The Ultimate Guide For Marketing New Music 2023 Part 3: Strategic Planning
By Shawn Spence
Introduction
Welcome to the third part of our comprehensive guide on marketing new music! In this installment, we will dive into the crucial aspect of strategic planning. As an aspiring musician or a seasoned artist looking to expand your reach, having a well-thought-out marketing strategy is paramount to your success. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and tools to create an effective strategic plan that will elevate your music career to new heights.
The Ultimate Guide For Marketing New Music Part 3: Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is the cornerstone of any successful marketing campaign. It involves setting clear goals, identifying target audiences, and developing a roadmap to achieve desired outcomes. In the context of music marketing, strategic planning entails outlining your brand identity, defining your unique selling points, and formulating strategies to promote your music to the right audience at the right time. Let's explore the key steps involved in creating a robust strategic plan for marketing your new music.
Step 1: Define Your Objectives
The first step in strategic planning for your music marketing campaign is to define your objectives. This crucial step sets the foundation for your entire strategy. Take a moment to reflect on what you want to achieve with your music. Are you aiming for increased streaming numbers, a larger fan base, or securing live performance opportunities? Clearly defining your goals will provide a sense of direction and focus as you proceed with your strategic planning.
When setting your objectives, it's important to make them specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Instead of a vague goal like "I want more fans," consider a specific objective such as "I want to increase my monthly Spotify listeners by 20% within the next six months." This way, you have a clear target to work towards and can track your progress along the way.
Defining your objectives also involves understanding your priorities. You may have multiple goals, but it's crucial to identify the most important ones that align with your long-term vision. For example, if your primary objective is to build a dedicated fan base, you may prioritize strategies that focus on fan engagement, community-building, and social media presence.
By establishing clear objectives, you give yourself something concrete to strive for and measure your success against. It will guide your decision-making process throughout your music marketing campaign and help you stay on track. Keep in mind that objectives can evolve over time, so it's essential to regularly evaluate and adjust them as needed.
To effectively market your music, you need to identify and understand your target audience. Who are the people most likely to appreciate and connect with your music? Conduct thorough research to uncover demographic information, musical preferences, and online behaviors of your potential listeners. This knowledge will enable you to tailor your marketing efforts to resonate with your target audience.
Start by analyzing your existing fan base and identifying common characteristics among your most engaged and supportive fans. Look for patterns in demographics such as age, gender, location, and cultural background. Additionally, explore their musical preferences and the genres they enjoy. This information will help you craft marketing messages and content that specifically appeal to this audience.
Utilize online tools and platforms to gather data about your audience. Social media insights, website analytics, and streaming platforms provide valuable information about your listeners' behaviors, engagement levels, and geographical distribution. This data will help you make informed decisions about the channels and strategies you should prioritize in your marketing efforts.
Furthermore, consider conducting surveys or engaging in direct conversations with your fans. This can provide valuable qualitative insights into their motivations, interests, and what they value most about your music. Use this information to refine your understanding of your target audience and adjust your marketing tactics accordingly.
Remember that your target audience might evolve over time. Stay proactive and regularly revisit your research to ensure your strategies stay aligned with the changing needs and preferences of your audience. The better you understand your target audience, the more effectively you can connect with them and build a loyal fan base.
Step 3: Craft Your Brand Identity
In the highly competitive music industry, having a strong brand identity is essential for standing out from the crowd. Take the time to define and craft your unique brand image, which encompasses your artist persona, visual aesthetics, and overall style. A well-developed brand identity creates a cohesive and memorable experience for your audience, making it easier for them to connect with you and differentiate you from other musicians.
Start by understanding your own values, vision, and musical identity. Consider what sets you apart from other artists and how you want to be perceived by your audience. This self-reflection will help you identify key elements that will form the foundation of your brand identity.
Develop a cohesive visual identity that aligns with your music and resonates with your target audience. This includes your logo, color palette, typography, and overall design aesthetic. Consistency in your visual branding across various platforms and channels helps create recognition and reinforces your brand image in the minds of your audience.
