Marketing your Band

If you are in a brand new band that are desperate to get attention from potential fans and industry experts, it’s not just the music that you have to think about. Marketing is a huge part of building a following for any new band, regardless of how good you are. Fortunately, the digital age of the 21st century means that it is easier than ever to get yourselves in front of your target demographic.

Here are a few creative ways your band can use multimedia to build a fan-base from the outset and get those gigs sold out:

Facebook fan page

As the world’s most popular social media network, Facebook should be your first port of call when looking to grow your band’s fan base. Interestingly enough, using Facebook fan pages you’ll be able to target users that currently ‘like’ the similar kinds of bands in your genre. It’s also a great opportunity to interact directly with followers, ensuring they feel truly involved in your success and growth as a band.

SoundCloud

An increasingly popular method for musicians to get their music heard is to upload their music online to be streamed and shared via SoundCloud. Music files are stored in the cloud, allowing fans to stream them as many times as they want. It’s a great way to get people to listen to your music before they even visit you at one of your gigs!

CD printing

To really make your albums and EP’s stand out from the crowd you could consider using a CD printer to print a unique branded design on each CD. For instance, your band may have a logo or signage that could be used to help fans distinguish your work. Many services will offer high-quality inkjet printing so you can be sure it won’t look tacky.

Email newsletters

It is increasingly important for new bands looking to build a following to have a mailing list. Wherever you perform always have an email sign-up list handy. You’ll be able to impress loyal fans with exclusive content; whether it’s video, songs or images, they are guaranteed to feel special. You could even try and get their birthdays when you take their email addresses and send out bespoke emails to fans on their birthday with content just for them!

Free downloads

As a new act, giving music away is another useful way to create a digital ‘buzz’. You may wish to tease your new EP or album by giving away a free track a few weeks before its official release. Be sure to pay attention to how your popularity grows, however. As it does begin to snowball you’ll be able to give away less and start selling your music at affordable prices to the followers you’ve hooked in from your online marketing techniques.

Be sure to study your fans and understand what they like; whether it’s the clothes they wear or their haircuts, you’ll be better placed to incentivise followers with fantastic content that’s relevant to them.