Vol 1, Issue. 10
Let’s be honest; if nobody knows about it, the hard work you put into your new album means nothing. It’s true, marketing is the key to success for any record, and no amount of “real-talk” is going to place your tracks in front of an audience. If you are an independent artist, this point is especially true, for few musicians have a decent following at the start of their career.
But what does this mean for marketing a release?
Dope-Wrld Mixtape - DopeAMean (feat. Juice World)It means you need to start early and build hype before the album drops. More specifically, you’ve got to use creative strategies that make your target audience stand up and take note.The Importance of Creative Strategies and Marketing a Release
Creative strategies are essential, but most especially for an independent artist. In case you might be asking yourself, this is because an innovative approach doesn’t have to be expensive. Many of the best strategies are the result of guerrilla marketing. Now, while we work with unsigned artists, we can still look to the mainstream for inspiration:
For example, Kanye used one of his fashion shows to release “Life of Pablo,” while Snoop uses his cooking show with Martha Stewart to promote new tracks. Also, do you remember how Chance the Rapper got his name out there? As part of a guerrilla marketing campaign, he asked fans to buy $10-posters and put them up in their local neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
Anyway, the point is, creative marketing is necessary for the success of any album. What’s more, independent artists can promote collections without spending a fortune in the process. And what else should you know about marketing a release as an independent musician? Let’s look at some simple yet effective strategies for selling a release:
5 Straightforward Strategies for Marketing a Release
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels1. Networking and Connecting Remember all those rap artists that made the big time because their tracks were used on NBA Live? Precisely the same thing is happening with influencers on social media.
You see, many influencers out there have thousands of followers and millions of views every month. Some of these vloggers also have your target market and an opportunity to introduce them to your new album. As if that’s not enough, that content is there forever and will act as an advertisement for your album, and you just never know who might stumble upon it one day.
2. Having a Marketing Plan (and PR Team)
Listen: There’s just no way to succeed without a marketing plan. You can put this together by yourself or hire a marketer/promoter so that you can focus on the music.
Either way, you’ve got to have a plan and someone that knows how to get your album out there. Whether this means getting your tracks on a local radio station or directly to online users, this plan will increase exposure and reduce the possibility of failure.
3. Promoting on Social Media Social media is one of the most important factors when it comes to marketing a release. If you do not have a popular following, these accounts can still be used to promote content and songs. Also, a savvy marketer will know how to engage with your target market and start creating more awareness for the album launch. Just so you know, music promotes, and radio stations still look at social numbers for credibility.
4. Organizing a Music Release Event
While a live venue is sometimes best for a music release, you can often find just as much traction from an online show. In fact, for a live venue, you have lots to organize, but online music release events need very little when it comes to preparation. And if nobody shows up online? You’re not out-of-pocket and free to organize a second show.
Photo by Startup Stock Photos from Pexels5. Staying True and Thinking Long Term Marketing a release takes time. However, you also need to understand that short-term thinking is rarely a good idea. That is, when you focus on short term cash, something always suffers. For independent musicians, that might mean you align with some company, artist, or event even when you don’t entirely approve of that company, artist or event.
You might think that any attention is proper attention in these early stages, but the market never forgets. After all, we all remember that unfortunate verse that Kendrick Lamar performed for Maroon 5. And this is especially important for rappers that take pride in speaking their truth.
Moral of the story? Think long term and remember that it’s not just important what you do, but also what you avoid when marketing a release.
Final Thoughts
The truth is, you don’t need a record label to market a release successfully. With the online world and connections, you can spread the word quickly and initiate creative campaigns that demand attention. And when it comes to the long term, stay pride in your truth and use a clear marketing plan that will communicate this truth to the masses.
By the way, we use digital strategies to help independent artists navigate their way through the music industry. Need some help? Get in touch!
My name is Josephis K. Wade a.k.a. DopeAMean. Thank you not only for the time you've spent learning more about ETD Newsroom but also for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. I'm a Jack-of-all-trades, so do give me time in-between uploads. One of my biggest goals is to provide high-quality content that is progressive, unbiased, and informative.
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