One of the biggest nightmares for any musician is to have no audience to play to. After all, they are the ones one wishes to share their musings with, otherwise the music would not leave the confides of the musician’s basement/bedroom. So let’s say worse comes to worst, what’s happening and how can you fix it? This article is also tailored for aspiring musicians whose music is not online yet, better safe than sorry, right?

Quality over quantity

It’s very easy when just starting out to get overly enthusiastic and want to share every little thing you do with the world. But keep in mind, most of us are overloaded on a daily basis with a sea of music and other types of entertainment and we only have 24 hours in a day. So you have to play it smart to maximize your chances. Also, let’s be real, 80% of the songs produced end up in the trash to make room for the good quality 20% on an album. This means you want the most exposure for the good 20% and you will not get it if people are fed up of you posting a new song every day.

You haven’t found your audience yet

Let’s say that the above is not an issue, you are selective and you make sure that what ends up online is of decent quality. And yet, you are still not breaking through. It could very well be that you haven’t found your audience yet. You can’t appeal to everyone and it’s very easy to assume that people of all ages might enjoy what you do, when in reality that might not be the case. Create an ideal fan persona, think of a person that would love your music and give them dimension: who are they, how old are they, are they male or female, what’s their job, their relationship status, their education level, what do they care about? This may seem excessive but it does a big difference because in the end you will be able understand how this ideal persona would think, how they would discover your music. Ultimately, you can use this persona to target your boosted posts on Facebook/Instagram/Youtube.

You need a story

This and the above go hand-in-hand when trying to figure out how your potential followers might end up finding you and turning into fans. Most of the successful musicians/bands around have a story/a certain je-ne-sais-quoi/a theme that they’re tapping into. Daft Punk have their helmets, Galactic Empire dresses up as Star Wars characters and do Star Wars covers, SIA had her bob haircut covering her face, etc. What’s your story, what’s unique about you, what will make people stop scrolling on the newsfeed to give you seconds of their limited time on Earth? Whether it’s something you already have or a fantasy you create, be open-minded, think outside the box and try to design something that fits in flawlessly with your music. You will end up creating a hype around you and could even get loyal fans without much (or any) music out there.

Keep up-to-date with your online marketing

Unfortunately, it’s not enough to just do the things above to keep afloat. As your music grows, your audience will change/mature with you, your story will evolve, and our attention spans are not getting any bigger. Your followers need to be updated on a regular basis of your activities. It should not be that your fans are thinking ‘I wonder what this musician is up to nowadays?’ but rather that you tell them before they even start thinking, to have their interest at all times. Your followers are there for you so keeping them in the loop is so important, not to mention you could use them at all times to gauge whether they will be interested in certain things before you’ve put too much effort in them. It’s quite difficult and resource consuming (money and time) but it’s something that is a must.

Let’s recap: focus on quality over quantity and the 80-20 rule,  create your ideal follower persona and understand as much as possible about them. Don’t forget to find your story and show off your uniqueness and to keep up with your online marketing. Worst case scenario, we’re here for you in case you want to outsource your online presence, or if you need consulting, you can find us through the form on our landing page.

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