Marketing artists & creators 101 – the ultimate beginners guide

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Are you an independent music creator or artist who's struggling to reach a wider audience and grow your fanbase? Though you understand that the key to success in the music industry is effective marketing, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. As an artist, every penny counts when starting out in the industry, which means that leveraging the most effective marketing tips right from the go is important.

Context

As a creator, music producer, painter, musician, or drawer, your primary role is to search for innovative ideas. However, as much as marketing may not be your main role, you must actively promote your own work to survive in today’s competitive art and music business. Let’s take the example of a painter. Some years back, art galleries were the only platform to showcase and sell their art. Those lacking access to such avenues struggled to connect with potential buyers. Today, digital marketing channels allow artists to reach large potential audiences, promote, and sell their pieces. Check out these reliable practices to guide beginner creators and artists for getting desired results from their music marketing efforts.

• Defining your brand is a nice starting point. Your brand message and style represent your creative pieces' identity and your unique selling point from other creators and artists. Accurately defining your brand lets you develop a consistent brand image on all your promotional platforms.

• Select your ideal niche audience. This comprises those most likely to buy your music, paintings, sculptures, etc. A thorough assessment of their buying patterns and interests will assist you in developing more personalized marketing for creators and artists.

• Creating a marketing portfolio should follow! Portfolios visually represent your ability to develop fantastic art. They allow your work to speak for itself and solidify your reputation. You can include videos and photos related to your music, drawings, paintings, etc., on your social media account, blog, or website.

• Build a sizable social media following. Ensure your brand and niche audience align with your social media marketing platform choice. Then upload high-quality content and engage with your followers via shares, private messaging, and comments to cultivate a solid relationship organically.

• Networking to grow your target market. Attending music award shows, art exhibitions, etc., exposes you to valuable contacts. Randy Purcell, a successful painter, believes that events by business, and community groups can help you acquire useful networks. He believes even those who may not be art enthusiasts may buy your pieces just because they know and want to support you.

Tips / Thought-starters

• Digital marketing – every creator, producer, and artist must leverage digital channels to promote their work to grow their brand.

• Alignment – your digital marketing strategy must be aligned with your brand. This promotes consistency and makes your brand easily identifiable.

Key Questions/Next Steps

• Engage – consistently share your artistic world with your fans, e.g., photos of yourself recording or producing new songs in the studio, painting new pieces, etc.

• Keep up with trends – stay up-to-date with the latest digital marketing technology, so as to get an advantage over other artists.