Currently going through major writers block, struggling for ideas and lacking in inspiration but the blog must go on!
Today I’ll be discussing the best ways to gain attention in today’s digital climate, where is the best places to promote your music and who can help. Luckily for many upcoming, past and present artists the game of being online greatly increases exposure opportunities. Social Media platforms; Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are undoubtedly the most popular sites to promote a new artist and update fans about new music and appearances. Moreover, due to the constant usage of Social Media, the right algorithms can take an upcoming artist from virtual invisibility online and rocket them to stardom overnight. BUT, Social Media isn’t the only option; so, what are they?
WEBSITE (and I’ll shout it again) CREATE A WEBSITE!
Social Media has completely overshadowed the importance of needing a website because artist’s believe they can provide everything a website does on their Social Media accounts. However, think of your website as a home, it’s a home for your music, a home for your merchandise, a home for touring information; a home for your brand. A website doesn’t need to be fancy and cost a mortgage to set up, the most important thing it needs is to be branded with your music. It will become the first place fans will go to if they need anything. Another crucial aspect of having a website is setting up a mailing list, this kind of personalised marketing is key to grasping the attention and loyalty of your fans.
Finally, if you’re willing to pay a little extra and spend a little extra time on taking full advantage of your website; investing in ‘search engine optimisation’ softwares are the best option for you. Using SEO will vastly increase visibility on google searches, it will ensure your website URL is easily filtered through the cloud of online traffic. Making it 10x more likely that once your name is searched, the results will take the googlers straight to your website.
I know LinkedIn is technically classed under the ‘Social Media’ umbrella, but it’s so effective. I’ll admit that I never considered LinkedIn as a place to promote music and artists until I created my own account. I inserted the blog URL in the website in my profile description and since then, I’ve had a large number of hopeful artists contacting me for exposure on my blog. Evidently, I’ve only created one exposure piece on this blog so far but there will be more to come!
Sending a quick press release with your website and socials linked to individuals who you feel can benefit your career via LinkedIn is a great way to promote your music and widen your network! Which leads me onto the next point…
Reach out to bloggers
There are hundreds, if not thousands of Music based blogs right now and the vast majority will be willing or already are creating exposure posts for artists. If you’re an independent artist or an upcoming artist who’s lacking in funds to afford the prices of a PR professional this is one of the best options for you. By gaining credibility from bloggers you’re not only benefiting from free publicity but you could be networking with somebody with a bright future in the industry who can remember you for future work.
Playlists
Entry into playlists is an ideal way for an artist to increase their streaming count and earn some well deserved money (even if it’s not a lot). Although to begin with an artist will only feature irregularly on playlists, if their tracks receive high levels of streams and the playlist curators see potential, they’ll have a higher chance of becoming regularly featured. Uploading your music onto sites such as CD Baby increases your chances of being noticed by playlist curators from streaming sites Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer.
Music Talks UK 