Aside from the fulfillment you get from playing, this is the whole darn point!

Biggest tip: If you’re looking to play professionally and make a living doing music, you have to get over any fear regarding self-promotion, inviting people to your shows, introducing yourself to strangers, asking people if they want to sign up for your e-mail list, and talking to people at your merch table.

The other important thing to recognize is that we’re in a new era and not only at your shows should you be talking to people, but nowadays it is so important to be active on social media and connect to people and your fans.

Your fans will find a reason they connect with you and your music - this is what brings them out to your shows and keeps them listening on their own time. This will happen naturally but you have to keep that connection in tact! It’s your job to keep the give-and-take going… at shows, on stage, off-stage, and online through social media and e-mail.

Engagement is a huge reason why so many creative, influencing people have a lot of followers. They are not selling to their fans all the time - they’re maintaining their viewer’s interest and entertaining them consistently.

As the numbers grow, it can become more difficult to keep in touch with each one individually, but you don’t have to do this all the time - set up meet and greets after your shows if there are people who want a signature or photograph - get in touch with local record stores and see if they’d let you do an in-store signing day of your record release. Talk to people at your shows, go to the merch booth, engage with the audience between songs, and give them time to clap after songs, it’s their way of responding to you.

Tips:

⁃Unfortunately there’s not always enough time to respond to every single person who reaches out online (it can be overwhelming if you have a large following, or if it’s growing rapidly) ...You are not obliged to respond to anything (especially with the online reach these days, people can sometimes demand attention or write tons of messages) but there are ways to do posts where you can acknowledge your fans as a whole.

⁃Keep your fans engaged/interested by being spontaneous, on-stage and off.

- Come up with social media ideas that involve them or are really fun and entertaining.

⁃Your fans are a good portion of the reason why you’re able to play shows and sell your product - don’t take them for granted.

⁃Be active anywhere you can on social media to stay in your fans feeds and to stay on their minds.

⁃Give your fans the opportunity to help you - some would be so excited to be part of a street team, promoting shows or hanging up fliers in their hometown, and reward them where you can.

⁃Come up with a clever name for your followers - here are some examples: Katy Perry: KatyCats, Lady Gaga: Little Monsters, Justin Bieber: Beliebers, etc. etc.

Goal making & having a message is a very important first step, even before creating & writing songs because finding/figuring out your goals, messages & purposes as an artist or band will help you write songs that reflect that. Of course there’s also the natural progression of a band or song writer...naturally writing songs & playing a couple first shows, jamming with people, having a couple bandmates & figuring out over time what it is that everyone wants. If you can take a little time to ask yourself these questions when you’re first starting out or if you even have played for years defining this sooner than later should help eliminate a lot of road blocks especially as you grow bigger. People shouldn’t tell you who you are. You should tell them & this should be the case for most of your career. For example, if you’re working with management or a label marketing team, you should be working with them & communicating your vision that way they can do a great job & come up with ideas. Another example is you might be communicating to a possible producer you may work with so you’ll want to be as clear as possible telling them your ideal sound & also what you stand for. Of course there’s collaboration- that’s what bands, working with people & life is about! You can work as a team defining these things!

What’s your goal as a band or artist? Do you want to tour? What do you want your recordings to sound like? Do you have a message that reflects in your band’s image (how you dress, your art & logos). Do you want to just play once a month weekend shows? Do you just want to record & release songs online & not tour? Do you want your songs on the radio? Do you just want to play solo but have a drummer once in awhile? If so would you hire them or is it a band? Or do u want to build a band? Do you want to write for other artists? There are countless questions you can ask & the more you define them the more you’ll know & be clear on your goals, vision, as well as message.

Your message is what you’ll carry throughout your path as an artist. It’s what will connect you to your audience, your fans, your fellow musicians/bands, and to opportunities down the road. Look at it as a road map for the future, envision how you want your music and yourself to be perceived and received by your audience. This will help in defining your goal. Your goal will be a good indicator of what you’ll need to do in order to reach a certain market and what your path will entail. If you set out to write songs and perform them in front of crowds, what genre do you most resonate with? Which venues would make the most sense for you to begin playing at? Especially if you’re an act just starting out in your home town —Find other bands or artists on a local level who are doing what you envision yourself doing and connect! Go to shows, big and small, and take note of what inspires you. Why do YOU belong on that stage? What do YOU have to offer?

D I Y A R T I S T B L O G.

I N S T A G R A M.

T W I T T E R.