How Indie Bands Fail At Social Media Marketing And Lose Potential Fans

In an Indie Band? Chances are, if you are, and a lot of people are (which has saturated the market to the brim), you are marketing your band to potential fans on Facebook, MySpace, Reverbnation, Twitter, and a host of other websites.

Chances also are that you are unknowingly spamming thousands of people and turning people away from your band rather than turning them on to your band. It's not your fault. Everyone is doing it. However, if we want to turn this around we need to get classy rather than feed this intensive devaluation of independent music.

First off, it should be apparent by now that spamming is not the way to gain new fans. You all know it to be true on some level. It's just that we don't want it to be true. We want to believe that it's possible to sit in front of our computers, put the time in, and earn our band the respect it deserves. This is a half truth. We can definitely build our band's profile and gain new fans by putting in time marketing online, but it needs to be done the smart way.

I recently set up a Facebook page, and I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of spam sent to me by independent musicians. Right now I have over 500 messages in my inbox, and I can guarantee you that none of them are actual genuine, personalized messages. I never asked to be on any of these mailing lists. Any artist who promotes this way is pretty clearly saying that they would rather send the press an email such as "Hey! Check us out!" than actually ask respectfully and provide the necessary information with some class and professionalism. That's not to say you can't use templates. By all means, use a template. You don't want to have to type every email from scratch. But at least make the emails individual. If you are contacting a music blog, make sure you are messaging them in a way that is respectful and personalized. Include all the necessary information on your band such as album download links, bio, and website information.

What most bands don't realize is that the general public loses respect for them when they spam. You will gain much more success if you put the same amount of time into properly marketing your band. People are on information overload. First, print advertising became devalued because of the upsurge of social media advertising, advertising through word of mouth digitally and so on. Now the print industry as a whole is suffering. Then social media was embraced as the holy grail, but as it turns out (and this is a point indie bands need to be aware of), OTHER PEOPLE need to do the talking for this to work. This means that when you talk yourself up or send mass emails about yourself (unless it is on a proper mailing list), it has a reverse effect. OTHER PEOPLE need to talk about your band.

What kind of other people? Anyone. But preferably not your Mom.

Ideally, the music blogs should be talking about your band. Podcasts should be talking about your band. Music websites and magazines should be talking about your band. Online music communities should be posting your mp3's. The sad thing about our predicament today is that most indie bands don't market themselves to music blogs or podcasts or any of these places. They just throw their music at the general social media wall to see if it will stick somewhere. This just doesn't work, folks.

Yes, you should have a Facebook page, and there are a ton of ways to promote it. You can sign in as the page and respond to comments, give rewards to facebook page members, offer contests and sweepstakes via applications such as Wildfire, set up a targeted Facebook advertising campaign, join and comment on other Facebook pages, and post your music and videos when appropriate. Use widgets and video to promote yourself and encourage others to do the same. Your page should grow organically. Always include it as part of your email signature.

Should you have a MySpace page? Yes, but it's debatable at this point. Set it up professionally but don't spend much time on it.

You market yourself for the love of your music. You believe that people should hear it. Then show it the proper respect. When was the last time you heard someone describing how they found out about a new band, and they said "Yeah, I got this email from them saying 'Please! Download our album for free!' and I was hooked!" It doesn't happen that way. So show your music the proper respect and push your music behind the scenes. Get other people talking about you.

James Moore is a Canadian music consultant who advocates taking control of your own music career by marketing your music online. He is the author of the popular music marketing guide "Your Band Is A Virus - Behind-the-Scenes and Viral Marketing for The Independent Musician". For more information please visit http://www.yourbandisavirus.com/.

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What Can Independent Musicians Learn From Lady Gaga's Controversial Marketing Techniques?

Indie bands - What can we learn from the marketing techniques employed by one of the world's biggest pop stars, Lady Gaga? If at this point you're saying "She's a sellout" or "I hate pop music" you've quite possibly closed the doors available to you and sorely missed out. Let's also forget the obvious point that Gaga has millions of followers anticipating her every move. I plan to use this individual simply as a conversation starter on the topics of controversy and originality, which are becoming ever-more important in today's music industry.

While so many independent bands are still wasting their precious time spamming potential fans on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and Reverbnation, while in the process repelling any potential of success, artists like Lady Gaga are focusing on a much overlooked aspect of music marketing: controversy. Whether you think her recent single "Judas" is a catchy tune or you think she is the spawn of Satan sent to destroy our children is wholly irrelevant. They would both fall under the opinion category. The point at the end of the day when it comes to promoting music is - does it work? If you can approach this topic with some neutrality and genuine inspiration then you may be in a position to start planning your hype machine.

It doesn't matter whether you are a pop music fan or not, or whether you agree with what Lady Gaga is doing. It works. These days, if you strike where the iron is hot, it can really pay back in spades. Now that anyone, for better or worse, can upload media on innumerable websites such as YouTube and Vimeo, anyone is a prospect for a strong reaction. Guess what people did to protest the release of "Judas"? They posted videos to YouTube. They wrote blogs. They made their opinions known online. Guess who this helped? Since the people expressing their opinions have no pre-planned way of capitalizing on them(such as printing t-shirts, for example), this solely feeds the Gaga machine.

