Promoting a band or musical act isn’t a simple task, but the leg work involved is worth definitely worth it in order to achieve your goals and get your band noticed in the music industry. In this blog, we give you 60 quick tips on promoting your band.
Obviously, there isn’t enough space to go in-depth with each of these subjects, so if you are looking for more information on a specific topic, try using the “search” box on either the Last Minute Musicians Blog or on How To Get Gigs.
1. Create an effective website for your band
A band’s website is a crucial element of its online promotion.
Whilst using social media is a great way to keep in touch with fans and get immediate interaction, your website will act as a central point for information on gigs, music, image galleries, videos, and other content.
For a website to be successful, it must meet the following criteria:
- Have great usability
- Be easily searchable
- Have links to easy-to-purchase music and merch
- Be regularly updated
2. Content is king! Every page on your website must work well and look great
A website needs to have good search engine optimisation (SEO) to enable it to appear towards the top of search engine results. This means using the correct keywords and phrases at important points, and it’s also vital to check that all hyperlinks work.
3. Make friends with other bands and promoters
Almost every musician gets into playing because they enjoy it.
For both amateur and professional musicians, making friends inside musical circles and having fun is a crucial element of promotion. Some people choose to call it ‘Networking’ – but that is really just a fancy term for making friends!
4. Make an online (and offline!) press pack for your band
- Present it professionally
- Have a short band biography
- Include any media quotes
- Include links to Soundcloud and youtube
- Include professional, high-quality photos of the band
- Have clear and relevant contact details
5. Give fans easy access to video and music
As an up-and-coming band, you have one significant advantage – people want what you have.
People want to listen to new music, and they want to know what their friends are listening to. For these reasons, it’s important to give everyone easy access to a band’s multimedia.
Services like YouTube and Soundcloud, as well as all social media, enable bands to share media and also embed them onto other websites.
6. Use keywords and phrases to improve your band’s SEO
Not only should keywords and phrases be used on a website, but also when choosing the titles of all multimedia. A band’s videos should contain their band name and the song title.
7. Know your target audience and direct your branding towards them
A heavy metal band would not try and market their music towards fans lining up for a Bach recital; therefore, any band should identify their target audience quickly – using analytics from social media can help.
Once identified, it’s best to understand the audience’s characteristics and what websites they visit online. Promote accordingly (especially on social media)… and your research will pay off!
8. Organise show swaps with bands in different cities
Show swaps are a great way to meet new people and also introduce your band to potential fans. It’s also a great start for touring bands!
You can find similar acts on social media and get in touch, getting them to organise a show in their town and you returning the favour in yours.
9. If you can afford it, hire a web designer to create an effective and attractive website
Websites are easy to create by using content management systems like WordPress and Squarespace.
However, not everyone has an eye for design, and in some cases, it can be easier to pay someone to set up a professional website for you.
However, If this is what you decide to do, make sure you shop around for the best quote!
10. Manage your user comments and delete defamatory comments before they get published
Fans posting on your website or social media is really great, but musicians must ensure that they have an approval system set up so that comments are not just published immediately.
If you don’t, then somebody could post a false, defamatory statement or spam links, and you could be liable as the website operator!
11. Don’t just promote online
The internet is great, but bands shouldn’t just resort to online tactics to promote their music. Whether it’s using posters and flyers in strategic places or writing press releases, bands should utilise all they can to promote themselves.
12. Start a blog
A blog shouldn’t only talk about your band but also about your genre and wider musical issues. Your posts will also give your website more relevance and make linking to other websites easy.
13. Use page ranking and analytics to gauge how popular your website is
It’s always important to keep track of how well your website and band promotion is doing.
By using analytics (such as the free Google Analytics), you’ll be able to understand how many hits your website is getting, how popular it is, how visitors use your site and even where users who visit the site come from.
14. Collaborate and team up with local bands that are in the same or a complementary genre to promote each other offline and online
Collaborating with others is what music is all about, but it also offers valuable opportunities for musicians to network with one another.
Collaborating can take different forms, from a single song to a whole EP or album.
15. Create a fan page on Facebook and keep it updated
Keeping social media updated is crucial and allows you to interact with your fans directly. Many bands choose to link up their social media accounts so that when they post one message, it is simultaneously posted on others.
Whilst this is great for some things like announcing a new gig, fans will be a lot more responsive if bands make take the time to post individual messages, ideally including multimedia.
16. Encourage fans to give their opinions towards your music
People love giving their opinions and getting involved. Whenever you release a new song or play a new show, encourage fans to post what they thought on social media.
