Laying a solid career foundation as an indie artist is no simple feat. Besides a passion for writing songs and creating music, independent artists must foster a business-savvy and entrepreneurial spirit. Success or failure lies just around the corner, and that makes finding a balance between seriousness and sentiment a bare necessity. Taking yourself too seriously can lead you down the wrong path. Yet, not taking yourself seriously enough leaves you going around in circles without opportunities for growth.
The fact of the matter is, promoting yourself or your band in this day and age requires tact and skill. Never fear—we’ve compiled a list of marketing strategies for independent artists to help navigate this tricky business. You already have the upper hand in controlling how you market the music you make, so here’s how to best do so.
Table of Contents
Build Your Brand With an Up-to-Date Website
Your digital marketing efforts should always begin with a functional website that speaks of quality. A professional website is the foundation of commitment and professionalism. Artist websites aren’t always for fans per se, but rather for other industry professionals such as producers, gig organizers, talent searchers, potential collaborators, and even record labels to discover more about you.
A business website should dynamically tell your story, offer clear-cut contact information or communication methods, and be user-friendly without hiccups or navigation loopholes. You need to be easy to locate and contact if you create a certain buzz. You can even set up direct links for streaming or buying music as pragmatic instant access.
Utilize Social Media To Your Advantage
Your online presence should be relatively wide in scope and scale. Don’t stop with a mere website or single platform. You should wisely spend quality time creating social media profiles—just as much as investing in professional audio equipment for music creation. Quality counts as equally as effort. Choose popular social networking and digital marketing platforms as tools for brand building. Your music is an art, but your artistry is a brand that needs promotion.
To reach a broader audience, use social media for digital outreach, collaboration, and fan engagement. Many universal music lovers discover new artists on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and merging platforms like TikTok. Keep up with trends and utilize video features such as stories and live streams to establish and ultimately dominate your brand.
Focus on Playlists and Streaming
Gone are the days of focusing on marketing a full-length album. With the variety of streaming platforms available today, an independent artist can focus their efforts on keeping up with these trends. Sticking closely to fan demographics is key for snowballing success, and meeting your audience where they are at is the numero uno strategy. Putting your music on major streaming platforms for playlist curators and offering streaming availability is a crucial way to find new listeners, build an impression, and make the ultimate connection.
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