Granted, these tactics work much better when you have millions of people anticipating your record. If you go back to the drawing board, though, and come up with a strong idea that resonates with an aspect of humanity, you can start a conversation. Conversations get started when something is OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. I'd advise any independent musician to scour their material and see if there is anything genuinely controversial (not necessarily shocking. Will it start conversations?) or if it could be easily dismissed.

Keep in mind that many topics you may think are shocking typically are not. Take the metal genre, for example, which has in some ways become a parody of itself, with thousands of releases annually exploring the anti-Christian agenda. They are certainly projecting something, but no one pays much attention, and for good reason. The topics and arguments are perceived by many as tired and boring. Now, if you were a Satanic electro-pop duo with an image to match, you may just have a potent idea brewing. Here's the point. If you are simply towing the line for your particular scene, you're not shocking. Why not introduce ideas where they are not typically welcome?

"Towing the line" for your scene would mean sitting in full agreement with it's chosen philosophy. It's the reason you sometimes feel like you've stepped into a cult meeting when you go to a local show. This can work well for the teenage post-hardcore band selling t-shirts in the school gymnasium, but with such an oversaturated music market, it's important for genuine artists to put effort into individualizing themselves as much as possible. Sometimes this means saying goodbye to the expectations and comforts associated with bands of your type.

This is not to say that if you are a folk band that plays pleasant music about the good old days, you should automatically start writing a concept album inspired by Zeitgeist 3. Play what fits. But guys, open your minds and stop spamming people on social media networks such as Facebook and Reverbnation. Studies have shown this to be grossly ineffective. You're going to need real press to gain footing in the industry. If you're creative, which you should be, there are many ways custom fit to your band to get people talking.

The bands who are getting attention on the music blogs these days have a one of a kind image. They are not the hardcore bands talking about perseverance or the punk bands with leftist leanings. For better or worse, there is no one else like them.

Ask yourself - are you truly an original in every way or are you kissing up to your genre elites in hopes of being accepted and getting coverage?

James Moore is a Canadian music consultant and author of the popular music marketing book "Your Band Is A Virus! Behind-the-Scenes and Viral Marketing for the Independent Musician". For more information please visit http://www.yourbandisavirus.com/.

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Marketing Yourself As an Artist

The music industry is not what it used to be. There are so many artists out there now that it can get a little frustrating trying to stand out as an individual. But all hope is not lost because today there are many different ways to market yourself as an independent artist. Making yourself stand out is important if you want to reach a certain level of success in the music industry. Here are a few tips on how to get out there on your own.

The internet is probably one of the best platforms to start marketing yourself. You can literally reach out to millions of people around the world. Online promotion is one of many great ways to make your presence known worldwide. Your goal as an independent artist is to find different ways to build relationships with people and other artists on a large scale without the help of a major record label. You can do this by joining several social media websites such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Use these websites to promote your music, stay in contact with your supporters, build relationships, and much more. The opportunities are endless. Remember to stay patient when first joining these type of sites because things will most likely start off slow. But as long as you stay active, you will eventually start to see changes.

Rap forums and communities such as Soundclick, Reverb Nation, and Real Rap Talk are great for networking and establishing relationships with other artists and even producers. You can also use these forums to generate feedback from other people. Although constructive criticism is not needed for some artists, it can still be helpful in some cases.

Another important thing to remember is DO NOT spam other peoples' pages. Even though it may seem like an easy and quick way to get yourself out there, spamming will get you nowhere. It will actually do more damage to your reputation because a lot people find spam to be very annoying and unprofessional.

Even though the internet is a great tool for marketing yourself, don't use it as the only way to promote your music. If you live in a city that has a good local scene, then you should try to get involved with it much as you can. Attend concerts/performances, album release parties, and other social gatherings as often as possible so that you can network with others. While attending these events always have professional looking CDs, fliers, and/or business cards in hand. You never know who you will run into at these types of events. Getting involved in community service is another great way to build up your reputation. But don't just do it for the sole purpose of getting your music out. Do it because you actually care. Giving back should be a very important part of any artists' career.

I hope that I was able to help you see a few ways to get things going on your own. These are just some of the ways that you can market your own music. Always take the time out to find more ways and new strategies to promote yourself. You should never get too comfortable. I wish you the best of luck in your music career and all your future endeavors.

For quality rap beats, visit http://www.c4beatz.com/.

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Marketing Your Music Is Key To Your Success In The Music Business

What's So Different About the Music Business?

The music business isn't very different from the retail stores you buy your gear from. The minute you open your mind to this reality... the easier it's going to be for you to market your music more effectively.

So why is that? What is it that keeps your local music store operational for 20 years or more? What are they doing to succeed that you're not? More importantly... how can you start applying some of their success techniques to your music business?