17. When on tour, upload multimedia content of the shows and backstage
18. Have a Twitter account and use it regularly
Similarly to Facebook, using Twitter will enable bands to keep in touch with their fans, as it provides virtually instantaneous interaction.
It’s also a great tool for bands on tour, as they can post photos/videos of soundchecks and other things the band gets up to.
19. Make a short documentary video of the band and upload it on YouTube
With new technology, producing a short video or selection of videos about your band is easy. Musicians can either use their mobile phones or purchase affordable camera equipment online.
In terms of editing software, Mac users can use iMovie, and Windows comes with Moviemaker. Tutorial videos on how to shoot and edit professionally are also available on YouTube. Within one weekend, a video can be created, edited and published for all the world to see.
This footage can be put together to make mini-films or youtube videos of the band in the studio or on tour.
20. Encourage fans to take photos/videos at live shows and post on social media
Online multimedia is everything. To encourage fans to get involved, bands could offer free merchandise for the best photos/videos.
21. Use an analytics system to track the location of your fans
These analytics are offered through many streaming/download services, including Bandcamp and Soundcloud Pro. Knowing your fan’s location can be helpful when planning tours!
22. Utilise all social networks and upload interactive multimedia
23. Ensure that the theme of the band’s site reflects its music
Baby blue for a heavy metal band… it’s not going to look too great, is it? Spend time on your theme and make sure it looks appealing to your target audience.
24. Interact with fans on social media
Interact with fans every day. Whether it’s through social media or gigs, talk to and appreciate the people who are buying your records and coming to shows.
25. Use consistent designs and colours in marketing your band
It’s basic marketing to have a theme which matches a band’s website and social media. Not only will it inform fans about new albums and material, but a unifying theme will also look good.
26. Have scheduled online promotion through Facebook
Whilst posting individual messages on social media is important, it’s equally important to regularly inform your fans of upcoming shows and new music.
27. Use different web banners to promote your band
As a band, you are effectively advertising a product. Therefore put as much effort into promotion as you do for making the music you are selling. Facebook now even offers the option to have a video as your timeline cover!
28. Interact with fans as much as possible. Without them, you’re nobody
The people who go to gigs and buy records and merchandise are worth their weight in gold. Your band isn’t going to go very far without fans supporting the music. If you don’t appreciate them, they’ll stop listening.
29. Recruit fans who will help you in promoting the band
For bands who have a following, a street team can be extremely useful. Be careful, though – don’t take advantage of anyone and remember they’re giving up their free time to help!
30. Give away freebies whenever possible
From stickers, pins and key rings, there are lots of things that can be made relatively cheaply for fans to take away with them. Bands shouldn’t be stingy!
31. Hire competitive CD duplication and replication services
While streaming services have rapidly overtaken the consumption of physical music, many bands still sell physical copies of their albums and EPs.
However, CD duplication/replication services can come at a high price, so make sure you shop around first to get the best deal. But remember, don’t compromise on quality!
32. Find unique and competitive merchandise services
Similarly to CD duplication, your merchandise should be of good quality and must not let fans down. T-shirts that shrink or lose their colour after one wash will only reflect badly on the band that created them… If you’re charging money for a product, make sure it’s good value.
33. Recommend songs of your band to family members and friends
Often, it’s family and friends that are coming to shows and listening to music when many bands begin.
Don’t be shy; invite them to your first gigs and hand albums around your mates. Your career has to start somewhere!
34. Design the artwork of the next album creatively and share it
Depending on a band’s collective artistic ability, either design the album cover yourself, or hire a professional. Occasionally, you may also be able to ask an art student to pitch in and help.
Whichever you choose, make sure you credit the artist and share it amongst fans to create a buzz before new material is released.
35. Research about venues that you would like to play in the future
Having career goals can be very important as it gives bands a sense of direction and purpose. Whether it’s your local pub or the O2 Arena, be ambitious about where you want to play and go for it!
36. Distribute your press packs to promoters and other members of the music industry
A press pack should be distributed widely, but only to those who reflect your target audience.
You’re wasting your time by sending a press pack to a quiet acoustic bar if you’re a loud rock ‘n’ roll band.
It’s also important for bands to be ambitious – Send a press pack to the big promoters as well as the small ones and don’t forget about journalists! Invite them to your shows, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll turn up and give you a good review.
37. Spread information about your next shows to your fans through social media and mailing lists
Nobody’s going to know about your show unless you tell them. Yes, the promoter should do a lot of the work, but bands also need to take a degree of responsibility. Services like MailChimp can help you get the word out to your mailing list, and you should put out a signup list at every gig.
38. Let your fans know where they can buy or download your music
It’s the main reason they’re on your website/social media, so don’t make fans work to find your music.
