Hyping Your Band on the Internet
How an Unsigned Band Can Kick Off its First Viral Marketing Campaign
Oct 28, 2009
The concept of viral marketing works much the same as how music, itself, sells – a song (or even a piece of a song) will stick in a person’s mind, playing over and over, until that person must purchase either the song or the entire compilation on which it appears. Once the song is purchased, the next natural step is to play it for friends and family who have the same musical interest. Those individuals may share it with someone else, and so it goes until a hit is born.
The term “viral” is used for this type of marketing because the concept or product can spread like a virus – infecting one person who gives it to another and another, until it’s worldwide. Unlike marketing in the traditional sense, where it has always had a price tag attached, viral marketing makes use of the best forum for free advertising – the Internet.
In the article, Getting the Music Out There, the concept of concurrent marketing and gigging was discussed, and it is important for an unsigned band to approach both steps together. If a band is playing live and is well received by the audience, those listeners will want to find out more, and the first place they will turn is the Internet. If the band has no presence on the Web, that potential customer’s interest will fizzle rather quickly. Similarly, if a band has a good Web presence, but is not playing out, fans will not be fans for long.
There are a few different types of Internet marketing that a band has access to, so this article will be split into two parts, the second to be published tomorrow.
Social Networking for Bands and Musicians
Social networking sites are the coffee shops of today. Social network services such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter are places in cyberspace where people hang out together and share their interests. Posting updates about upcoming appearances on a social networking site allows a band to reach out to its potential audience in a way that plastering posters on construction walls and lamp posts never could.
Every unsigned band needs to build a site where its fan base can find it, and MySpace makes it easy (and free) to do so. The site needs to look professional, provide relevant information about the band, include a calendar of events, and provide access to a little taste of the band’s music. (See Recording the First Demo for how to have such a sample available.)
The band must view this site as its business and treat it that way. That means keeping the content fresh, refraining from posting offensive language or videos, and keeping a visitor’s focus on the band and the music. Daily updates help to keep people engaged, and an option to sign up for e-mail alerts will give a band another option for marketing itself.
The fact that the Internet spans the globe means potential fans in every country the Internet reaches, and that means some tact should be applied. It makes good sense to stay away from placing language or images on the site that people in other parts of the world may find offensive. Otherwise, a potential CD buyer could be turned off.
Blogging 101 for Musicians
Social networking sites usually include a spot for blogs. Blogs started out as journals of sorts, and an unsigned band should take advantage of blogging to self-promote. If there is one member of the band who is particularly adept at writing, then that member should be assigned the task of updating the band’s blog regularly, but at least weekly.
When blogging, it is important to write about the band – it can be structured in journal form by providing updates on what the band is up to that week (playing at XYZ club in such-and-such city; on the road to Nashville for the next show, etc.).
Although there is always at least one member of a band who writes lyrics, he or she may not be a great writer in a general sense, and if this is the case, it is recommended that the band enlist the support of a friend or family member who would be willing to take over the blog on the band’s behalf. In the alternative, the band can simply post lyrics and insightful comments on its blog – anything to get the attention of the masses.
It is important to remember that many people are turned off by spelling and grammatical errors, and such errors are very unprofessional. Developing content for sites or blogs in a word processing program, and checking the spelling and grammar prior to posting, is strongly recommended.
Creativity is something that good musicians innately possess, and something that a band can apply in order to reap major rewards via Internet marketing. If the band has a good idea for a promotional campaign on the Net, there will be few barriers to making it a reality. Common sense, practicality, and a desire to make it happen can produce amazing results.
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