Once the dust has cleared from a show and fans have dispersed to go home, many people will head to one place to pick up that feeling again: the Internet. Online music promotion now underlies the entire industry, creating buzz through ever-present social media. For independent artists, the online market can seem incredibly oversaturated. However, opportunities are definitely there to get your music heard and bring new followers to your live shows. Effective online promotion must offer clear signposts to every enthusiastic follower of a local band. Many huge artists, including San Diego’s Tori Kelly, initially caught their break via the Internet.
Building (And Optimizing) A Website
Online music promotion is all about Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter and their kin. But before you start looking into developing a social media presence, bear in mind that websites are essential to online music promotion. A solid web design platform such as Squarespace will allow you to create an environment that can convey pertinent information to your fans and display the exact tracks you want available at any time. Whatever template you use, the key to a great website is employing clean, straightforward web design and making the right information available at all times.
Exploiting Social Media
Social media seems to invade every area of life these days, with big tech companies hellbent on making sure they can capitalize on every aspect of your day-to-day activity. That means there’s a huge market to explore, making it difficult to cut through and find your audience. Many social networks, however, have some degree of interlinking now. For instance, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are simultaneously searchable using hashtags, and you can ride the wave of popular hashtags in order to find your niche. To try and find eager listeners, take advantage of this and make the most of every post, and always link back to your website.
Get Professional
To cater to industry execs and other bigwigs who might stumble across your work, always maintain a professional edge. This varies in implementation, but typically, you’ll want to prepare an electronic press kit (EPK) that demonstrates what you’re all about, showcases your finest work, and lets industry professionals know how you see your work growing. To optimize your EPK, be sure to include links to your social media, website, and best uploads. Make it easily accessible via direct email.
Online music promotion takes craft and determination. There’s so much out there on the web to swim against as an artist trying to break through. However, with a little focus and commitment, and with the help of these simple tips, you can find creative ways to promote your work to a whole new set of fans.