The simple truth is that if you do not know how to promote your music and let people know about the services you offer, then no one will hire you. It’s that simple. In this article I will be showing you some easy ways on How to Promote Your Music and get clients as a songwriter.
1. You need to niche down and dominate it in order to get clients as a songwriter
Before we get started on the tips to market yourself, there is something very important you need to know about. That is you need to pick a niche and then dominate it. By this I simply mean, picking one genre of music and becoming a master there. You do not want to be known as that “music songwriter”, instead you want to be known as that jazz or country or rock music songwriter. By picking a niche and dominating it, you become the go to guy when clients need lyrics in that genre of music. This gives you an edge and helps you stand out amidst the many songwriters out there struggling to get by and will allow you to get clients as a songwriter.
2. You need to go digital to get clients as a songwriter
Thanks to technology and the internet, with a website and written content you can reach millions of people everyday. So you need to take advantage of this opportunity. Start by getting a blog and provide value for your fans and audience. The keyword here is “value”. You want to provide so much value for prospective clients that they see you as an expert and the go-to guy when they need your services. Also by having a website and a blog, you can upload samples of your writings and lyrics that people can download and assess your work. Most importantly, you can begin to build a fan base by collecting email addresses on your website and giving then tips and advice that they can use to stay in touch with you and your brand. By building your fan base you have an army that will spread the word about you to their friends and increase your reach.
3. You need to embrace social media to get clients as a songwriter
Social media is probably the hottest thing right now. If you are looking for the fastest way to spread your name and become known then you need to jump on the social media bandwagon. By having social media profiles on the major platforms (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), you can easily get heard by a lot of people. Just imagine that recently Facebook announced that they have about 1 billion active users on their platform. That’s really huge if you ask me and you do not need that amount of people to become successful. All you need is a way to reach some of those people, preferably within your local community and build up your fan base. By posting your lyrics and songs you have completed online, you get to have people connecting with you and your brand. Maintaining a social network presence is one of the most time effective strategies that you can employ to get yourself known and attract paying clients to your business.
4. Get out there and network to get clients as a songwriter
This is one idea that a lot of people find very difficult. Most people (myself included) would prefer to sit in my house and do all the interactions by mail or by phone. But unfortunately, this does not work very well. As a songwriter trying to get clients, you need to be ready to meet people and do a lot of networking. Now I am not advising that you travel around the country just to network. You can and should start small by meeting people around your community. One phrase that I like so much is “It’s all about who you know”. While this might sound like a cliché, it is absolutely true. You need to keep your ear to the ground and go out and network with people in the same industry as you. One thing you need to know about networking is that you want to avoid coming across as a needy or offensive. Think about what you can offer to the other person even before you pitch your services. This way the relationship is more of a win-win situation than a needy one.
5. Pick someone and develop them to get clients as a songwriter
This point is all about working with an upcoming artist and providing lyrics for them. The advantage of this is that you get to flex your creative writing skills while using the artist as a stage to project your lyrics. The truth is that when starting out, you are going to find it a little difficult to get noticed by the big boys in your industry. The best way to get on their radar is to have an upcoming artist who you can easily work with sing your lyrics. This way you are not just pitching them lyrics, you are also showing them a complete work and how your lyrics sound with instrumentals. This helps you become recognized as an expert and someone that they actually want to work with.
Conclusion
Promoting yourself is crucial to your success and will help you get clients as a songwriter. It is probably more important than stage performance or understanding song theory. The truth is that if nobody knows you, then nobody hires you. If you liked reading this blog post, here’s a similar one on digital marketing tips for musicians. Give it a read!
How to promote your music and get clients as a songwriter is a guest post by Uche Ibe.
Uche Ibe is a passionate singer and blogger as www.welovesinging.com. He enjoys teaching people how to sing and helping them become better singers. You can connect with him by visiting his blog or sending him an email.
Check out youbloom Connect and/ or sign up here: https://www.youbloom.com/artist-apply/ where you can get partnered to perform with other local artists, build a steady fan-base, and even get your band on the road.
