Do you ever wonder how artists like The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and other greats become global sensations in an age of no internet or social media? There’s no denying that their talent was a compelling force that moved entire continents but it is also true that they, in their uniqueness, did not have any real competition. A mix of great talent and some luck lifted them above other music creators and then the currents of the masses inevitably swept them away.
Fast forward to 2020, the music landscape has changed drastically. From high school kids to seventy year olds discovering their inner musicians, everyone is now sharing the music they create with an audience that is hungry for entertaining content. Competition is fierce and sitting back and hoping your music catches on is not an option. You have to always be out there, sharing your music and staying on top of all trends and making the most of them to end up in the hall of fame.
So what does it take to promote your music, reach your listeners and pursue your passion? Take a look at 5 strategies that can elevate your status in the music world in 2020.
Create a website
Your website is where your fans learn your story. Post news about successful events and upcoming gigs. Hype your new release, chronicle musical collaborations, post photos and share social media links.
Try websites like WordPress or Squarespace to get your started. Or better yet, check out Bandzoogle, a site specifically for bands.
Whatever your website strategy, strive not only to make it professional, but go for jaw-dropping, attention-grabbing and mind-blowing visual content.
Make the most of TikTok
The entire world has been swept by the TikTok storm. People are using this still-growing platform to showcase their talents from dance routines to quick recipes. As a musician, you should do exactly the same.
Set up your camera phone on a tripod, grab your musical instrument of choice and belt out a short performance to give your audience a raw sneakpeak into your music portfolio.
Design creative visual marketing content
Use visual marketing that moves your audience on all digital platforms, especially your website. Promote gigs and new releases with attention-generating graphics. Print marketing, i.e: posters and flyers, remain a tried and tested marketing method. Future fans can’t hear you jam unless they visually learn where, when or how to listen. You really need to create a marketing plan for your event.
It should be music to your ears that creating stunning marketing materials for digital and print use has never been easier with do-it-yourself, online design tools. Sites like PosterMyWall offer a bonanza of customizable templates that enable you to create professional posters, flyers, videos and social media templates. Check out these templates that you can customize for your band.
Don’t forget to incorporate photos of your events, crowd selfies, Instagram hashtags, and of course, your website address and logo in your designs.
Quick tip: Repetition is a key concept in marketing. Use a single, jaw-dropping design per event, for both your digital and print promotional materials. Simply customize a template you like on PosterMyWall and then resize it for all different platforms with a single click!
Keep those creative design juices flowing to promote your latest releases. View more templates here for inspiration.
Create unforgettable album covers
With so many new artists emerging every day, and new releases on top of that, your music needs to stand out and get noticed. There is no better way than to design an eye-grabbing album cover for your newest tracks.
You already have the tools to make this happen, easily and without breaking your budget. PosterMyWall offers professionally designed and customizable album cover templates for a variety of musical genres.
Customize a template or get ideas to design a cover that captures both the essence of your music, and the attention of your audience. Check out some album cover templates from PosterMyWall:
You’ve created eye-catching graphics and album covers. Now it’s time to crank it up a notch, with video.
Share impactful videos
MTV certainly knew what it was doing when it broadcast the first music video ever in 1981. Jump ahead to 2020 and you probably know that Youtube is the #1 source of music consumption on-line, globally.
If you’re not using video in some capacity to promote your music, you are missing a key marketing opportunity, and most likely, the chance to make it big.
Do-it-yourself online tools provide easy to use, customizable video templates. Design engaging promo videos for everything from new releases, to studio clips, to teasers for upcoming concerts. Here’s a video template you can customize for your event:
Your turn!
There is tough competition out there and you have to remain as consistent in marketing your music as in creating it in order to keep your audience engaged. But the good news is that there are dynamic tools available to help you create powerful print and video promotional materials easily, quickly and affordably, and popular platforms to distribute these materials. Make the most of your marketing opportunities and who knows, you may stand out and take the world by storm!
