Ingrid Michaelson - Genius Marketer

My last post was about how musicians can use social media to market themselves on the internet. Today I found an incredible example demonstrating the very same creativity I referred to in my post.

Ingrid Michaelson is giving away a song from her upcoming album to anyone who signs up for her email list! And, she doesn’t stop there.  For every additional person you refer (up to 3) she will allow you to download another free song from her album.  That’s 4 free songs!

Is it worth it?

Well, not only is she getting the contact information of people who are fans of her music, but she’s getting solid referrals from the fans themselves of other potential fans… and all for the price of a song or two.  To Ingrid, sharing her music with people who love it, and finding better ways to communicate with her fans is obviously a priority.

Joshua James

Let’s face it. It’s rare for a serious musician to care about much else besides their music.  Often times that’s all they care about.  The problem with this is that music alone doesn’t really put money in the bank, or food on the table.  If you plan to make a living out of being a musician, here are some easy steps to follow to build yourself a fan-base and potentially make a living off of your trade.

• People aren’t going to pay to listen to you unless they know what you sound like. Get your music out there! Use the the internet to show off your mad skills.  There are hundreds of niche music blogs and music discovery sites out there.  Start up a conversation with a blogger interested in your genre of music and get him to feature some of your tunes.  Upload some of your songs to a discovery site and let the world enjoy the fruits of your hard work, talent and creativity.
• Get on Twitter! Seriously… do it. And once you’re on, USE IT! Myspace only goes so far, and seriously limits your communication to a small demographic of friends and fans.  Twitter, on the other hand, has helped bridge the gap between artist and fan in an unbelievable way.  It gives you the chance to let your guard down and show people who you really are.  And trust me, they appreciate that… otherwise John Mayer wouldn’t be one of the top Twitter users. (And if you need a little extra motivation, read this article. It’s worth it, I promise.)
• Don’t be afraid to give your music away.  Easy now! Before you get your undies in a bind about gifting away all of your hard work, let me explain myself.  When I say, “Give your music away.” I don’t mean all of it.  Give your fans (and potential fans) a taste of your goodness.  Let them download a song or two so they can share it with their friends.  Let them get excited about it.  They’re more likely to come back for more.
• Being successful as a musician, an artist or finding success in any other industry requires one to obtain fans.  Your fans are people who are passionate about your product.  In the musician’s case, they are the people who buy all of your CD’s and ask for autographs when they see you in the restaurant.  They collect bits of your uneaten food that are up for auction on eBay, and fight for the old guitar pick you throw into the audience during your show. Kevin Kelley says if you can get yourself 1,000 true fans, you can make a living from your art.
• Practice talking to people.  I know being the mysterious, creative, introvert artist gets you all the hipster girls, but all too often the shy artists get overlooked because they come off as arrogant or just plain unmarketable.  Don’t be afraid to approach fans.  When they approach you, be gracious and smile.  If they talk to you on Twitter… talk back.  If they send you an e-mail, reply.  The little things go a long way, especially when building a fan base. The personality you gain from talking to everyone who loves your music will just make you appeal even more to the people with the big pocketbooks and important venues.

Welp, there you have it. Five awesome tips to successfully marketing your music. With a little hard work, friendly conversation and some sharing, you can get your project off the ground and into a venue, or maybe even a tour!  Be yourself. Share what you love.  Keep creating. Best of luck!

Feel free to share any other marketing ideas for musicians or other artists in the comments!