Marketing for Musicians: Sell What you Love
Do you love to sing? Think you could sell a few albums? Trust me, its not the easiest job in the world, but you know the saying: “Do what you love and you’ll never work another day in your life!”
For me, singing and producing albums is the fun part. Marketing the music takes some effort, but with my plan and supportive people to help me, its also an enjoyable task.
I’d like to share what has worked for Marcomé music. As you might know, I write, perform, produce and sell my own albums. The past ten years have been an amazing journey for me, culminating recently in the exciting release of my new hit music video and single, “Twitter Me Some Love.”
If you are just starting out, or if you want to focus your efforts to sell what you love, consider these tips. They’ll make marketing for musicians as easy as “do, re, mi!”
1. Create great music. This has to come first, of course! No matter how hard you push your songs, they have to be good, or no one will buy them!
2. Live performances. Music videos can go viral on YouTube, but the way to really get word of mouth going is to perform in front of a live audience. The excitement that can be generated from a performance at a club or other venue cannot be felt when you watch a video. It goes both ways, too! You’ll probably perform better with the energy from the crowd.
3. Be a Name Dropper. I don’t mean to tell the world who you know, but definitely say who you are! Hand out stickers and window decals. Sell T-shirts, bags and mugs with your name and image (perhaps even include a URL for your website too). Advertise your live performances with banners and don’t be shy! Don’t forget to bring CDs to your shows so that eager fans can take your music with them!
Of course, you don’t have to be performing to let the world know you are a singer-songwriter. Tell your friends, co-workers… even the barista at the local coffee bar. Don’t keep your special secret under wraps.
4. Develop a mailing list. On my website, I invite people to register and join my fan club so that they can get special offers and advance notice of new videos, songs and concerts. When you are performing, ask people to sign in at the door if they want to join your fan club. You could even put out a fish bowl to collect business cards for a drawing for a free CD. Once you have the email addresses, be sure to send them news periodically too!
5. Don’t underestimate the value of “free.” I’m not suggesting that you give away the product of your hard work. However, you may sell more albums by offering a buy 2 MP3 files, get 1 free offer. Some musicians offer CDs at a discount price, or even for free, to those that pay to attend one of their concerts. Build loyalty and a strong fan base with rewards.
6. Keep it simple. You might have many talents, but the one that you want people to focus on is your music, right? So be a musician, and a good one at that! Keep your message straightforward and simple to encourage people to listen to (and hopefully buy) your songs. Don’t forget that your message can be conveyed in many media: website, newsletters, and even social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. Find a consistent brand and message and stick to it.
7. Don’t give up! Some marketing experts claim that a potential customer needs to see or hear about a product an average of nine times before they make a purchase. Keep up your consistent marketing efforts through newsletters, fliers, a website, and social networking and it will pay off. My blog on new age music is ony about a year old, but I post at least twice a week, which has increased my readership and fan base. I’m selling more CDs as a result!
8. Direct people to a single site. When you direct people to a single site, you have a better chance of converting their visits into sales. I have many online profiles on the Internet (Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube), but they all point back to Marcome.com. That site is the primary place at which you can purchase CDs, MP3 files and gifts.
9. Encourage people to buy your music. Sure, you like to sing and perform, but let’s be honest – this is your career! You must not be shy in selling your songs. Make it easy for your fans to purchase your music on your website. Promote special deals throughout your online profiles and in your newsletters. Trust me, if they are on your website, they probably want to buy your music!
10. Be a “Numbers Person.” Your statistics can guide you in the right direction. Keep track of the people on your mailing list, how many visitors you have coming to your website, and how many CDs you sell in a given month. From there, set quarterly and annual goals to increase those figures. Think about what you could do differently and constantly have your finger on the pulse of what your competitors are doing. My friends will agree that I am constantly monitoring the statistics on my music blog and celebrate each time I reach a new benchmark!
Once you implement these marketing tips, you’ll discover that the doors in the music business will more readily open for you. Best of luck in pursuing your dreams!
If you liked this post, be sure to see Follow Your Favorite Musicians on Twitter and Twitter Magic.
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