With today’s technology, music has become even more of a part of our life experiences: we listen to it on our drive to work, when we go to parties, while we study, when we exercise, and in so many other settings. There are, however, still musicians who hope that their words will inspire change. It takes putting time and effort into both producing and promoting their music in order to build a stable fan base and make it big. Here are some of the most common marketing challenges faced by upcoming Sub-Saharan musicians:
Building a Genuine Social Media Following
One of the largest flaws with using social media to market music is that while an artist can have thousands of followers, it does not necessarily convert into sales. There is never a guarantee that paying to promote social media will bring in genuine fans. On the other hand, maintaining social media is essential to convey an artist’s brand in a way that is easily accessible to the public. If an artist is not on social media, it is significantly more difficult for him or her to be discovered.
Getting Discovered at Talent Competitions and Shows
This is a grassroots method used by SSA upcoming musicians to show case their talents. Unfortunately, most of the judges who come through these talent shows and competitions have their own set of beliefs and they might give an undeserving performer the win and leave out one who has outdone the others. Whether you get the top prize or not.
Get the Audience Your Music Deserves
Getting an audience is a serious challenge faced by most upcomings. The available marketing strategies like social media, meet-ups, local performances, competitions and so on pose a much bigger challenge to them. Musicians are Encouraged to go out there and market their music the right effective way so as to get the audience needed.
Network and being Community Orientation
One of the first goals is to develop relationships in your local community and music scenes. You can network in your neighborhood by knowing the different music venues and establishing relationships with other local artists and people involved in music. You can also think of it as building a local support group to help you motivated. Of course you should be doing this online as well as in person. The internet is not just a place where you find fans. Unfortunately, the locals do not invest much in the upcoming musicians because they do not trust their potential and efforts. Hence, they prefer investing in and supporting the musicians who have already gained reputation county wide or continent wide.
Your network is your net worth. More often than not, it’s all about who you know in life and the music industry is no exception.
Post by Mwaka Sachelo
Music Meets Media 