If you want to stand out from the millions of other indie artists vying for the public’s attention, here are a few pointers.
- Build relationships with your fans. Take the time to get to know them as well as to share some things about yourself. To most artists, their fan base is a big blur. Give them personal attention, and they’ll be loyal to you above many others!
- Build relationships with influential people. This included bloggers, reviewers, internet radio hosts etc. – anyone who the public looks to for introductions to great new music. Most artists throw their songs and their marketing out to the world to see what, if anything, gets some traction. If you get to know these influencers BEFORE you bombard them with your music, they will be much more inclined to pay attention and try to help you.
- Build relationships within the industry. This includes getting to know producers, marketing experts, managers, publicists etc. You may not need them now, but when you do, you’ll know exactly who to contact. You will already know who you can and who can’t work with. You’ll be aware of who is really good at what they do. And, they will already be familiar with your act and your music.
- Build relationships with everyone, even if they are not in the music industry. Don’t automatically think that they can’t help you. You never know who they know, or who they might meet. They might have a friend or relative who owns a club that you could play in. Their neighbor might be related to a big record producer. They may decide they want to be the president of your fan club! They might even be hiding who they themselves really are because they get overwhelmed with people want ting them to hear their music.
Do you notice a consistent theme here? It is all about relationships. The world is full of amazingly talented singers, tremendous entertainers, and prolific songwriters. But only those who have the wherewithal to build their careers on personal relationships will get the breaks when opportunities arise. In fact, without the relationships, you many never learn about the opportunities in the first place!
