The Internet is a powerful marketing tool for bands. While it hasn’t replaced record companies quite yet, it’s a great way for unsigned bands to build buzz and attract an audience.
Social networking sites allow people to connect and network with others who share their interests. The largest social networking sites have millions of users today, but the phenomenon owes a lot to Indie bands. Most of the original users of MySpace were bands promoting their music. Today, MySpace is one of the strongest networking sites on the web. If you want to use this site and others like it to promote your band, here are a few tips for success.
Pick the right sites. Does your band appeal mainly to high school kids, or a slightly older college crowd? MySpace and Facebook can all introduce you to a wide range of users. But MySpace’s crowd tends to be a little younger. Some bands may have the time to establish a presence on several sites. But for bands with limited time for marketing, it may be best to choose a single social networking site that brings your music to the widest range of people in your niche. Before you choose a social networking site, do some research to make sure it can offer you the right type of audience.
Use the blog feature. Most social networking sites have a blog feature that allows you to post continuing updates on your band’s activities. It’s a good idea to use this feature. It will keep your “friends” informed about your tour dates and activities, as well as help you showcase your band’s unique perspective to new fans. If you already have an official website with a blog, it should be fine to simply reproduce your blog posts on your social networking pages.
Leave cool comments. When you first join a social networking site, it can be difficult to generate a network. To get your foot in the door, do a search for other bands that play music similar to yours. Leave comments on their site—anything from a friendly hello to a positive comment on their music or some aspect of their site. The band will see your comment, and so will the fans who visit their site. They’ll be able to visit your band’s page through the link in your comments.
Some social networking sites allow you to upload a “signature” with your comments that includes graphics. If you have this feature, post a thumbnail image of your band’s latest album cover or some other eye-catching artwork. Bear in mind that some users may disable html, so it won’t show up on every comment you leave.
Invite the right people to your network. Social networking is all about knowing your audience. On most social networking sites you’ll be able to invite other users to join your network. Make sure you use this feature wisely. If you send an invitation to every site you come across, people might think you’re a spammer. Instead, choose sites based on common interests. Send an invite to bands that play similar music, and look at their networks as well. Invite people who are fans of these bands or who listen to the type of music you play.
Give it away. You should have free Mp3’s of some of your songs available on your social networking site. You may not want to give your music away for free—you worked hard on it, after all—but listeners have a lot of options if they want free music. When it comes to a choice between paying a pound for a track from a band they’ve never heard of or downloading the latest track from their favorite band at a free file-sharing site, most people will choose the latter. That doesn’t mean you can’t get people to pay for your music; but you have to give them a free taste first.
Offer a few free Mp3’s on your social networking site to introduce visitors to your sound. Those who like the free songs may just decide to buy your album or pick up tickets to your next concert.
Make it easy to buy your music. You should have a CD for sale, and members of your social network should be able to find it easily. Provide a link to your official website’s order form, your CD on Amazon or another retail site, or your PayPal account. Whatever method you’ve chosen for selling CD’s online, make sure it’s easily accessible on your social networking site.
Read the fine print. Some social networking sites have a clause in their user agreements that state that they have unlimited rights to any content posted on their site, including music. That means, essentially, that these sites can reproduce your content or music at will without paying you for the privilege. Since bands use these sites to upload and promote their music, it’s especially important for them to read the user agreements of any social networking sites they plan to join.
Social networking sites can bring your music to thousands of new fans. Choose your site carefully and put some time into cultivating a strong network, and you just might go from an unknown band to a household name.