In addition to visuals, your brand identity should extend to your artist persona and the way you communicate with your audience. Define the tone and voice that best represents you and your music. Whether it's friendly and approachable or edgy and rebellious, ensure that your communication style aligns with your brand identity.
Consistency is key when it comes to brand identity. Apply your brand elements consistently across all your marketing materials, including your website, social media profiles, album artwork, merchandise, and press releases. This consistent presentation will help create a strong and memorable impression on your audience.
Crafting a unique and authentic brand identity takes time and effort, but it's a crucial investment in your long-term success as a musician. By establishing a strong brand presence, you make it easier for your target audience to identify and connect with you, building trust and loyalty in the process.
In today's digital landscape, content is king. Developing a comprehensive content strategy is essential for capturing and maintaining your audience's attention. By determining the types of content that align with your brand and resonate with your target audience, you can create a consistent and engaging experience that keeps your fans coming back for more.
Begin by identifying the types of content that best showcase your music and align with your brand identity. This can include music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, live performances, interviews, lyric videos, and creative visual content. Consider the preferences of your target audience and what they would find most appealing and engaging.
Create a content calendar to plan and organize your content release schedule. This will ensure a consistent flow of material and help you stay organized in your marketing efforts. The calendar should include important dates such as album releases, single drops, music video premieres, and upcoming shows or tours. Strategically plan your content releases to build anticipation and maintain a steady presence in the minds of your fans.
When developing your content, aim for high-quality and professional production. Invest in the necessary resources to ensure that your visuals, audio, and overall presentation are of the highest standard. Remember that your content reflects your brand, so it's important to deliver a polished and captivating experience to your audience.
Engage with your fans through your content by encouraging interaction and conversation. Respond to comments and messages, ask for feedback, and involve your audience in your creative process. This fosters a sense of community and connection, making your fans feel valued and involved in your journey as an artist.
Don't limit yourself to just one platform. Utilize various channels and mediums to reach a wider audience. Besides social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, consider exploring podcast appearances, collaborations with popular influencers, and guest blogging opportunities. Each platform offers unique opportunities to connect with different segments of your audience.
Step 5: Leverage Social Media
In today's digital age, social media platforms have become invaluable tools for musicians to promote their music and connect directly with fans. It's essential to identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and establish a strong presence there. Here's how you can leverage social media to maximize your music marketing efforts:
Choose the right platforms: Research and identify the social media platforms where your target audience is most likely to engage with music content. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube are popular among music enthusiasts. Focus your efforts on the platforms that align with your audience demographics and preferences.
Build a strong profile: Create an attractive and professional profile on each platform you choose. Use high-quality visuals, such as professional photos and album artwork, that reflect your brand identity. Craft a compelling bio that succinctly describes your music and showcases your unique selling points.
Engage with your followers: Social media is all about building relationships and engaging with your fans. Respond to comments, messages, and mentions promptly. Show genuine interest in your audience by liking and commenting on their posts. Encourage conversation and create a sense of community around your music.
Share updates and behind-the-scenes content: Regularly update your social media profiles with engaging content. Share snippets of new music, behind-the-scenes footage from recording sessions or rehearsals, and sneak peeks of upcoming projects. This not only keeps your fans excited but also gives them a sense of being part of your journey.
Use relevant hashtags: Hashtags are powerful tools to expand your reach on social media. Research and use popular and relevant hashtags in your posts to increase discoverability. Hashtags specific to your genre, location, or popular music trends can help you reach a broader audience.
Collaborate with influencers: Identify influencers or content creators who align with your music style and target audience. Collaborate with them by featuring your music in their content or creating joint projects. Influencer collaborations can expose your music to new audiences and give you credibility within the industry.
Remember, social media success doesn't happen overnight. Consistency, authenticity, and genuine interaction are key to building a loyal following and expanding your reach.
Step 6: Collaborate and Network
Collaborating with other musicians, industry professionals, and influencers is a powerful strategy to amplify your reach and introduce your music to new audiences. Networking within the music industry can open doors and create valuable connections that propel your music career forward. Here's how you can effectively collaborate and network:
Seek collaboration opportunities: Actively seek opportunities to collaborate with other musicians, both within and outside your genre. Collaborative projects can take the form of joint tracks, remixes, or even live performances. By joining forces, you can tap into each other's fan bases and expose your music to a wider audience.
