Music Marketing Basics: Tips You Should Know

Marketing is challenging in every field, and the music industry is no exception. The best way to find success to start with the basics for creating a successful cross-platform marketing strategy. And Mirada Media has got you covered. If your music is good and you’re up for putting in some time in effort, our tips can take you to the next level! Let's take a look at what it takes to build a detailed music marketing cheat sheet.

1. Define Your Target Market

The first step in every marketing strategy is to figure out who you’re marketing to. Your audience is the key to your success, so it’s essential that you get to know them well. Find out which social media sites your fans frequent. Ask yourself what other groups and content do they engage with?

You should know the age, gender, and location of your target market. These factors will help you tailor your messaging to things they will relate to and get them excited. The more you learn about them, the easier it will be for you to connect with them on an emotional level and build that essential trust. 

2. Create Your Own Opportunities

The days of waiting for anyone to "discover" you are gone, and they have been for quite some time. Taking the initiative to meet people, book shows, record albums, and execute creative marketing strategies are all necessary. What if no one notices you? No worries, you’ve discovered yourself! You validate your own worth. Start by thinking of your work as deserving of publicity and present yourself that way to the world.

You must build win-win situations when reaching out to others. You must also have the raw materials for others to work with. It’s unrealistic to expect bloggers or festival organizers to do all of the work for you. Your reputation hinges on your ability to follow up and complete tasks.

3. Prioritize Long-Term Goals

 Building a career as an artist is a marathon, not a sprint. Consider this: are you taking steps that will give you immediate satisfaction, or are you ensuring that each move you make has the future in mind?

At the end of the day, it’s the long-term success that you want. That might mean you have to wait until your songwriting skills are up to par before launching a major album. Despite your excitement, a more casual approach may be more appropriate for your fans as opposed to relying on spam marketing tactics. Take the time to grow a genuine fan base that will build organically and stay with you as your career takes off. 

4. Make a Financial Plan

Your marketing campaigns, like every other industry, require time and resources to develop and produce results. As a result, allocate the appropriate budget to each aspect of your action plan so that you know exactly how much it will cost. That way, you'll be prepared and even able to deal with any unexpected expenses that arise. 

Start with an overall budget for your business and decide how much of that you can use for marketing. You’ll need to consider things like graphic design (everyone needs a logo), email marketing services, website management, and anyone you’ll need to hire for help. Will you be running your social media accounts? Can you build your website? These are all things that you need to work into your marketing budget. Remember, any time you spend marketing is time not spent making music.

5. Build a Website

Everyone and their mother have a social media account. So, the best way to set yourself apart is by building a website. A social following is important, but so many social platforms are fleeting. Remember the days of Myspace? A website gives you the ability to establish yourself online in a way that you can control.

Don’t worry if you’re not a coding genius. There are plenty of website-building platforms that are as easy as choosing a template and inputting your content. Consider paying for a domain. It lends authority when your website is ‘yourbandname.com’ instead of ‘yourbandname.blogspot.com.’ Plus, it allows you to create a custom email address.

6. Track the Data

Data is crucial, and you need to pay close attention to it. Let’s say you've been marketing your album for six months. Facebook statistics show that your audience is 76% female from Brazil, but you thought you were making music for Canadian men.

Data like that suggests that it’s time to make a change in your music marketing strategy. Either alter your marketing to target men in Canada or embrace your Brazilian female audience! Other data you’ll want to pay attention to is what posts get the most engagement on your social accounts, open rates for your email marketing, and pageviews on your website.

7. Take Advantage of Email Marketing

Most musicians and producers avoid email marketing because they believe it is an outdated method, but it’s a great way to reach people who want to hear from you. These people are your email list, and a curated email list is as good as pure gold for an independent musician. These are people who have willingly offered their email because they are interested in your brand and want more information on what you have to offer.

 Make sure the email campaigns you build and send add value to their lives. You want your audience to be happy to see your name in their inbox and not annoyed and feel like you’re pestering them. You can use these email campaigns to make announcements, draw attention to blog posts, and highlight trends in the industry.

8. Keep Making Music

Now that you have a marketing strategy figured out, make sure you have something to market! The music industry is a living thing. It’s ruled by ever-changing music trends and evolving society. As part of that industry, you need to stay up to date and continue evolving too.

One album is great, but you can’t stop there. You need to grow and develop as the world does. As your fan base grows, they will expect new content regularly. Don’t leave them hanging! Dedicated fans are in it for the long haul, and isn’t that every artist’s dream?

Mirada Media

Marketing is a challenging skill to master, especially if you’re an independent musician journeying into the world of music marketing for the first time. We hope that our essential music marketing tips give you confidence and the tools to start promoting your sound. Another thing to consider when marketing your music is protecting your music, and Mirada Media can help. With our SecureMedia API, you and many others in the entertainment industry can breathe easy, knowing your media is encrypted and protected from premature releases and more.

To learn more about how SecureMedia works and our other services for independent musicians, contact us today!