Stephanie G. Mathis There are so many ways to promote your music online today that it is difficult to know where to begin. Which services are worth the time, effort, and money you invest? How many social media platforms are you required to use? Email lists are still important.
Engaging with your fans is the key to online music marketing. Your first step in music marketing should be to identify your fans and let them know about you. Then, you can solidify your relationship with them to make superfans that will support you for the rest of your career.
Why is it important to have superfans? They’re the kind of fans that you can count upon to attend all your concerts, purchase your products, and spread your music by word-of-mouth.
Let’s briefly touch on three pillars for fan engagement before we get into the details of how to market your music independently. Keep these three pillars in mind when you’re creating your marketing plan.
Authenticity. You, as the artist, must communicate with your fans in your voice. You want your fans to feel that they are part of the journey as you pursue your music career.
Sustainability. Building a fan base is not a quick fix. You have to work hard every day and show up to make a fan base.
Create your website.
Your artist’s website should form the core of your marketing strategy. Your website should be the hub of everything you do on the internet, and your social media platforms should be the spokes. These are the places you use to share content with your audience and link back as often as you can.
Why is a website important for musicians? Your website is where you can attract listeners and convert their interest. It’s also the place that will keep your relationship going for the long term.
As part of your overall marketing strategy, you should create a music site that has consistent branding and content. You’ll be sending fans to this website from your social media sites and streaming websites. You can drive fans to your website to maximize engagement, sell music and merchandise commission-free, and build your community. You can work with Landing Pages to stream traffic to focused pages and then evaluate your efforts to determine which strategies engage your fans most.
Keep your website updated with the latest news, including upcoming releases, singles, videos, and more. It’s an important place for fans and industry professionals to find you.
Create consistent content
In order to inspire interest in your music, you need to have quality content that is shared on your website or social media. Work on converting your musical talent into content that resonates with your fans. You can also include your own story to give an insight into who you are and what inspires you.
Include different media as well. Videos and photos can be easily created, and engaging visuals help to create an interactive experience. These content pieces will help you build your fan base so you can target them with music marketing when you release a new album.
Where should you add this content? You can add this content to your music website, a news page, or a blog. It will help your website SEO and give your fans a lot to explore. You can then use it on social media or newsletters.
It’s not necessary to release singles each week or month just for the sake of content. You can find a pace that suits you, whether you want to talk about your writing process while you prepare for an album or add reviews of gear you love. Consistency is key: regular updates will show your fans that you are active in your career and help to build a strong connection with them.
Keep a presence on social media.
Use social media to engage with your fans and share the journey you are on as an artist. It’s not necessary to be on all platforms and have endless conversations at the same time. Choose just a few platforms that you are comfortable with to ensure your presence is sustainable.
Remember that you are a musician first and foremost. If songwriting, recording, and performing are your forte, then use these skills to create content for your fans. It would be best if you did not let sharing content take up your time when you could instead be making music.
You can start with social media if you are just getting started. Focus your efforts on the platforms that will give you the best chance to find new fans. Focus on services you like to use and those where you have fans who are actively engaged with you.
If you’re looking to streamline your marketing efforts, try using a tool such as Buffer or Hootsuite. Make sure you are sharing a variety of content and that any comments or questions need to be addressed after the post.
How can you tell which social media sites are best for marketing your music? Here are some options you can consider:
Facebook is a platform that musicians and their fans use to engage through text updates, videos, photos, and other shared content. It’s important to respond to comments from fans to keep engagement high.
It takes more time to create content on Twitter, but it is easier. If you want to engage fans in regular conversations and build your brand, then this could be an effective way to market your music.
Instagram, as a media-driven platform, can be a great fit for musicians. Try different marketing approaches, from video and highlight reels to the option to “go live” to promote your music.
YouTube
You need to upload quality videos on YouTube on a regular basis if you want to build a following. YouTube is where people go to find music. If you like videos, then this is the place for you.
TikTok
You can use TikTok if you like to make short video clips. This allows spontaneity and authenticity and can help you reach more fans quickly.
Create a Smart Links Page for your website, which contains all your social media links. This will help you to maximize your fan base on social media. You can use that link to promote your music or new content on social media. You can then view the Smart Links data in order to determine where your fans land on this page and, as a result, which services are most interesting to them following you.
Building a following on social media takes time. You’ll need to be prepared to continue your efforts, no matter which social media platforms you choose to promote your music. It’s a good idea to reserve your artist’s name on all social media platforms so that other people can tag you and potentially give you content you can re-share.
Try out social media ads.
You’ve likely seen music ads on social media in your feeds. You should experiment on platforms where you have a large following to see if paid outreach can help you reach out to listeners who enjoy your music.
Before you start running ads, it’s important to establish a solid social media presence and have an idea of the platforms where your music will be most successful. You’ll also want to have some money to play around with.
Instagram and Facebook are the most popular platforms to advertise music. Both offer different options in terms of time and money investment. Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads: A Beginner’s Guide can help you determine if these platforms are right for you.
Pitch your Spotify playlists.
Spotify is the best place to begin if you’re looking to promote your music through streaming services. Spotify for Artists provides tools to improve your streaming presence and your reach in the algorithm.
If you invest the time and energy to do this, putting your song on a Spotify playlist is a great opportunity to reach new listeners.
According to your marketing goals, having your track featured on a Spotify playlist could be as valuable as a press release. It’s the same for human-curated Spotify playlists: it often comes down to timing.
Remember that Spotify’s algorithm-driven, personalized playlists like Release Radar or Discover Weekly are the main source of music discovery. These lists allow smaller independent artists to reach their niche audiences organically. Prepare well before your release if you want to be on these playlists.