Perform at events: Seek opportunities to perform at live events, music festivals, or showcases. Sharing the stage with other talented artists not only expands your exposure but also allows you to connect with industry professionals and potential collaborators.
Feature on podcasts and blogs: Reach out to podcast hosts and music bloggers who cover your genre. Offer to be a guest on their shows or contribute guest articles. These platforms provide a dedicated audience interested in music and can help you gain visibility and credibility in the industry.
Attend industry events: Actively participate in industry events, conferences, and workshops. These gatherings offer opportunities to connect with industry professionals, record label representatives, and other musicians. Be prepared to network, exchange contact information, and showcase your music and brand to influential individuals.
Join online communities: Engage in online communities and forums dedicated to music and
musicians. Participate in discussions, share your knowledge, and offer support to fellow artists. Online communities provide a platform for networking, collaboration opportunities, and sharing valuable insights with like-minded individuals.
Build relationships: Networking is about building genuine relationships with others in the music industry. Take the time to connect with industry professionals, musicians, producers, and influencers on social media platforms. Engage with their content, offer support, and show interest in their work. Building strong relationships can lead to future collaborations, recommendations, and valuable guidance.
Attend music conferences and workshops: Music conferences and workshops provide excellent networking opportunities. Attend industry events where you can meet professionals from record labels, talent agencies, and other sectors of the music industry. Be proactive in introducing yourself, exchanging business cards, and following up with potential contacts after the event.
Stay active in online music communities: Join online music platforms, forums, and groups where musicians and industry professionals gather. Contribute valuable insights, share your music, and participate in discussions. Engaging in these communities can help you establish your presence, gain feedback on your work, and connect with potential collaborators.
Remember, networking is not just about what others can do for you, but also what you can offer in return. Be supportive, genuine, and approachable in your interactions. Building a strong network takes time and effort, but it can be incredibly rewarding for your music career.
FAQs About Marketing New Music
1. How can I promote my music on a limited budget?
Promoting your music on a limited budget is challenging but not impossible. Leverage the power of social media platforms, engage with your audience, and share your music in relevant online communities. Collaborate with other artists and explore low-cost marketing strategies such as targeted email campaigns or grassroots promotion.
2. How important is it to have a website as a musicians?
Having a website as a musician is highly important. It serves as your centralized online hub where fans can learn more about you, access your music, and stay updated on your latest releases and performances. A website also provides a professional image and establishes credibility in the industry. Utilize your website to showcase your music, share your story, and provide a platform for fans to engage with you directly.
3. Is it necessary to hire a music marketing agency?
Hiring a music marketing agency can be beneficial, especially if you have limited knowledge or resources in the field. A professional agency can provide expertise, industry connections, and targeted strategies to maximize your music's exposure. However, if you have the time, dedication, and willingness to learn, you can also tackle music marketing independently by following comprehensive guides like this one.
4. How can I leverage music streaming platforms for promotion?
Music streaming platforms have revolutionized the way we consume music. To leverage these platforms for promotion, focus on optimizing your profiles on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud. Utilize playlists, engage with your listeners, and encourage them to follow and share your music. Collaborate with curators and seek placement on popular playlists to expand your reach and gain new fans.
5. What role does email marketing play in music promotion?
Email marketing remains a powerful tool in the music industry. Building an email list allows you to directly communicate with your most dedicated fans. Send regular newsletters with updates on new releases, upcoming shows, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes insights. Personalize your emails to make your subscribers feel valued and create a sense of exclusivity.
6. How can I measure the success of my music marketing efforts?
Measuring the success of your music marketing efforts is essential to refine your strategies and ensure you're on the right track. Monitor key metrics such as streaming numbers, social media engagement, website traffic, and ticket sales for live performances. Use analytics tools provided by various platforms to gain insights into your audience demographics, geographical reach, and engagement levels.
