Running a successful band is about more than producing killer riffs and writing vocals. You have to be able to brand yourself effectively if you want to land contracts and build an engaged following.
However, building a brand around your artistic project can be tricky. Unlike a business, your goal isn’t solely to increase profits. You also want to say something about the world and connect, artistically, with your audience.
Balancing between building your brand and staying true to yourself can be tough. You’ll always feel the pressure to put yourself “into a box” for promoters and record labels but may need to resist some marketing efforts if they undermine your creative vision.
Know Thyself
Building a brand is all about creating an identity for other people to recognize. Your brand communicates your values and says something about the way you approach music. This includes everything from your name to your graphic design choices.
Start by looking inwards. Ask your band members how they see themselves and the music you produce together. If you’re met with a lot of resistance or confusion, consider a few activities that authentically raise the self-esteem of your bandmates, like:
- Setting realistic goals together;
- Surrounding yourself with positivity and celebrating each other’s wins;
- Repeating encouraging mantras;
- Investing in branded items that help refine your brand identity.
Looking inward can give you a clear sense of direction and improves your autonomy. This is important, as PR professionals will want to push your brand in a certain direction when building your notoriety. Self-knowledge allows you to stand firm on the things that matter while you can make small concessions for the sake of building a brand.
Look Around
No matter how edgy your band is, you’re surrounded by dozens of other acts who do something similar to you. Even scenes like gore noise and thrashcore have vibrant communities with thousands of followers and hundreds of bands. Look at your competitors, and see how you can fit into the scene.
In business, folks are always looking for a unique selling point (USP). You can follow suit by finding a USP for your band. For example, if you notice that everyone in your genre wears the same clothes, adjust your look on-stage by opting for unique haircuts and wearing a totally different outfit.
Draw inspiration from the bands you love and try to write a few songs that explore similar themes or ideas. Be sure to avoid plagiarism when writing your music, as the rules around sampling and covering bands’ original work are murky at best. Opt for original content whenever possible, and use social media as a soundboard for your ideas.
Social Media Branding
Social media is an excellent space to advertise your band and build a brand. You can post samples to your socials and can pick up a viral following if you play your cards right.
However, social media can be a hard beast to tame. You can expect to find success by posting random clips at odd hours of the day. Instead, build a successful social media strategy that aligns with your brand image and bolsters your following.
Start by setting social-media-related goals. These can be as simple as “grow our follower count by ‘X’” or more complicated, like “increase album sales traffic through platform ‘Y’.” Clear goals give you direction and ensure that you are always trending upward.
Post authentic content that audiences will actually enjoy. No one wants to be bombarded by links to ticket sales and merchandised content. Instead, plan and produce interesting content like “behind the scenes” shots and pre-releases of upcoming album content.
Engage with your followers when moderating your social pages. Folks who leave comments want to hear from you and will be excited when you respond. Creating a community can improve the strength of your brand image, too, which can go a long way when you release a new album or start touring.
Adjust your content to suit the genre of each social media platform. For example, if you want to grow your brand on Instagram, utilize influencers who can link to your page and promote your brand. Promote user-generated content (UGC) when possible, as this shows followers that you appreciate their contributions and value them as an audience.
Conclusion
Creating a brand is a great way to build your brand and expand your following. However, many musicians quickly find that branding gets in the way of their artistic output and undermines their authenticity.
You can improve your brand identity while staying true to yourself by setting goals as a team and identifying a USP for yourself. Use social media and marketing techniques to improve your band’s SEO and develop an engaged following online. Post “behind the scenes” style content and respond to the comments you receive. This shows your audience that you care about them and can help you build an authentic brand for your band.
By Indiana Lee
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