Over the years, the music landscape has witnessed a major change. Primarily, this is because the competition has grown at a rapid pace. Tens of artists make their debuts every week and the playlists keep fluctuating within short time spans. Moreover, technology has changed music promotion to a significant extent. No artist can survive and thrive unless they take the right approach to market their music.
To start with, they need to produce great music that matches the expectations of their audience. But that’s just half the work done because they need to make sure that the music reaches their fans as well. Additionally, their marketing strategy should focus on extending its popularity and reach as well. At the same time, there are some marketing mistakes that musicians need to be aware of and avoid too. Let us list these mistakes for you.
Mistake #1: Not knowing your audience
Every musician comes in a specific niche and has specific audience to target. Simply speaking, you cannot expect to create music for everyone. Not knowing your audience is, therefore, a mistake you should avoid because you will end up targeting the wrong ones and wasting your time and money. Even before you start creating a promotional strategy for your music, you need to define your audience. This will help you to create the right kind of albums that will click and also promote them appropriately.
Mistake #2: Not having a marketing plan
Another blunder that artists should avoid is to start with promotions without a well-defined and tangible plan in place. You cannot just take a haphazard approach and still expect to see results. If you are lucky, you may be able to reach your sales target but you will surely fail with your long-term branding target. Creating a marketing plan is the best way to handle things. Be meticulous while defining the goals and strategies, sketching a road map and projecting timelines and success metrics.
Mistake #3: Lacking originality
When it comes to winning the music marketing game, only original plans win. Trying to follow someone will just be a big mistake. Every musician has a unique selling proposition and you will have one too. Focus on your USP and find your own style, both while creating your music and coming up with a marketing plan. Remember that music marketing is dynamic and you need to think out of the box to stand apart and be ahead of the others. Just as with writing a song where you could take a shortcut by getting rhythm ideas from a site with beats for sale, you can look at online templates and suggestions for your marketing plans, but then don’t be afraid to unleash your creativity and go fully unconventional with your approach.
Mistake #4: Not having a website
As your audience is most likely to search for you on the internet, not having an online presence can be killing. A website, therefore, is mandatory when it comes to creating a successful music marketing plan. Besides making sure that you have a website, also check that it has the right look and feel. Essentially, it should be a replica of your music brand. Someone who lands on the website should be immediately able to associate it with you and your music. Don’t forget to add storytelling elements because they can make the website compelling for the audience.
Mistake #5: Not prioritizing branding
Another mistake that musicians should avoid is to think in terms of the number of albums they would want to sell. If you choose AMW music promotion services to handle your music marketing, you will understand why they prioritize branding over everything else. Numbers and sales figures are a short-term phenomenon. Building a brand is what really establishes you in the competitive industry and guarantees long-term success and popularity.
Mistake #6: Relying excessively on digital channels
Undoubtedly, establishing your presence across the digital channels is important. However, relying excessively on digital media is not the best thing to do. An optimal mix of offline and online tactics will just do the trick. Invest in offline marketing strategies such as radio promotions, billboard ads, music events, and press releases. At the same time, leverage online tactics such as social media promotions, music streaming, email marketing, and online contests. Consider what will work for your audience and create a mix accordingly.
Mistake #7: No video promotion
Video promotion is absolutely essential for creating a successful music marketing plan. Videos are interactive and create personal connections with the audience. So you must have a YouTube channel where you can share your music videos, album trailers, and single previews. When the audience gets a glimpse of what you have to offer, they would surely want to see more. Not only does a YouTube channel serve as a promotional platform but it can also generate additional income for you.
Mistake #8: Not leveraging Spotify
If you really want to achieve success with your music marketing plan, you cannot afford to ignore Spotify. Being present on a Spotify playlist connects you with the right audience and also gives you a branding advantage. Moreover, you can include the link to Spotify on your website for engaging the audience more effectively.
Mistake #9: Not having a consistent schedule
Whether you choose to promote offline, online or on both platforms, you cannot expect results unless you follow a consistent schedule. Consistency ensures visibility for your brand and adds a reminder value to it. The more you connect with the audience, the more popular your music will become. So you must create a promotional schedule and stick to it religiously.
Mistake #10: Not timing things right
Timing matters a lot when it comes to launching new albums and implementing marketing tactics. It is logical to have a marketing plan in action well before the release before you would need some time to create a buzz. Plan a campaign even before you start recording. The best approach would be to collaborate with a professional music marketing agency that can handle the promotions end-to-end to ensure that you have a good launchpad for your musical releases.
Avoiding these mistakes can make all the difference to the success of your music promotions and branding strategy. Therefore, it is crucial to be aware of and avoid them at all costs.
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