Conclusion
Strategic planning is a fundamental aspect of effectively marketing new music. By following the steps outlined in this ultimate guide, you can create a robust strategic plan to promote your music to the right audience and achieve your goals. Remember to define your objectives, identify your target audience, craft your brand identity, develop a content strategy, leverage social media, and collaborate with others in the industry. With dedication, perseverance, and a solid strategic plan, you can make significant strides in your music career.
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Posted on December 27, 2022
5 Ways Musicians Can Prepare For The New Year
By Shawn Spence
The Festive period is rapidly approaching, and musicians all around the world are laying the groundwork in accordance with it now. Want to enjoy this Holiday season to the fullest? Here are a few ideas for prepping:
Promote Fiercely
One of the busiest times of year for music purchases is the holiday season. People worldwide are searching for the ideal presents for their music-loving friends and family, from CDs and vinyl to posters and souvenirs.
You should use this opportunity to spread as much of what you have as you can. But it doesn't mean you should blare the same content across all platforms. There are many original methods to advertise around the holidays. Try, for instance, the following:
Remind your followers that a vinyl copy of your most recent record would make the ideal gift topper.
Post images of you lounging by the fire wearing your coziest apparel and include a link to your merch store.
Offer limited-time discounts on your merch as your own unique present.
These are just a few suggestions to help you get inspired. Make it your own by considering what you want to see from your favorite artist.
Holiday-Themed Content
Will you be releasing a whole holiday album? Perhaps a single? Whatever you want to do, think about doing something special for it. This might signify anything, but take into account some of the following examples:
Every week leading up to the holiday of your choice, Livestream a new holiday cover.
Make unique holiday merch.
Try running a social media contest with a theme where the winners receive first access to your upcoming holiday single.
Make a merch giveaway.
Collab with other artists on holiday themes.
Release A Holiday Cover Song
It could seem nearly impossible to write an original hit that will knock people's socks off given how much festive music is already available. For your benefit, there are several songs in the public domain that you can freely cover without worrying about legal consequences.
Additionally, the holidays are all about blaring your holiday-themed illicit musical pleasures. Putting out holiday music of your own is a fantastic way to participate at this time of year.
Create A Holiday Playlist
Create your own holiday playlists to help ignite the holiday spirit! Remember that the greatest holiday music is suitable for dinner parties, cooking, relaxing holiday feelings, and joyful jams. Once you've put up the ideal playlist, post the link on Facebook groups, Twitter, Instagram Stories, or really wherever else you feel your audience will be most engaged.
You could even create a joint playlist with another artist to take it up a level and distribute it to further increase your audience...
Spotify and Apple Music are two outstanding streaming platforms that include the functionality of collaborative playlists.
Feel free to pick whatever one your soul catches because they both have the same principle and are quite simple to use.
Go Local
This holiday season, your community could have socially segregated activities depending on your state. There are various ways you may be involved in your community events, whether a location needs a live performance or just a piece of nice holiday music.
Reach out to neighborhood bars and check out Facebook groups for your community to learn more about what's going on and how you can become involved.
In Conclusion,
Even if there is a huge amount of music on the market, there are other things you can do to maintain the momentum. Conduct research. Be original in your approaches, and the holiday season will undoubtedly be successful.
MPT Agency generates traffic to well-known artists, allowing them to focus on their work every day. Be sure to visit our blog and follow us on Instagram for more details on music marketing and to learn about additional services that can help you advance your musical career.
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Posted on September 23, 2022
The Ultimate Guide For Marketing New Music Part 3: Strategic Planning
By Yvonne Martin
Have you ever asked yourself how to plan your music career? What are the steps that go into the magic of becoming an artist?
A Musician in today's industry must use a patient mind, goal-setting perspectives, action-planning, and a deep self-awareness to successfully navigate and manage their career. Believe it or not, this wonderful set of emotionally intelligent aptitudes culminate in a single tangible, well, digital, document.
Inside a musician's toolkit must always be a strategic plan. It's much like a business plan but without an investor angle. Strategic plans outline a career's key components and by tracing connections between your environment and your objectives, allow you to evaluate, target, and follow through with both macro and micro plans.
