Promote Your Music Effectively: Part II

5. Become a Brand.

Use your name and possibly a memorable logo and put it on everything - stickers, patches, lighters, key chains, bottle openers, flyers, posters, pretty much anything - and pass the stuff out. Pass them out at clubs; leave them on record shop, head shop, book shop, or clothing shop counters; put up posters anywhere you can get away with it. Your name will become familiar to people even if they haven't heard your music yet. Once they see an ad for a show you're playing, they'll be curious, thinking, "Hey, I know that name...I wonder what these guys are all about..." Then, at the show they can buy t-shirts, hoodies, messenger bags, etc. with your name all over it.

6. Give it Away!

Oh, how I love the Chili Peppers. Ah, but I digress...A great way to get people's attention is with free stuff - especially free stuff of value. Reward your fans and gain new ones by giving them freebies. 

• Give away a free song download to anyone who signs up on your mailing list.
• Offer a free t-shirt to active members of your street team.
• Hold fun fan contests with prizes like autographed CDs, 2 free tickets to the next show, or something as simple as a feature and shout-out on your blog.
• When you have industry people in attendance, leave a tab open at the bar and hand out drink coupons to the people who have come to check you out.
  

7. Create a Contacts Database.

And use it! As you're out there promoting your stuff, you're inevitably going to meet people. Some of these people will be fans, some will be industry folks. Cherish them both. Keep a database for both groups. Anyone you meet gets entered into the database, no matter how brief of a connection was made. These people will be the ones you call for your next promotional campaign, whether it's playing a big show or unveiling your new video, you never know when one of these people could give you the support that you need. 

8. Appeal to the Senses.

Yup, you read that right. Appeal to as many senses as you can. The more you do it, the more you'll be remembered. Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, described it like this:

BEST: A live show with you sweating right on top of someone, the PA system pounding their chest, the smell of the smoky club, the flashing lights and a live-in-person performance.

WORST: An email. A single web page. A review in a magazine with no photo.

When you read those two descriptions, do you notice the difference? Yeah, appealing to the senses works.  You can feel it, just by reading it. here are some ideas: 

• Have a great promo shot and convince every reviewer to post that picture alongside the review of your album. 
• Get people to hear your music instead of just hear about your music - these days there a number of online radio stations that play unsigned bands. Get in rotation on some of them!
  
• Include videos with your Press Kits or EPKs.
• Get onto any TV show - there are tons of online shows featuring indie artists. Get on some of them!
• Scent your album with patchouli oil (Hey, it worked for Madonna)
• Play live shows often so people can get the full experience - Hear, See, Feel, Smell, Taste

Start small. Don't get all overwhelmed on me now. Identify your Point A - where you're at, and identify your Point B - where you want to be. Chart the course between the two using the guidelines provided. Get in cahoots with other musicians on the same journey; it's a lot easier with support. Talk to people a few steps ahead of you; find out what worked and what didn't. 

Most importantly, stay committed to your goals. Stay committed to yourself. Don't get discouraged when you hear a "no". It just means you're one "no" closer to a yes. Relax, and take a deep breath...it's gonna' be alright.

Promote Your Music Effectively: Part I

As an independent musician, it is completely up to you to market your music. The skills of successful self-promoters are simpler than they seem and can be developed over time with hard work and dedication. The biggest obstacle indie musicians face is their own doubt. It usually sounds something like, "I don't know how".

Now is your chance to get in the know and get your music the recognition it deserves. The following steps will start you off on the right foot, but don't forget - it's up to you to stay on the path!

1. Set Clear Goals

It amazes me how often this crucial step is skipped. When you're starting out, promoting your music can seem overwhelming - there are so many options, so many different ways to do it that it can be difficult to pick a place to start. Don't attempt to cover too much ground at once. Start by selecting one aspect of your music to promote. Maybe it's your new single, the revamped website, or an upcoming tour. Just pick one.

Once you've decided what it is you want to promote, set a specific goal following the SMART technique:

S - Specific. A specific goal would sound something like "Have 100,000 plays on our myspace page by October 1st, 2008." The clearer you are, the better.

M - Measureable. You want to know whether or not you've accomplised the task at hand so that you can repeat your formula for success or do something different next time.

A - Attainable. Set yourself up to win. If you are unsigned, playing the halftime show at the Superbowl is unattainable.

R - Risky. Set a goal that gets your knees knocking. Successful musicians take risks to get noticed and get their music into the hands of the right people.

T - Timeframe. Set an end date for your goal. 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days are usually appropriate.

2. Find Your Niche

NEWSFLASH: You're not the only indie artist trying to get noticed. Identify what's unique about your act and capitalize on it. This will also determine the audience you'll be targeting, your specialized market. Kiss practically defined the shock rock niche with theatrical stage shows and crazy costumes. Artists like The Plasmatics, Marilyn Manson, and Slipknot have since followed suit.

3. Target the Right Market

Identify the right audience for your campaign. If you have a big gig coming up in New Mexico, then you'll want to get your name out to New Mexico-locals by promoting yourself through local publications, radio stations, and similar bands in the NM music scene. The same goes for promoting a new single or CD. If you're a hip-hop artist, there's no need to take out an ad in a Folk music magazine. Trust me, they're not going to be magically converted from Folk to Hip-Hop just becasue they saw your ad. Don't waste time and money by promoting to audiences who aren't interested.

4. Create a Press Kit

You'll need the proper tools to self-promote you music. One of the most effective tools for everything from booking to publicity to publishing to getting a record deal is the Press Kit. Items to include are:

Press release - your reason for sending the Press Kit

One page band bio

One to three pages of press

A CD

A color photo

Your contact info easily visible on EVERYTHING

For a more in-depth list of what to include in your Press Kit, visit IndieRoadWarriors.Blogspot.com

Check back tomorrow for Part II of "Promote Your Music Effectively".