Indie Artists Are Struggling
Indie artists often struggle with marketing because they focus on spending money before developing a solid strategy. This leads many to hustle extremely hard to earn money just to gamble on ads, treating marketing like a slot machine instead of approaching it with a well-thought-out plan. The truth is, marketing should be approached strategically to ensure money is spent wisely.
Many of you don’t have a lot of money or time, but if you want your career to soar, you must brave the waters of marketing your music with both money and time.
Time Vs Money
If you have no money, spend the time.
If you have no time, spend the money.
If you have neither money nor time, change your environment because something is not right.
Side note: When it comes to advertisements, money equals $10,000 increments or better. Here’s why:
10:1 Content to Ad Spend Ratio
If you have $10k to spend on marketing your product, allocate $9,000 to organic content and product placement, and the remaining $1,000 to advertising. This ensures that when a consumer sees your ad and likes your music, they’ll find more content readily available.
Indexing for Customer Due Diligence
Building an index is crucial for creating a foundation and atmosphere for fan due diligence. An index is a catalog of content and media placed on the shelf in the marketplace. If your club has nothing in it, why would fans keep coming back? Your job is to build the club. If you only advertise and have no content, you’re a false advertiser and an amateur wasting money and customers' time.
Organic Content
Creating an organic content campaign yields more traction and deeper roots than a paid ad campaign. It allows you to develop content quality and create a paper trail for new fans.
Paid Ads
Paid ads should amplify what already works. As an artist or record label, even $100, $1,000, or $10,000 can be significant within your current budget.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is like the free sample person in Costco or Sam’s Club. Influencers exist in the marketplace where your product is shelved. They are a paid display that increases viewership and listenership through the power of people, rather than automation. This is public relations—expensive but worth the organic reach. Here, organic (influencer) is better than GMO (advertising).
Yeah, but I don’t have the time that’s the problem!
Eliminate time-wasters that make you lazy—phone, TV, clubbing, gaming, social media. These are time and money sinks. Unplug them, store the TV and games away, and discipline yourself by turning off phone notifications to replicate a phone from the 90s. The goal is to buy your time back.
Fool-Proof Marketing Play
Spend 10% of your money on paid ads or influencer ads.
Spend 90% of your money on an organic content campaign.
Create an index of content for due diligence.
If you have no money, spend the time.
If you have no time, spend the money.
Ok, but I don’t have the money either!
Create organic content with the tools you have now to create leverage. The money will show up. Do what you can with no money. Cut unnecessary expenses like eating out, drinks, food delivery, subscriptions, etc., and invest that money into your career. Remember, anything worth having requires sacrifice to be a better you!
This may help you out in other ways!
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Successful Marketing Tactics
Using these marketing tactics will keep you within budget, manage expectations, and allow you to grow without losing yourself or your money. Maximizing time is key.
Ignoring These Tactics
Ignoring these tactics doesn't mean you will fail, but it will make growth difficult, especially if you haven't built a business yet.
Conclusion
If you were struggling with marketing your music and using money to do it, you now have a framework to make it happen.
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