Throughout our experiences, MPT has seen many different career types and musical successes. The strategic plan is unique to each artist but starts with a single set of questions and considerations. In this article, we will discuss how to put together a strategic plan for your musical career.
Reasons To Treat Your Music Like A Real Business
Right about now, you might be wondering, "Is strategic planning really that important, how should I plan my music career, inst everything is random?"
To start with, no, nothing is random, everything in the industry is a story inside of someone else's story. So start first by evaluating where you fit in as a musician in your genre's market. Take a time to think back on the past year.
Did you get that album or single released?
If so, did it get released on schedule?
Did you accomplish more than half of what you wished to do?
Have you achieved any of the significant milestones available in your market?
We frequently make decisions based on our feelings. After all, why not, songs are created out of the passion that seeps through to a creative medium. However, if you always wait for those ideal circumstances, you may anticipate away your potential as a musician. Even though we don't often associate money with music, you do need to be able to support yourself by doing what you do best, and income generation is formulaic rather than creative.
Staying focused on those particular goals will be made easier by taking the time to plan strategically.
Plan my Music Career
Strategic Planning
Focus & Direction
Structure, aim, and follow-through on the part of musicians are more crucial than ever in 2022. Having a career plan can help you through the many setbacks and uncertainties the music industry is guaranteed to throw your way while also demonstrating your commitment to others. Picking an industry direction like recording artist rather than orchestra member, for example, is a macro decision you need to make early. Once chosen, focus your energy on those operations and nothing else.
Focusing on a formula, regime, or schedule is key no matter the direction you choose to take as each of them gives you reliability in the habit. From there you can build each individual component of your business, from marketing, finance, sales, and of course studio time.
Short-Term & Long-Term Goals
Planning will always save you time and stress in the music industry, whether it's for a specific project like an album or a broad objective involving your entire career. Without time-based goals that have a start, due, and end date, you'll have to spend a lot of time and money putting out fires, making last-minute modifications, and managing the paperwork.
Short-term goals are achievable on a 90-day stretch. They need to be quickly actionable, not be resource exhaustive and are either a singular instance with high value or a segment of a long-term sequence. this can be anything from a production cycle, to a song release or launch campaign.
Long-term goals are essentially anything that will span over a 12-month period. Strategic outlooks for 12 months, should be divided into segments and include, you guessed it, short-term goals. Year-long goal setting can have high-tension times as well as "detente" where an artist can comfortable and creative. Think of an album creation or concert tour.
The three words to remember when building these goals are: Concise, Realistic, Achievable
Building Raw Excitement For Your Fan Base
Finding out exactly who your fans are and what drives them is made easier by target profiling in music. Although you may have a core audience of devoted listeners your fan base must grow at a steady pace. The super fans need to be energized so they can help you expand your reach to new listeners.
With excitement, enthusiasm, and energy, your fan base needs more than a monthly drop to keep them attached to the brand. Your personality, content & personal interaction have to keep people hooked, and planning this out with a creative twist is a very significant step.
To excite your audience always imagine that they are looking to you for trustworthy entertainment. Every fan may serve as the cornerstone of something substantial and significant in the long term.
Organize and Normalize Routine
You're going to need a plan to "make it" happen whether your goal is to sign a deal with the label of your dreams or to make a livelihood from music placement. You will be confronted with your own limitations, and even though the MPT Agency attitude is all about going above and beyond, you need to organize yourself around tasks you can complete. Don't overburden yourself or you can face deadlock in your tracks.
It is always better to progress one step at a time than to leap into a pit.
Planning makes you confront difficult questions about your work goals, both major and minor and helps you establish useful habits that become like clockwork. Things like checking emails, consistently posting, and having strict studio times are all about normalizing successful habits. The smallest things, when combined can amount to great things.
Advantage In The Industry
Strategic planning distinguishes devoted artists from amateurs. Excluding music quality, the difference in success between artists is often limited to their ability to follow a plan. If the musician is working in a jumble of chaos, they won't be able to manifest the type of performances they need to stand out.
