Promoting Your Music & Getting Fans
As a vocalist, you have worked extremely hard to perfect your craft. You have put in hours at the studio and have left it all on the stage during your performances. Naturally, the next logical step is to acquire a fan base and get your music to a larger audience. To do this, you are going to want to promote your music. Promoting your work you have worked so hard on is a natural step in the process but unfortunately, it can be a bit tricky but no reward comes without hard work.Try out some of our tips below while you begin promoting your stuff:
Be Ready
Are you ready? - The first and most important step in the process is making sure you are ready to share your music. Promoting music that sounds more like a rough draft, probably won't get the best reviews and this can make it hard to bounce back from. Promoting and reputation management go hand-in-hand. We suggest getting feedback from artists or professionals in the industry. Producers and engineers at your recording studio are a great source for feedback.
Get Your Materials Together
Promotional materials - Start early by having promotional materials produced for distribution. We recommend having these items made professionally at a production company or hiring a freelance graphic design artist to create them for you. Send these promo materials out early and send them often.
Establish A Social Media Presence
Social media and electronic materials - Get a viral buzz going by promoting via social media. This is a great source to help spread the word whether it's through Twitter, Facebook, your personal website or a newsletter. The best part is, it doesn't cost anything! Your dedicated fans will re-tweet, share and help promote for you.
Take Advantage of Online Music Platforms
Free listening - There are many websites that offer free listening to its users. Seek out any and every one of these sites and get your music out there. Youtube, Soundcloud, Myspace... there are tons of ways to get your stuff to the masses.
Swag
Free Swag - Consider giving away various items at your events, for signing up for a newsletter or for purchasing an LP. Fans love free stuff, even if it's just a beer coozie! If merchandise isn't in your budget right away, then offer free tickets to a show or a free mp3. If you don't want to go the route of free swag, get some t-shirts designed and sell them to fans. It's free advertising for you, and your friends will have another valuable band tee.
Play Everywhere
Everywhere and anywhere you get the chance to get in front of a crowd, do it. Take advantage of every opportunity to be heard. With that being said, also pay attention to the potential crowd you'll be serving. A country singer most likely wont find a lot of loyal fans while performing at the corner strip club. Be prepared for your crowd ahead of time.