Top 5 Music Marketing Mistakes

Music Marketing Mistake Number One

The biggest mistake you can make while trying to get your music in the hands of potential fans is to take any sort of action without first deciding what you want as an artist, record label, producer, etc. I do not mean a general idea. I am talking about real goals, actual visualization of what you want to achieve in your music career, and what your idea of "making it" really is. You should always start with the end in mind and then work backwards to determine what steps you need to take to reach your goal. Be realistic, set up small goals that all lead to the main goal, and use successful outcome to build your confidence and drive to reach the main goal.

Music Marketing Mistake Number Two

Not planning an entire music marketing campaign that has clearly defined goals attached. Once you know what your main goal is, do not go out and start throwing money or energy at ideas trying this or that all while hoping you hit on something that works. There is no magic strategy that will lead you to your goals. You have to take the time to plan what you will do, research facts, and determine the best path to reaching your goals. THere are many, many successful music marketing strategies available online. But rarely do you see the entire campaign that a singular strategy came from and was used within to make it successful. One strategy does not equal a music marketing campaign. You have to look at your abilities, budget, team, and resources and then design an entire plan you can follow for maximum exposure of your music that leads you to your goals.

Music Marketing Mistake Number Three

Determining your goals, taking the time to create an effect music marketing campaign, and then not tracking your efforts to see what is working and what is not working. Tracking your music marketing efforts is the biggest component of a successful campaign. By tracking your efforts you can see where your money and energy are best being used, where you are wasting your resources, and what needs to be adjusted in your campaign to gain the most fans with the least amount of money or energy. Hard work is a good thing, but thinking that if you just keep your head down and work harder things will start to happen is a big mistake. In the music industry you have to learn to work smart, not hard. The only way to work smart is by knowing what is working for you and what is not.

Music Marketing Mistake Number Four

Not giving your efforts time to work! Marketing your music will take time. Buzz does not happen over night, fans do not flock to your website to buy your music in a single day, and passing out flyers for an upcoming show the night before the event will not lead to a packed house. You have to give your efforts time to work in order to know if they are indeed working. Too many up-and-coming artists, labels, producers, agents, and managers what a "quick fix" that gives instant results. Did you know that an average person has to see a marketing message more than seven times before it sinks in far enough to make them actually take the desired action given in the marketing message?

Music Marketing Mistake Number Five

Believing the hype! The only way to survive in the music industry is to know the music industry. You have got to be learning every single day. The only way to do this is by reading, studying, watching videos, buying books, and attending online as well as offline music seminars. What I see too often is up-and-coming independents thinking they understand the industry when they actually have only even seen or heard about less than ten percent of what really makes it tick. The real problem comes when they stop listening to what anyone has to say because they "think" they know what is what. There should never be a single day go by that you do not learn something new. This includes seasoned professionals, new comers, and everything in between. THe music industry changes so fast that what is working today may actually kill your career tomorrow. The trick is to always listen, no matter what you think you know. THen, take the new information, bounce it around in your head with other information you have received and see where or how it fits in. Does the new information sound fishy? Does is fit i? Does it change your perception of a strategy or other information you might already have? Information is king when marketing your music. Here is the best thing you can do with new information: Listen - Digest - Sort - Research - File. Meaning; listen to what you can, toss it around in your head for a while so you can fully grasp what is being said, research the information to see what else you can find out about the topic, find a place in your brains filing cabinet to place the information so it is ready when you need it - or if you found that is is total BS file it in the trash can. There is literally no bad information when trying to learn about the music industry. Even BS information gets you closer to good information. How? Because as you learn you will find that there is indeed a massive amount of information out there that is based on theory or is simply not true. The faster you learn what is BS, the faster you can see what information you need to get a hold of to move you towards your goals!

Follow this link to learn how to avoid these mistakes while planning your successful music marketing campaign!

Peace,
Jai
"Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!"

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