When I was in high school, I would go to 3-4 shows a week, sometimes more. I just loved live music so much.
Before I could drive, my mom would graciously transport me to and from these shows.
One time, we drove to a show that was 2 hours away from home, and she looked at me and said “you can’t keep doing this all the time, you can’t just go to concerts forever.”
I remember turning to her, not really knowing what that meant, and laughing. Because not going was never an option for me.
I knew that music was definitely one of the most important components of my life, and I was determined to take my skills in design, and use them within that industry.
And now – I’ve been working with bands for over a decade.
A lot of people ask me what they need to be doing to position their band (or brand) for success.
Here’s a couple of my best tips that will help you with getting there:
1. Have a good product. Do not proceed to the other music positioning strategies without this.
This may seem obvious, but it’s really important.
If you’re in a band, write good songs. Practice with your bandmates. Invest in good recordings. Create a live show experience that goes a little bit beyond your average Joe Shmoes. What shows have you seen that have a little extra “wow” factor?
If you run a music-centric business, learn everything you can about your products. That kind of passion will show through when you’re talking with your customers.
This should be the easy (and fun!) stuff.
2. Make a plan for design / music positioning your band to attract your target audience.
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking “of course the designer will tell you not to skimp on design.”
It’s true though – design is the #1 thing holding good bands and businesses back from getting to that next level.
When you look good, people take you seriously. Point blank. There’s psychological trigger that happens when you see something that’s just really well put-together. That person / company looks like they have a vision. They not only have a stellar product but also have gone to lengths to make sure that it’s visually appealing.
What I recommend is creating a brand identity guide that outlines your core colors, overall style, logo, typeface, etc.
3. Pick your top 2-3 social media platforms, and be awesome at them!
You don’t need to be on every platform.
I REPEAT – you don’t need to be on every platform!
It’s far more valuable to be active on a few different platforms than to be everywhere with multiple dormant accounts.
Think about where your target audience hangs out online. Is it Twitter? Is it Instagram? Positioning your band on the platforms that where those target fans are will work in your favor.
Which brings me to my next point…
4. Post to social media with intent, and on a schedule.
By posting with intent, I don’t mean that you have to go out and push whatever sales thing you have going on at that moment. Yes, that can be a part of the strategy, but it needs to be sprinkled in with other content.
It’s important to remember that people come to social media to feel distracted. To look at cat videos. To escape whatever they are doing for a moment.
They’re not looking for a hard sales pitch.
Instead, entertain them. Teach them something. Let them get to know you. Be real and honest.
Posting on a schedule helps you stay active within your community. Planning a schedule can be as simple as laying out what days you’re going to post, what kind of content you’re going to post, and to which platforms.
All this said, I’ll give it to you straight – success doesn’t come overnight. It takes a lot of work and dedication to get where you want to go.
It takes time (and often, a lot of testing!) to find “your people” and learn how to nurture those relationships.
If you need some help building your online presence and positioning yourself for success – I offer several consulting and done-for-you services. Book a call with me by clicking the button below. I love helping people in the music industry reach their goals.
[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Book a Call” style=”flat” shape=”square” color=”violet” size=”lg” align=”left” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcalendly.com%2Fmegangersch%2F15min|target:_blank” el_class=”bookBtn”][/vc_column][/vc_row]