote your band but I’m going to give you another simple suggestion. Make sure you’re still having fun with promotion.

Now more than ever there are more creative options and tools that you could use whether you’re a band/artist that has even a handful of fans or someone who has many fans.

I’ll tell you what I mean.

For example, Blink 182 has been known for creative promotion ideas. One of their best was during the presale of their album “Neighborhoods” where they gave away old treasures such as an old tour shoe, past tour laminates, really anything that they had lying around that fans would not only jump at the chance of buying but also not be able to buy anywhere else. For a complete list of exactly what the band sold to fans check out Michael Brandvold’s Hypebot article here.

Now obviously Blink 182 has a big loyal fan base and this type of promotion is most likely not the way to go if you’re a local band. Don’t go around expecting people to want your old tour stuff (yet) but there are simple fun ways to give your fans things they’ll love while promoting your music. My suggestions:

Personalize:

As a smaller band you’re probably promoting and selling music online, as most folks do these days. I would suggest either recording or writing a thank you message for the fans who purchase your music. Say “Hi Jenny! We love that you love our music, thanks for the support!” It doesn’t have to be excessive, just a little shout out for your fans. Use your social media accounts! Record a quick video on your smartphone or laptop with a thank you list of fans (if possible) and post this on your pages or email them individually. This is easiest as a small artist, but fans look for that interaction, no matter how small, with their favorite bands.

Take advantage of the location of your gigs:

Local bands tend to play anywhere they can, from VFW halls, to basements, to bowling alleys etc. Recently a friend of mine played a gig at a small bakery where the bakery jumped at the chance for a promotion opportunity. If you brought a flyer that the band handed out or you printed one off of Facebook you’d get a free cupcake if you attended the show. Most likely small businesses are going to be excited to help you promote your show and drive traffic into their business.

Now clearly these aren’t new ideas but the idea is to simply stay excited about promotion and the creative options that can come with it. If you’re not excited about your music enough that it doesn’t reflect in your promotion no one else will get excited.

 

for more advice on music promotion try these articles:

What’s the Story? The Value of Storytelling in Music Promotion | Music Think Tank

The four p’s of Playing Live Shows: Promotion | Music Think Tank