Be Where Everyone Is, Be Where Everyone Isn’t

Two approaches to promoting your band, both of which are not mutually exclusive.  Meaning, you should try to do them both as best you can.

The first, Be Where Everyone Is… is all about knowing your target fans, and making sure that you are active in those places, both online and in the offline space.  Being active where your potential fans already spend their time – the bars, websites, blogs, concerts, radio stations, specialty record shops, etc.  Make sure you are spending your time there wisely.  Don’t think selfishly when you are spending time where everyone is, that’s the kiss of death.  Thinking selfishly would mean you’re going to where everyone is, and shouting about what you want to talk about, not what everyone else wants.  That mentality leads to unproductive behaviour like shoving flyers in hands, postering, posting uninteresting shameless promotional messages online, shouting about your myspace, etc.  When you are in the space where everyone else is, think instead about how you can add value to what’s already there – if that’s having meaningful conversations, sharing news that the others will care about, helping out others within the community, putting on free shows, asking questions, appropriately giving away some of your music etc.  I say appropriately… don’t force it at people who aren’t interested… just make it available, then go about doing all the other things that can add value to the community you’re in, and every once in a while remind people it’s there.  (not more than once a week.)  You’ve got to stand out in the crowd, but not by being the one who shouts loudest… do it by being someone who adds lots of value to the community.

The second one, Be Where Everyone Isn’t… doesn’t mean playing to an empty room.  It is more about creative thinking, and since you’re a musician, hopefully you’re really good at thinking creatively.  This one is is about finding unique places to put yourselves and your music, where people aren’t expecting to come into contact with it.  Now, this is useless if it doesn’t match with your target audience, for example if you’re in a heavy metal band it’s probably not worth performing live on a flatbed truck outside the Wine & Cheese Show… while you might get a few wine-lovers who love their metal, the fact is it’s not efficient, even though it’s unique and unexpected.  But if you were in a jazz-band, that might be a great thing for you to do.  Try finding other communities other than music-based ones that are likely to enjoy your music, but aren’t currently engaged in talking about music…. Major record labels have entire departments to this, and they call it lifestyle marketing.  Again, if you’re that metal band, itching to play on a flatbed trailer, try playing outside the Tattoo Convention instead of the Wine & Cheese one.  It’s all about thinking about your fans, or potential fans, considering where else they might go when they’re not actively seeking music, and being there too.  So if you’d appeal to an affluent business crowd, maybe it’s busking at the airport, or engaging people online on travel messageboards… On a larger scale, this is why corporate brands associate themselves with certain musicians… the Vans Warped Tour, Blackberry and U2 / John Mayer, etc.  That’s the ultimate, and it can result in gobs of money changing hands, but that’s not the point here… the point is all about association and getting in front of new potential fans.  Now, you could just sit there and say “but I can’t get a tour sponsorship”… or you could say… okay, bands like mine get sponsored by Vans, so maybe I should try getting my music played in local skateboard shops, or alternative shoe-stores.  I can’t tell you every example, because there’s so many opportunities out there…. but I am challenging you to try and find these unique but suitable places to engage your potential fans.

Have fun, get out there, add value to your communities, and put more music out into the world in unexpected places.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

If you have done something that adds value to your community, or if you’ve done something unique to promote your music, let us know what it is in the comments below!