Cheapest Ways to Promote Your First Project
19 Apr 2018
Whenever you hear someone talking about spending money on music advertising, you probably think of it as being a hefty expense that requires its own extensive budget. However, there are plenty of ways to promote music gradually without any high-cost investments upfront, and as you begin to see results, you can always scale up at a later date. With that being said, here are some ways you can promote your first project without breaking the bank.
1. CD Short Run
Having CDs made in bulk can get expensive quickly, especially if you’re ordering the common minimum order of 1,000 units. Luckily, some CD manufacturing services let you do what’s called a “short run,” which provides 100 units at a much more affordable price. This is the best way to begin your offline promotional efforts without a significant investment.
2. YouTube
It literally costs nothing to create your own channel and begin uploading your songs. With enough hard work, interesting song titles, and some nice artwork for your song videos, you should be able to build up momentum without spending a fortune. Once your budget permits, you could then start your own VEVO and have a professional music video produced to increase your visibility and appeal using visuals. Thanks to YouTube’s advertising revenue scheme, not only is it free to promote your music on this platform, you can actually make money from doing it as well.
3. Offline Networking at Events
If you heeded the advice in tip #1 above, you should already have some CDs to hand out, so now it’s just a matter of finding ideal opportunities for exposure. Ideal event types for this purpose include concerts, talent shows, competitions, industry networking events, festivals, smaller award shows, and club events. While it’s possible to be successful with nothing but online promotion, adding offline networking to your promotional game will give you the chance to build genuine contacts in a face-to-face manner that can have a stronger impact than a simple email with an attached sound file.
4. Google and Facebook Ads
Finally, when you’re ready to start getting serious about allocating a budget to your music promotion, an affordable way to begin is to fund a small ad campaign with Google Adwords and/or Facebook Ads. These pay-per-click advertising methods ensure that you’re only paying when people actually see and click on the link to your ad or song. Facebook ads are generally more effective for song promotion due to the social aspect of showing up on someone’s feed. In addition, you might also want to consider paying to have your songs placed in featured spots on YouTube and other sites that offer this premium option.
The Importance of Organic Growth
While it’s good to invest in various advertising and promotion methods, the best kind of growth is always organic – the natural spreading of a brand through a dedicated fan base. Ultimately, you want people to like your music and want to share it, versus having to stumble upon it unwillingly and unexpectedly. There are no shortcuts to creating good organic growth other than simply being a good artist with a trendy impact.