How to Promote your Release
So, you’ve released something that you are very proud of and worked really hard on, but of course, you don’t want it to fall on deaf ears. In this article, we’re going to give you a handful of pointers to get your release off the ground. We’re going to assume that you’re not famous, a TikTok star, nor an Instagram influencer. You just want people to hear your music. Fortunately, there are a good handful of tools and techniques to get first ears on your release.
Know Your Audience
The first principle we’ll start with is understanding that your audience is someone somewhere, and their attention is on something somewhere in the digital world. It’s easy to say “know your audience,” but how exactly do you do that?
Naturally, the first guess people make is “people like me,” which might be true but is indeed a very narrow place to start with. At this point in time, no matter how early you are in this process, it’s indeed likely that you have an audience, even if it’s just family and friends. They are your first patrons and deserve to be first in line to support your goals. Beyond that are people who are near them, people they are a proxy to.
But how do you get their attention? How can your immediate network promote you to them? Consider what you say when you’re promoting the acts you love.
The Story
This is the overarching concept of how you will later build your artist brand, but it’s also essential to get a good idea of your story early on. If this is your first release, then there is very much a story behind it. Everything that led you to this point in time is the story of that release.
Why does this release exist?
What did it take for you to get here?
What sacrifices and moments of adversity did you have to overcome?
If you can get all of that down into some tangible form, whether in text, a podcast, or a video, you are already halfway there to making an impact. A process I have taken artists through many times is to give them a piece of homework. They must take some time to do a “brain dump” onto a Google Doc, a piece of paper, a voice note, or whatever is comfortable, and to lay it all out. This is not supposed to be the finished article, more a means to get it all into a form that can be repurposed later.
From here, I would work with them to derive some media from this that could be useful in marketing the release. It’s likely you’ll have mediums you’re more comfortable with than others, so you can post-produce this into whichever form you prefer. This could be a series of IG posts, images, reels, TikToks, podcasts, whatever. The idea is to gradually tell your story over time and get people to know WHY this is happening.
But of course, just telling the story for no reason won’t move the needle by itself. You need a strong call-to-action. This is the part of the post, after you have told a compelling chapter of your story, to get them to take action. This could be to pre-save, pre-order, stream, buy, collect, or wherever the metric is for you at the time.
Storytelling Examples for Musicians
In the above examples, you can see that they are sharing a snapshot of where they are in their journey. As you do this over time, you slowly release a body of work that documents your journey as it happens. This can be very impactful when it comes to resonating with the audience and provides a way for fans to paint a broader picture of you as an individual and musician.
Storytelling Tips
Always write in your voice: Audiences immediately know what is authentic.
Own your story: Your story is inherently unique, so there is no need to create something out of nothing.
Be concise: It’s always tempting to write more words and beef up the post, but in reality, this just takes longer to read. Respect the time and attention of your audience and be as concise as possible.
Create or guest on a podcast: This is a surefire way to get the story out organically. Podcasting is a long-form medium, which means you have the time to dig deep. From there, you can easily take clips from the episode and post them on social media.
Additional Promotion Tips
Engage with Your Audience on Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to share behind-the-scenes content, teasers, and interact with your fans. Consistent engagement keeps your audience interested and invested in your journey.
Leverage Email Marketing: Build an email list and send regular updates about your music, upcoming releases, and personal stories. Email marketing is a powerful tool for maintaining a direct line of communication with your most dedicated fans.
Collaborate with Other Artists: Partnerships and collaborations can introduce your music to new audiences. Consider featuring on other artists' tracks, co-hosting live sessions, or creating joint social media campaigns.
Submit to Playlists and Blogs: Get your music featured on popular playlists and music blogs. Research and compile a list of curators and bloggers who align with your music style, and send personalized submissions to increase your chances of getting featured.
Use Paid Advertising: Invest in targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to reach a broader audience. Tailor your ads to specific demographics to maximize their effectiveness.