I speak with upcoming artistes everyday and I can tell you that one topic that takes precedence in those conversations is MUSIC PROMOTION, and how to go about it on a low budget.
It’s going to take genuine love to be a successful artist because most upcoming artistes do not have money. In the first stages of your career, you are the promoter and the manager, and you will need to find out what budget will be enough to create a buzz around you and your music.
It is necessary to come up with effective and low-cost methods of artiste promotion, so check out some examples of how to get the most results out of your limited resources.
Do Something Every Day
You can’t promote your music effectively by doing it every once in a while, when you happen to find time to squeeze it in. Too many artistes think about self-promotion in terms of the big media buzz. They use terms like “push” and “hype” and believe that one big wave of promotion will launch a music buzz that will somehow continue without any further effort from them. Sorry, but that isn't the way a successful music career works. Stop thinking about the Big Push and start getting in tune with the idea of small self-promotion activities engaged in on a daily basis.
Every day, do something to promote your music. Send a review copy of your CD to a new media source. Talk to another artist about a cross-promotion idea. Post something interesting to your social media profiles. Whatever you do, make sure u do something that will move your career forward everyday!
Be Consistent
Your self-promotion efforts are in competition not only with other musical acts of all types, but with all forms of media – radio, TV, Internet, print magazines, and bla bla bla! So People will need to hear your message repeatedly before it’ll even begin to sink in.
Without consistency in your promo efforts, Your identity will become vague, causing fans to turn their attention to matters they can more easily get a handle on.
Make good use of a Brand Identity Statement (BIS), which is a short sentence or motto that clearly describes who you are, what you play, and why people should care. Creating a BIS forces you to define your musical image. And once you have that locked down, all your promotional materials must reflect that image.
Your continuous presence on your social media page also matters. You can’t afford to be going on and off. Posting when you feel like, if you do that your audience will lose confidence in you and they will follow whatever brand is being consistently pushed in their faces.
Print a Business Card
Business cards are very effective when it comes to marketing. Business cards are not easily thrown away like flyers because most people put them in their pockets. Business cards are very useful when making contacts. There are people you will meet that will not have time to sit and talk to you. But handing them your card gives you leverage because they will keep it and find you when they need you.
Use the internet judiciously
The Internet is one of the best ways to Promote Your Music on a Low Budget! With FaceBook.com, MySpace.com, reverbnation.com, iwantairplay.com, jukeboxalive.com, and all the other social networking sites out there, distributing your song online is not so hard. Take advantage of social networking and connect with music bloggers too. Even if some might charge you a minimal fee, your music online is an opportunity for you to reach a wider audience.
Last word: If you don't know anything about new media or how people communicate these days, none of this will work. So make sure you educate yourself, every opportunity you get.
I hope this article helps! Goodluck!