Your chances of identifying actual momentum in the industry will increase with the quality and specificity of your career strategy. The overall flow of markets, fans, trends, and sounds is a segment that you cannot control as an artist. Therefore, you're objectives revolve around working with and through these elements to get to the next level.
MPT Agency, Your Strategic Partner in Music Marketing
Though many musicians have ambitious goals for their work, in theory, those who actually put in the effort to prepare well stand the best chance of succeeding professionally. At MPT Agency, there is a rich culture of nurturing this habit in our artist roster and guiding them through the pitfalls and difficulties of their promotional outlet. Strategic planning is a long process and is not something that is built overnight. Your promo campaign will require you to answer a long list of questions that will help you every step of the way.
MPT Agency will help you to prepare well and stand the best chance of succeeding professionally in today’s music biz. To find out what other services can enhance your musical career, make sure you check our blog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.
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Posted on September 20, 2022
The Ultimate Guide For Marketing New Music Part 1: Press Kit
By Shawn Spence
EPK: Electronic Press Kit
The music industry is saturated with artist competition. If you don't go about it the right way, getting the interest of record companies, agencies, promoters, venues, and other media sources may be next to impossible. What you need is an electronic press kit, and this press kit guide to help you get there.
This guide presents expert tips on how to put together a compelling electronic press kit also known as an 'EPK'.
What Is An EPK and Why Follow A Press Kit Guide?
An EPK, or an Electronic Press Kit, serves as a professional music CV. It is your online media and music marketing portfolio, with easy access to your most important data.
An EPK functions as a one-stop shop where potential employers can get all the information they want without having to search or inquire. It should include specialized details and materials for event planners, promoters, journalists, bloggers, and other business professionals—materials that you would not want the general public to view or have access to.
Why Do You Need An EPK?
You'll place yourself in the best possible position to pitch your tracks, gain press attention, secure gigs, and perhaps even draw the attention of a manager or label executive with a solid EPK.
9 Important Things To Include In Your EPK According To The Press Kit Guide
Your artistic identity should be reflected in your music EPK's style and the content you select. Keep in mind that people who visit the page for your press kit are frequently managers, venues, music critics, or promoters.
You'll want to say as much essential information as you can in a clear, coherent manner.
Biography
When composing a musician bio for this part of your press kit, remember your objective. Talk about your music particularly rather than the highlights of your live performances.
The first paragraph should include a quick overview of your professional background.
The second paragraph should focus on any new music. Discuss your style and the sources of inspiration for the piece while including any other information you feel is important. Awards for songwriting, prior success, or a strong Spotify stream count might all be used.
Links To Your Best Music
To enable rapid and simple listening to your music without the need to first download it, it is recommended to include links from streaming services in the form of a music player in today's streaming environment.
Make sure the first few tracks in your music EPK are among your finest when deciding which songs to add.
High-Quality Music Videos
Pick one or two videos that are essential to your new music (the official video for your single, a live version, or a music video containing scenes from the recording of your album) and add them to your page. You don't want to overcrowd the page with videos.
Social Media Links
It's a wise idea to connect to your website and social media accounts since it will provide the media access to more details and give them a sense of your online impact and audience. Your chances of getting a booking might increase if you have a large social media following and active followers.
High-Quality Images
Utilize images from a reputable photoshoot. Consider booking a photoshoot if you haven't already. It will benefit your brand awareness.
Additionally, a few pictures from your gigs would be fantastic. More so if they accurately reflect the "mood" of your music and performing style.
We advise having both horizontal and vertical images. Giving your promoters alternatives will be helpful if they require a picture to suit a particularly specific arrangement on their poster, article, or website.
Include your album cover art and logo as well, if available.
Reviews, Interviews, And Press Features
These are things that you want to highlight to let the people know that your music has already been covered and praised in the media.
Performance Calendar
Make sure you're presenting an updated calendar with essential show details. They'll aid the promotion in understanding your work hours. Booking agents can more easily work with your existing schedule by knowing about upcoming concerts, tours, or performances.
You never know who could attend your upcoming performance and alter your musical career!
