As a musician, it’s important to promote your music in multiple ways. Many musicians focus on self-promotion through advertisements, appearances, and meeting fans.
Although this method produces an increase in sales, there is a strategy you may be missing known as word-of-mouth advertising. To learn more about this strategy and ways to incorporate it into your next campaign, read on.
What Is Word-of-Mouth Advertising?
Before you start thinking about implementing word-of-mouth strategies, you need to understand what exactly this means. Word-of-mouth advertising is when a current fan recommends you to other people who could become potential fans.
The Benefits of Word-of-Mouth Advertising
People are more likely to take recommendations from people they know and trust as opposed to outside sources. So, by building a following of loyal fans who recommend you to their friends, you will increase your own following and organically build up your brand.
Strategies for Word-of-Mouth Advertising
Here are just a few ideas for getting started with this kind of promotion.
1. Post Consistent and High-Quality Content
One way to create buzz among your fans is to create consistently high-quality content. This means creating content that is interesting to your specific audience.
For example, if you have a younger fanbase, consider posting more video content, such as artist interviews, to increase engagement and encourage fans to share the content with their friends online.
With so much content out there already, you don’t want yours to get lost in the shuffle. So make sure to keep posting consistently. Try to post content at least once a week, at the same time each week, to keep fans excited about your music.
2. Do Community Outreach
Reaching out to your local community will also help to create word-of-mouth buzz. Consider hosting a socially distanced and safe barbecue for your local community, for example. Or, with the pandemic going on, consider delivering food to people who can’t attend or are in quarantine.
Another good idea is to include information about your music or upcoming events along with the food. Other ways to reach out to the community include working with music or arts advocacy organizations and nonprofits, or associating your brand with a social cause and organizing a fundraiser event.
3. Offer Incentives
While some of your fans may be talking about your music naturally, it doesn’t hurt to use incentives to motivate them to do this more often.
One way is to offer a reward to fans who share your content with others. You could offer them rewards such as certain swag products or gift cards to local restaurants or stores. If they consistently share your content, you can even reward them with a personalized meet-and-greet.
Also, consider recognizing them by giving them a shout-out on your social media pages or by reaching out to them personally. If a fan feels personally recognized by an artist, they may be more likely to promote them on a larger scale.
4. Engage With Your Fans
Another way to get your fans talking about you and your music is to engage directly with them. This can be done by emailing fans directly to let them know when you have new content and encouraging them to post it.
You could also create a group on Facebook to promote your music. Use it as a way for fans to interact with one another, discuss your brand, and get access to new content. When on social media, make sure you reply to messages directed towards you and your brand.
5. Use Influencers
Another way to promote your brand is through the use of influencers. An influencer is simply somebody who changes someone else’s thinking or behavior. Influencers can help spread awareness of your music to others who already follow them.
The most important part when looking for influencers is keeping networking in mind. Make sure you are building relationships with local music journalists, club promoters, or bartenders and getting to know them on a personal level. These people are more likely to promote your music if you already have a connection with them and aren’t simply asking for favors.
Take Advantage of Word-of-Mouth Advertising
As a musician, there are so many ways to promote your music. There’s also lots of competition. Consider using the word-of-mouth strategy for your next advertising campaign. It will help provide you with a wider audience and can be effective when done right.