Let's face it. The music business is probably one of the most difficult industry's to find any kind of success in. I mean, you've got to gig and travel and then there's your online presence with social networking and updating your website regularly. So when do you have time to think about marketing?

Therein lies the problem.

Most musicians that I consult with, simply aren't thinking about marketing their music at all. Can you believe it? Do you think the music store in town would survive without some type of marketing system in place? I think not... and if you're thinking that all those packages you sent out to everyone on that list or that bible book you just bought is going to score you some new business... guess again.

The reality is that in order for you to succeed in this business you need to be out in the "real world" building a loyal following of new fans. At the same time, you need to be in touch with your existing fan base on a regular basis to ensure they're happy with you. Yes... happy with you.

The Build It and They Will Come Approach Doesn't Work

If you're like most bands and musicians nowadays, you're assuming that the fans who came out to your gig last week are naturally going to show up to your next gig just because you email blast them. You did get their email address the last time they came out to your show right?

It's unfortunate, but this is the mentality that a lot of bands are walking around with and it's this same apathetic approach to dealing with your fans (customers) that's losing you a ton of money. So why do I say that?

Be a Giver. Your Music Fans Love It When You Share

Well let's look at it like this... let's say that rockin' band you went out to see last week offered you a freebie just because you showed up to see them play. Maybe they gave you a digital card for a few free song downloads or heck, maybe they splurged a little and handed you a free CD when you gave them your email address.

And let's say that a few days after their show, they sent you an email telling you how great they thought you were for showing up to their gig and that as a thank you, they were offering you insiders access to the VIP section of their band website where you could log in and see some of their cool videos they shot as they recorded their last album.

Now if that isn't cool enough... what if they offered you a signed poster and their latest album free, if you came out to their next gig... but this time you brought a friend with you?

Wow! That's customer service. And that's follow up at it's best!

Sure you might lose a little money by giving away some of your music, and the cost of CD's isn't something to scoff at nowadays, but what if that fan thought you were so cool, they brought 3 new fans instead of just the one. What would that mean to your FUTURE sales?

This is how the retail music stores do it. They entice you back to their store with seminars, music clinics, coupons and cool stuff that you're into. They build a long-term relationship with you. This is what you need to start thinking about when you communicate with your fans. This is where the real money comes from. The relationship.

Loyalty Pays The Bills

Loyal fans who love you so much they rave about all the cool stuff you do for them and bring their friends out with them to see you. And when they do... don't drop the ball. Start the process all over again with your new fan and watch your music business grow in some big ways.

When you get these techniques down into a system, you'll be on your way to being a music marketing machine but if this isn't enough for you and you want even more ideas on how you can outshine most of today's indie musicians, head on over to Mass Music Marketing and hear it from over 8 music business experts as they tell it like it is and leave no marketing stones unturned. It's like being a fly on the wall as they reveal their closely guarded secrets on what they, as music industry insiders, think it takes to succeed in today's new music business.

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Mobile Marketing Can Level the Playing Field in the Music Industry

Some people who dare to dream or aspire to be great balk when I present the idea of Mobile Marketing to them. My question is why? Why wouldn't someone want a more rounded approach to marketing themselves? The idea is to get your name out there to as many people as possible. I like to use the term, covering all your bases. In this case it would be utilizing all the media tools available for you to use. If you are not using all of them to some degree, you are missing out on building a larger and more adoring fan base.

One question that I often get asked is, Why would I want to pay for a service like Text Marketing when Facebook and Twitter are free? You can't beat free advertising right? Well, Mobile Marketing is not designed to compete with Facebook and Twitter. It is a tool to be used in addition to them. It's a tool to be integrated into a complete marketing program designed to maximize your exposure to the greatest amount of people possible. That's how you become a star. That's how you make sure people are talking about you. Once they're talking about you and thinking about you, your goal is to make sure they never stop!

Let me add that contrary to what many believe, not everyone is crazy, active, or savvy about Facebook or Twitter. You have to literally reach out to the others. Market and build your empire and they will come.

Text Message marketing is not just for the big record labels, or the big time artist management teams. Text marketing is not expensive to the aspiring artist either. All major superstars incorporate Mobile Marketing, Twitter, and Facebook. Some additional examples of marketing tools are Radio advertising, Print ads like in Newspapers, or magazines, even Flyers and I'm telling you, all the superstars are using each of these marketing and advertising tools more or less in an overall approach to keep their names fresh on the minds of their fans. I'm telling you, it is wise to incorporate some form of each tool into an overall marketing campaign.

Personalities like Rihanna, and Beyonce use it. Many rock bands use text marketing with great success too. The main point I want to make here are that each of these artists use an overall marketing approach and you can do it to. Of course they do it on another level but remember, a snowball doesn't automatically start out large when it begins to roll. It becomes bigger and bigger as it's moving along and as you grow in popularity, you will also be advancing to another level as you're moving along. Got it?

For some eye popping statistics on Mobile Marketing and ideas on how Mobile Marketing can be integrated into a complete Marketing campaign visit my blog http://www.mobile4boom.blogspot.com/

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