Identify your musical high points and make sure they are all included in your electronic press kit. A wonderful technique to give additional context regarding the buzz surrounding you as an artist is to include some of your noteworthy career milestones in music.
Have you ever toured with any well-known artists?
Any live performances at any renowned locations or festivals?
Received any honorable awards?
Have your Spotify streaming stats reached any milestones?
Featured on any significant radio stations?
Contact Info
Allow them a simple way to get in touch with you, such as an email address or a contact form. Provide your own email address if you are self-managed or your team member's job titles and contact details if applicable.
Keep all of your contact details in one place in your EPK, and let visitors know about any special choices available. For instance, tell them who to contact if they want a full copy of your record.
Best Practices While Creating An EPK
Each day, talent buyers and promoters evaluate hundreds of potential acts. Presenting yourself clearly and professionally is crucial. Think about the following best practices while preparing your press kit:
Keep your EPK concise and easy to understand.
Include your most outstanding work and valuable info.
Update your EPK frequently.
Ensure your EPK appropriately portrays your brand.
Make a unique EPK stand out from the crowd.
When attaching files to emails, be cautious to take into account their size.
Avoid sending .zip files and other compressed file attachments with emails.
Bring a printed copy of your EPK to events.
How To Create An EPK?
After gathering all of your resources, you should concentrate on layout and design. The design will play just as much of a role in your EPK's ability to convey a clear and concise narrative regarding who you are as an artist as will each piece of material.
Try to give the website a uniform appearance by using a simple font and leaving adequate space between each piece. Make sure the information and graphics are organized so they are simple to scan.
There are several services available that will host your EPK, but bear in mind that you'll be constrained by the templates they offer. We advise creating an EPK page directly on your website to give you the greatest control over how you come across.
Final Thoughts
Your EPK can indeed be your sole chance to make a good first impression, depending on the circumstances. Because of this, it's worthwhile to invest the time upfront to create something you'll be glad to share that portrays you in the best light possible.
You may make a strong impression as a professional musician who takes pride in work by having an up-to-date, high-quality EPK.
It is worthwhile to invest the time upfront to create something you'll be glad to share that portrays you in the best light possible. MPT Agency will guide you to the creation of your EPK which will make a good first impression in the music industry. To find out what other services can enhance your musical career, make sure you check ourblog regularly and follow us on Instagram for more music marketing-related updates.
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Posted on June 17, 2022
Best Posting Times On Social Media in 2022
By Yvonne Martin
The optimum time to post to reach your target audience is determined by your specific audience's activity inside each app. Some of this information may be found in the analytics tools of the various social applications, but you must also experiment and test to determine when your postings create the best reaction.
Several factors can play a role in this, including when your users are most active, when they are most responsive to your messaging, what other information is being uploaded at any one moment, the precise content that you're providing, algorithm sorting, and so on.
There is no one perfect time for all businesses to post to any social app – but if you're organizing your strategy and wondering when you should be scheduling, this annual report from the team at Sprout Social can provide assistance for your planning and trials, to help you find the right times and cadences for your strategy.
The Sprout Social team has established the periods when users are most engaged and active inside each of the main applications based on usage information gained from Sprout's 30,000+ clients.
Based on this, posting around these times might help you reach a larger audience – but, as always, trial and testing are required; this isn't a definitive recommendation for when your business will experience the greatest results.
(Also, keep in mind that all times are in CST, but the relative insights, based on frequent usage, will most likely apply to your local time zone as well.)
Facebook
The best times to post on Facebook, according to Sprout, are Mondays through Fridays at 3 a.m., and Tuesdays between 10 a.m. and noon. Why at 3 a.m.? Well, there's probably a lot less competition at that time, and posting during these downtimes might be the first engagement spark you need to reach more people throughout the day.
Facebook is also utilized by individuals all around the world in various time zones, so there may be more engagement from other places, which might assist to jumpstart your post activity. Early mornings and between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. on weekdays appear to be the busiest times on Facebook, so this might also be a good time to try as well.
