Analyzing Digital Marketing Services Demand for Musicians
It is effortless for artists today to break through on their own after going viral on a social media video or finding support from a fellow recording artist after being sent a link to an unreleased track. However, once the fad ends, the musicians need more knowledge to market themselves and keep the momentum to continue capturing engagement with this newfound fanbase.
In a previous post, I discussed the importance of integrating digital and traditional communication, noting how Taylor Swift has excelled at marketing herself by using this strategy, and as a result, standing out from the competition while becoming quite an untouchable asset on effective marketing communication in the music industry today.
Understanding Market Needs
The first step for marketers is identifying the areas where independent artists need help. This can come as direct feedback from interviews, surveys, or indirect research from social media analytics, comments, and real-time conversations with their target audience.
“Effective branding can capture the correct audience for your artistry and put the right content in front of them,” says Justin Grome, Founder & CEO of Clonefluence, Inc.
An example of this could be that a study may reveal that independent artists are looking for services that will improve their online presence, or their social media presence is lacking due to low engagement, or their website is not SEO friendly, therefore having high bounce rates, so fans don’t listen to their music, or have a way to attend their concerts.
Music Fan
Fan listening to music
Analyzing Trends
For marketers, analyzing trends is crucial. With emerging trends and digital platforms constantly evolving, services that are popular today may not exist tomorrow. For example, during COVID-19, virtual concerts were how we all survived when it came to music entertainment for three years. Today, they are non-existent. The demand for virtual concert marketing is no longer there as artists seek new ways to perform and connect with audiences.
Let’s look at music promotion. Some artists will look for a marketing company to help with playlist promotion. In return, they may include targeting genre-specific playlists on Spotify, creating a campaign on Spotify for Artists, and embedding their tracks on other social media platforms so that, in return, the artist will find a significant data increase in his monthly listeners.
Are artists connecting with the right people that can help them? There are many “fake” agencies, talent and artist managers, and publicists that offer help with absolutely no history or connection with industry peers. Artists must do research and connect with professionals after thoroughly researching their backgrounds and the skills they can offer to aid them in their careers.
I can think of many other ways an artist can realize that they need marketing help: Declining Social Media Engagement, Not Growing a Fanbase, Ineffective Promotion of new releases, low concert or merchandise sales, and many others.
Takeaways
Analyzing demand in digital marketing involves a mutual understanding of what the artist needs, looking at competitor offerings, and marketing agencies staying ahead of industry trends.
“It's important to consider marketing as a totem of the music industry,” Grobe shares. “It empowers artists to build a devoted fan base and propel their careers to new heights.
Marketers can provide services to help artists stand out from the competition, correctly align themselves with their brand goals, KPI, and promotional objectives, and launch their careers effectively, yielding results and profits.
By having a music marketer on your side, the independent musician can see how a little coaching and expertise can help you gain measurable benefits. It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but a little coaching puts you on the right track and gives you the extra push to market yourself effectively and stand out by marketing yourself immediately.