Promoting a concert will need careful planning and imagination. Before you start your promotional efferts you need to create a buzz in your local community. If you want to sell tickets and have a good show you must first let the public know why they should come to hear you at your concerts. Give yourself 4-6 month lead time for promotion but the more time you have to promote the better it will be for your music advertisement. In this article I will give 8 tips of what you need to do in order to hit the ground running.
#1. College radio: There are allot of opportunities for advancing your music career with college radio. It is amazing to me how so many artists over look this area. It is much easier to land a song with college radio than with the main stream stations. College radio's are more accepting and have 1000s of listeners that you might be able to convert into fans. When you contact the radio station please get permission from the music director before sending anything to them. Do your target research because you don't want to send heavy metal CD to an Jazz radio station. Having your song played will help promote your upcoming concerts. Make sure the announcers tell it's listeners about your gigs. You might want to consider booking shows for the college, it might help you get more fans. Get the Indie Bible for listings of college radio stations.
#2. Online promotions: Put your music on Myspace,Youtube and Facebook. Create a music page that your fans can go to hear your music. When your adding friends on these sites don't flood them with allot of promotions about your music. But be interested in their lives and they will be interested in yours. The reason why people will buy your CD is because they either know you or they like your music. You want both, so please be real and considerate. On your profile page make your band page or links available for them to visit. Create a website for your fans where they can get information about you and your gigs. Have photos of your concerts and updated reviews. Have a few tracks of your music available for them to listen too, and don't forget to make sure that they can buy your CD on your website.
#3. CD Store: Go to your local CD store and get assignment deals with them. It's much easier than the major music retail chains. Keep track of your sales because sales might increase after the radio play in your community. Have promotional materials about your concert in the store where your CD is sold. Even if someone do not buy your CD they willsee your promotional materials.
#4. Limited free CD giveaways: Giving away Cd's is another great way of gaining more fans and promoting your concerts. But make sure you have a limited supply of freebies. You do not want to over do it. When you pass out your Cd's make sure you get people to sing up for your mailing list to receive free information about your gigs. Select 10 of your friends to spread the word about your concert so in return they will get half price/free admission. You will be surprised how hard people will work to get in for free.
#5. Local publications: Getting reviews about your music is always a must. You have to contact the editors and get to know them. Know what they like and ask them to listen to your music. Be very professional at all time, it will pay off later down the road. Being polite will go a long way in the business of publication. If they say no for the first time, send them a thank you note saying you appreciate their time and consideration. And leave contact information.
#6. Scratch my back, i scratch your back: I gave a concert a few years back and I found this phrase to be very true in this case. It brought in 30% of the crowd. What I mean is that the companies that carried my CD and publications and reviews agreed to let me promote their business by hanging banner ads. They brought in business for me, I bring in customers for them. Its a win win situation for everybody.
#7. Email-Fan list: Email campaign is a very good tool in promotion. Keep all your friends and their friends email. And be sure to send them information about your gigs as well as interviews and reviews about your music. Do not spam, do not ask them to buy your CD because if you help them feel important to you as a fan they will buy your CD on their own.
#8. Release Party: Have your release party a few month before the concert, so your fans can hear you announce it during the party. Your Cd's should be in stores by now, college radio are playing your songs and announcing your concert, and your local entertainment publication promotion is under way with reviews about your music. Your friends and family are telling people about your music, along with your online promotion with Facebook and Myspace. Your posters should be on display at music stores. And your own personal website where they can buy your CD should be up and running. Have other artists and musicians as your special guest during your party. Doing these things will get you started and creating the buzz that you need to get going in your local area. Don't forget to give to charities, its a great way to let your fans know that you do care about something other than music.
#1. College radio: There are allot of opportunities for advancing your music career with college radio. It is amazing to me how so many artists over look this area. It is much easier to land a song with college radio than with the main stream stations. College radio's are more accepting and have 1000s of listeners that you might be able to convert into fans. When you contact the radio station please get permission from the music director before sending anything to them. Do your target research because you don't want to send heavy metal CD to an Jazz radio station. Having your song played will help promote your upcoming concerts. Make sure the announcers tell it's listeners about your gigs. You might want to consider booking shows for the college, it might help you get more fans. Get the Indie Bible for listings of college radio stations.
#2. Online promotions: Put your music on Myspace,Youtube and Facebook. Create a music page that your fans can go to hear your music. When your adding friends on these sites don't flood them with allot of promotions about your music. But be interested in their lives and they will be interested in yours. The reason why people will buy your CD is because they either know you or they like your music. You want both, so please be real and considerate. On your profile page make your band page or links available for them to visit. Create a website for your fans where they can get information about you and your gigs. Have photos of your concerts and updated reviews. Have a few tracks of your music available for them to listen too, and don't forget to make sure that they can buy your CD on your website.
#3. CD Store: Go to your local CD store and get assignment deals with them. It's much easier than the major music retail chains. Keep track of your sales because sales might increase after the radio play in your community. Have promotional materials about your concert in the store where your CD is sold. Even if someone do not buy your CD they willsee your promotional materials.
#4. Limited free CD giveaways: Giving away Cd's is another great way of gaining more fans and promoting your concerts. But make sure you have a limited supply of freebies. You do not want to over do it. When you pass out your Cd's make sure you get people to sing up for your mailing list to receive free information about your gigs. Select 10 of your friends to spread the word about your concert so in return they will get half price/free admission. You will be surprised how hard people will work to get in for free.
#5. Local publications: Getting reviews about your music is always a must. You have to contact the editors and get to know them. Know what they like and ask them to listen to your music. Be very professional at all time, it will pay off later down the road. Being polite will go a long way in the business of publication. If they say no for the first time, send them a thank you note saying you appreciate their time and consideration. And leave contact information.
#6. Scratch my back, i scratch your back: I gave a concert a few years back and I found this phrase to be very true in this case. It brought in 30% of the crowd. What I mean is that the companies that carried my CD and publications and reviews agreed to let me promote their business by hanging banner ads. They brought in business for me, I bring in customers for them. Its a win win situation for everybody.
#7. Email-Fan list: Email campaign is a very good tool in promotion. Keep all your friends and their friends email. And be sure to send them information about your gigs as well as interviews and reviews about your music. Do not spam, do not ask them to buy your CD because if you help them feel important to you as a fan they will buy your CD on their own.
#8. Release Party: Have your release party a few month before the concert, so your fans can hear you announce it during the party. Your Cd's should be in stores by now, college radio are playing your songs and announcing your concert, and your local entertainment publication promotion is under way with reviews about your music. Your friends and family are telling people about your music, along with your online promotion with Facebook and Myspace. Your posters should be on display at music stores. And your own personal website where they can buy your CD should be up and running. Have other artists and musicians as your special guest during your party. Doing these things will get you started and creating the buzz that you need to get going in your local area. Don't forget to give to charities, its a great way to let your fans know that you do care about something other than music.
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