We hear it all the time, “Hey take a second to listen to my music, I promise it’s good.” And some of us at some time probably felt bad for the artist and shelled out $5 for some unsavory music on a blank CD just to help them out. Artist promotion comes in many forms and a successful promotion plan can help any artist or band separate themselves from the everlasting pool of sub-par musicians.
First off, remember you are an artist everywhere you go. Don’t be ashamed of your work and take advantage of the personal connections you make everyday. Let’s be realistic. Most up-and-coming artists have at least a plan B to lean on if they don’t blow up or get signed. Getting a degree or working a job is a must when trying to make it because it takes money to make money and 99% of underground artists never make it to a truly profitable situation. So when you are at work, at school or even at the gym, make sure you keep flyers or business cards with you to direct the public to your music. Free promo CDs are valuable in giving the public an immediate ear to your work. TV commercials are useful in getting your image out there, but they won’t translate to record sales unless you have the rest of your maketing plan in place. Realistically, most people who get flyers won’t actually follow-up and check out your MySpace, add you and buy your music like a true fan would so giving them a free CD is convenient and effective in getting ears for your tunes. However, make sure that you are reaching your targeted audience with your CD promos because CDs cost the most out of all the promo giveaways.
Now let’s tackle the latest phenomenon: MySpace. Nowadays, major labels don’t take “MySpace famous” artists as serious as they did when Cassie got signed off MySpace because everybody is doing it and some even resort to artificial buzz enhancers. Companies actually sell programs which increase the play count on an artist’s page which give the appearance of a successful artist. In reality, the cheating artists are only cheating themselves. This is because they aren’t getting the feedback and true fan base of a genuine artist who puts in work for his or her plays, comments, and friends. 5,000 fake plays a day and three actual comments per week don’t add up. Also, MySpace prohibits using these programs or putting your player on other pages so the risk of getting your profile deleted isn’t worth it. Also, cheating is bad for an up-and-comer because it clouds his or her perception of their buzz level plus you don’t get the satisfaction of reaching a higher level of MySpace buzz on your own. Posting bulletins, clickable comments and ads on everyone’s page is the best way to relay fans your way on MySpace. Also, updating your page with new and downloadable music every few months is a must to keep your buzz going. Once you reach a respectable level of authentic MySpace stardom, the fans will come to you. MySpace is a powerful tool to reach fans you normally wouldn’t reach by doing shows or passing out flyers and should act as a complement to the rest of your artist promotion.
Finally, in order to maximize your exposure, you must be seen by the fans! Doing free shows and passing out promotional giveaways in person always has a better connection to potential fans than a stack of flyers sitting at the door in your local record store. When people see you acknowledge them they are more likely to give your music a chance. Your goal is to hit fans from every direction because most of the time, a person who bypassed your spiel the first time will take your second approach more seriously. They say, “Ohh yeah, I’ve seen you guys before, ” and subliminally in the back of their mind they are thinking “well maybe they are good since their stuff is everywhere.” Lastly, don’t get tunnel vision and focus on one method of promotion because a balanced system which incorporates them all is the most effective way to maximize your exposure.
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1 comment:
The author speaks with authority and makes what are probably good points about the notion of promotion.
Wow, I made a rhyme.
And I can see easily that there's a great knowledge base.
In this case, the column needs to narrow down and deal with one issue in more depth.
If it's promotion, great. If it's the phenomenon of MySpace great.
But as it is, neither goes into the kind of depth that explains enough to give the reader what they might need.
'Realistically, most people who get flyers won’t actually follow-up and check out your MySpace,'
Perhaps. But because this is just the opinion of the writer - and not backed up with any data or statistics (how many people ARE buying music via MySpace), it's not as effective as it could be.
One last thing. There is music and there is music.
I suspect we are not talking Country or Lawrence Welk-style. But it needs to be said what genre is being touted, promoted and about which advice is given.
One that note, I end - with a terrible pun.
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