According to the Sprout team, the optimum days to publish are Tuesdays through Fridays, with Saturdays being avoided entirely. Maybe fewer people check in on weekends, or maybe Facebook emphasizes material from friends and family more on weekends, but engagement rates on Saturday and Sunday are low overall.
Instagram
According to Sprout, the best times to post on Instagram are Mondays at 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. So, it appears that mid-morning is the Instagram sweet spot, which might be useful information for your planning and increasing your Instagram interaction.
The study does not indicate whether this applies to Stories or ordinary feed posts, although it seems probable that this applies to feed postings in particular. However, it may be worthwhile to try Stories along similar lines to see what kind of results you get.
Sprout claims that the greatest days for IG activity are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with Sundays being the worst.
Twitter
According to Sprout's data, the greatest times to tweet are Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 9 a.m. Perhaps this is related to how people use Twitter to stay up to date on the latest news. If the majority of Sprout's subscribers use social media for business, it stands to reason that the majority of them are on Twitter around 9 a.m. every day.
In any case, Sprout's findings show that between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., individuals are more actively digesting tweets, which might help drive their thoughts.
Tuesday and Wednesday are the ideal days to tweet, whereas Sunday should be avoided.
LinkedIn
Finally, according to Sprout's research, the optimum time to publish on LinkedIn is Tuesday between 10 a.m. and noon. Weekdays between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. appear to have rather high LinkedIn activity generally, so there may be a few possibilities there, and it may be worth experimenting with different posting patterns to see what works and what doesn't.
The greatest days to publish to LinkedIn are Wednesday and Thursday, while the weekends, predictably, see significantly less LinkedIn activity.
Final Thoughts
Again, these observations are not intended to be prescriptive; they do not state that "you must publish at these times to see the highest engagement in each app." This is based on a sample pool of tens of thousands of people, and posting during certain time periods may help you see increased interaction and response to your posts.
However, it is unique to each company and audience, and you will need to test and experiment to figure out what works best.
Nevertheless, they may be a decent reference, and it may be worth adjusting your posting method in accordance with this data to see if your numbers improve.
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Posted on April 27, 2022
How To Get Instagram Verified As A Musician
By Shawn Spence
For some, the legendary blue tick may be only a slight mark next to their username, but for the majority, the symbol of authenticity is the most coveted prize on Instagram. It not only establishes you as a famous person but also distinguishes you from fake accounts, giving your followers an instant sense of trust. Thus, authenticity is worth its weight in gold dust.
Instagram's authentication process is notably selective—and, dare we say, mysterious. According to Facebook's guidelines, the following are some of the criteria they consider when choosing which accounts to verify on the platform.
Authenticity
Accounts that are eligible for verification should pose a genuine person, entity, or company.
Completion
Accounts that are eligible for verification must be accessible, AKA public. The profiles must be completely filled out, including a profile picture, bio, and at least one post.
Uniqueness
Accounts that are eligible for verification have to be distinct, which indicates that only one account represents a single person or business.
Notability
Accounts that are eligible for verification must symbolize a well-known person or entity. According to Instagram's website, "notable" figures are those who have been published in several news outlets and have a well-known online presence.
With those fundamental prerequisites in mind, let's take a deeper look at the application procedure for Instagram verification.
The Instagram Verification Process
The application procedure is relatively straightforward, therefore it's critical that you invest time prior to applying to concentrating on the above qualifications. Here's what you should do next if you're confident in your profile's authenticity, completion, uniqueness, and notability.
Log into your account.
Give your profile one last look to ensure it meets the above requirements.
Navigate to your profile and tap the three lines in the upper right corner.
Select "Settings," then "Account," and finally "Request Verification."
Fill up your complete name and attach a proof of identification.
Choose the public interest category in which your account falls.
Describe your target audience.
Include links to pages that explain why your account is important to the public.
Click “Submit.”
That's all! After clicking the submit button, you will receive a response via the Instagram notifications page in around 30 days.
You may reapply for verification every 30 days, so if you don't get it the first time, spend the month focusing on improving your public image and obtaining news stories or other forms of notability. Then, follow the instructions mentioned above to reapply.
We wish you the best of success in obtaining that blue checkmark—we have faith in you!
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