Advice for Artists

Whether you are a solo singer/songwriter or are a member of a five-person band, learning how to promote your band name and market to the right demographic is key to helping make your band as successful as possible. In the past, one of the main ways that artists promoted themselves was by playing gigs and getting word of mouth around.
 
However, with the continual growth of the Internet in modern times, developing a strong online presence is just as important as traditional word of mouth.
 
Any artists aspiring to hit it big will be best served by understanding and practicing a variety of marketing and self-promotion techniques. Similarly, by having an awareness of how to get your name out there, you can also recognize when your management or other associated public relations people are failing to do their jobs.
 
In this section, we provide valuable advice for artists on how to effectively promote themselves. Our articles will provide tips and strategies on how artists can reach potential new local and foreign fans with a combination of online and offline publicity.

Creating a Strong Online Presence

One of the easiest ways for artists to collect new fans is through the Internet. To create a strong online presence, artists can:
  • build unique Web sites
  • create profiles on popular networking Web sites (such as MySpace)
  • link their personal Web sites to their profiles
  • post songs or clips of songs online for users to sample
  • start fan e-mail lists that inform people of when your shows/CD releases are.
By establishing yourself online, you can target a wider audience than just your local fan base.
 
Additionally, if you are friends with other musicians who have a similar sound to yours, you may want to consider linking your Web site(s) to theirs to further extend your online reach. Effectively marketing your band and promoting your name relies, in part, on creating a strong online presence. 

Promoting Your Web site Offline

While creating a strong online presence is one of the key parts of marketing a band today, if potential fans don't know that you have a Web site, they are likely never going to visit your site, check out your music samples and become new fans. As a result, promoting your Web site offline is the best way to get people to check out your online profile and tell their friends about you.

You can promote your Web site in a number of ways, including:

  • announcing your Web site at gigs you perform
  • getting your band's domain name printed in free local magazines (Many cities have local arts and music magazines that will print a bit of info about your band for free or for a nominal price.)
  • making flyers with your band's name, logo and URL address.
Effective public relations for your band will rely, in part, on promoting your Web site offline.

Live Performance Strategies

One of the best times for bands to have an impact on new and loyal fans is at live performances, known in the music industry as gigs. However, while a good live performance can win you some new fans and good publicity, what you do offstage at gigs can be just as important, promotionally speaking.
 
For example, budding musicians who refuse to talk to their fans can alienate people, causing fans to turn on them and spread bad messages about the band. Similarly, bands that don't use the opportunity of a live show to talk about their Web site and promote future gigs are also not promoting themselves as effectively as they could be, which can also cost them fans.
 
As a result, understanding how to take advantage of live performances is key to getting the most out of them. The more thought and planning you do before a gig, the more effective your live performance strategies will be.
 
Resource
 
Online Gigs (n.d.). Booking Tips and Advice Newsletter. Retrieved December 28, 2007 from the Online Gigs Web site.