Make downloading/streaming music as easy as possible across a wide range of sites. Distribution services like Ditto Music can be very useful.
39. Ask your fans to host house shows
40. Distribute a newsletter to your fans to include them in what you are doing
41. Perform Internet concerts for live streaming
Live-streaming gigs has become increasingly popular, and there is now a huge variety of online live-streaming services available.
Live streaming is particularly great for sold-out gigs or for fan exclusives.
42. Organise online chats with fans
Like live streaming, online chats can be a great way to offer exclusives to certain fans.
You can do Reddit AMA events or event get fans to leave you questions to answer on a Twitter thread.
Bands might wish to offer a special online show for fans who fund their album through a crowdfunding resource.
43. Encourage your fans to fund your next album through crowdfunding
Crowdfunding can be a great way to increase publicity around a new record, as well as avoiding loans and other finance arrangements.
The best bit is that fans can get directly involved, by purchasing ‘perks’ like exclusive merch and liner credits to help fund the album.
44. Set up a ringtone of your band’s music so fans can download it
While it’s a little vintage nowadays, this may work for bands depending on your style of music. Either way, it’s relatively easy to do and could easily be offered with a free download or with a merchandise sale.
45. Whenever possible, hang out after a show to meet your fans
As mentioned before, without fans – a band is nothing! Therefore it’s crucial to stay around after a gig and talk to those who have paid to see you. Not only will this be appreciated by the fans, but bands may even see an increase in merchandise sales too! Always chat with support bands and try to stick around to catch other bands on multiple headline bills.
46. Submit your band’s website to online directories
Directories are a great way of advertising a band and getting links online to your website. Remember, you can always register for a listing on Last Minute Musicians!
47. Start a search engine marketing campaign
Primarily done through paid advertising and clever marketing techniques, a search engine marketing campaign takes time, but if done correctly, results can be great. A quick Google search will tell you all you need to know…
48. Have an online band store
This is crucial, and any band with a website/social media must ensure they have a store to sell both music and merch. Bands can either pay to have a store or use free services. Your website host will usually be able to accommodate this.
49. Never, EVER spam
Nobody likes spam, and it’s guaranteed to put fans off. Manage how often you send out email updates, and don’t spam!
50. Promote your band widely online and offline, but target your relevant audience
Targeting the right audience is extremely important when you are trying to promote your band. The key is to put the legwork in both online and offline. In many ways promoting your band by playing gigs and putting out new music is by far the best way.
51. Seek online reviews about your music and the band
There are now more online music journalism publications than ever before! Use your initiative and email/contact them on social media and ask them to review your music. Perseverance is the key – never give up!
52. Have a forum for your fans to discuss and share their experiences concerning your music and the band
Forums work best for established bands who already have a following. Encouraging fans to discuss the band and wider music is a great way of understanding what they like/dislike. It’s not only a great marketing tool, but fans will also feel more included. Facebook groups work well for this.
53. Share useful and insightful opinions that will have a positive impact on the music industry
Similarly to the previous point about blogging, sharing ideas and opinions about music (both performing and the industry) is likely to increase the number of hits on your website.
54. Manage your ego and don’t be too much of a ‘rockstar’
While many performers have a stage persona and might appear to come across as arrogant with swagger, it’s generally best to be nice and kind to everyone you meet (especially sound engineers and road crew!).
55. Utilise new technology to promote and host your music
Staying on top of new technology isn’t only fun but is also a great way to promote your music. At the very least, bands should have a profile on all major social media channels.
56. Make flyers to hand out at shows
Increasingly, bands only promote their gigs and music online. Whilst this is effective, it is only fruitful to a certain point. Nothing beats the boots-on-the-ground approach, handing out flyers at gigs and encouraging people to come to a show face to face.
57. Get your music on streaming services such as Spotify
58. Have a strategy for measuring, recording and comparing your marketing results on a regular basis
Sometimes keeping track of website hits and download figures can be really fun. At other times it’s downright depressing.
But for bands who are serious about being successful, measuring marketing results is extremely important. The trick is to set weekly goals and try to achieve them.
59. Create landing pages for special events, announcements and promotions by the band
Landing pages and popup adverts can be extremely frustrating, but they are extremely effective. Ideal for bands who are promoting an album or a big upcoming show.
60. Make your bands’ music available on major online retailers
Sometimes paying to have your music uploaded to iTunes and similar services can seem pointless. But for many music lovers, it’s the first point of call for downloading new music. You’ve got to be in it to win it, so split the cost between the band, and with luck, you’ll see the download figures steadily rising!
Do you have any other top tips on promoting your band? Let us know in the comments below!
