We all know that it is not enough to simply record great music and be very talented at what we play. We must actually get people to listen to it. Having up-to-date social media sites and websites is a good thing. But there are a few things that some musicians might not think about when growing a fan base. These things are incredibly important in your beginning stages and onwards.
Reply to your fans immediately
If you have a Facebook page and a fan writes his or her question on the wall of the fan page, respond to it ASAP. These are your fans, and they will make you. You want to keep in touch with your fans, and you want loyal followers. When other people see loyal followers, they will care, and they will follow you.
Get great live gigs
There is no substitute for marketing in person. You gain momentum when people see you perform. Try to perform in the highest profile venues you possibly can. You get there by being incredibly talented and making use of your network. Talk to people and see what you can do to perform before or after a well-known musician. This helps to introduce you in the best possible light.
Build your reputation from where you are
The ultimate goal for most is to be signed by a record label. They generally provide you the most help you could possibly ask for in a music career. But they aren’t going to take a chance on you, unless they see some promise when you perform regularly in legitimate gigs. To get to those great live gigs mentioned above, you have to start where you can. If that means starting small and convincing the venues you can handle the crowd, then so be it. Just do it with the mindset of improving your music and improving your reputation with industry contacts.
Connect with fans in the real world
Don’t just get stuck promoting yourself online. It’s great to keep every website updated, but do the little things that actually do make a big difference. Make t-shirts, CD’s (Yes, CD’s), coffee mugs, and DVD’s, and sell them at your gigs. Constantly be in the game of promoting yourself offline, as well as online. Meet with people in person after a show. Sign autographs and be friendly. The reason why you play is for other people to listen, and they’ll be happy to know that you like them. It’s a huge turnoff for fans to support someone who doesn’t publicly engage with them. Just as it works online, it works in person as well.
Sometimes it can be easy to forget that the old fashioned way of just being a friendly musician is the best marketing tool. Word of mouth is powerful. If you touch someone’s heart with your music and are able to connect with them in person, you’ve won yourself a die-hard fan. A combination of these things, your talent, and sustained persistence will get you to where you need to be.
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Mike DiGirolamo has had a strong interest in music from a young age, playing both the cello and trombone. Outside of music he has a love for movies, theatre, and environmental science.
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