Here’s a guest post from our friends over at ZingInstruments.com who are almost as obsessed about music as we are!
So, you’ve started a band!
You’ve played a few gigs, but the same faces keep on showing up. And they’re kind of dwindling… and they consist entirely of mates you knew long before starting up this project.
How are you going to get some followers? Who are there out of actual desire to see you, as well as to support you?
1) Talk To Other Bands
This is an important one. All too often, bands fall into the trap of viewing gigs as some kind of ‘competition’. Who will play best? Who will bring the most people? Who is actually cooler/crazier/whatever-you’re-going-for?
Well, fortunately – with the exception of those awful ‘Battle of the Bands’ gigs – most gigs are not competitions! And the other bands are your friends!
Networking with other bands will work wonders for your reputation and is one sure way to grow your fan base. Building relationships with bands with whom you can share regular gigs with means that you can introduce your existing fans to them, and vice versa.
Bang! Your Facebook Likes just doubled! It will encourage healthy pre-gig vibes, too :).
2) Be Active On Social Media
So, in order to double your Facebook Likes, you really need to have a Facebook Page! You need a Twitter, too. And you need to use these sites effectively! It’s all part of what is called social media marketing, which is key for musicians these days.
Tagging the other bands that you’re now mates with, tagging venues you’re playing at, hash-tagging stuff that is linked to your band’s genre/general message/location, will all get your name out there.
Regular videos, pictures, gig updates and – if it suits you – song lyric posts will also get you noticed by potential followers.
Keep it interesting, and you won’t be considered spammy…
3) Start A Mailing List
You might be considered a bit spammy if you overuse this, but a mailing list – although slightly old fashioned – is a great way to keep in touch with people you meet at gigs or who visit your website and are interested.
This is more popular amongst the slightly older generations, who are amongst the most valuable and loyal fans you can have!
Start a mailing list, wait until you have a significant amount to share before sending emails, and respond to responses (as long as they’re not too weird!). It’s a friendly and direct way of keeping in touch with those who have already expressed interest.
4) Talk About Stuff!
Once you’ve started collecting followers, it is important to keep them interested!
You can do this by talking about more than just when your next gig is or when you are recording.
People like to put bands into context and to feel connected to the members, so offering information about where you found your inspiration, what your ideals are, even random stuff like what guitar pedals you play, will really help.
If you’re in a punk band, you might want to share thought out political ideals, if you’re in a psychedelic band, you might want to share psychedelic artwork, or music from the 1960s.
These kind of shares on social media will make your integrity obvious, your followers interested, and your fanbase grow!
Good Luck!
