Creating Your Music Marketing USP
photo by arellis49
In marketing and sales for companies and brands, you need something to set yourself apart from the competition. In the music business, this is no different.
When you are a local band playing a show on a Friday night at a dive bar, and you have 10 dive bars in town all hosting rock shows, you need something that is going to make the kids come out to your show vs. the others. In the marketing world we call this your USP, or Unique Selling Position.
In your promotion, what is the benefit to the fan? How does buying your album or seeing your show make the fan feel? What is different from the millions of bands on Myspace all making the same banners, fliers, event listings and wall posts? What sets your Facebook invite apart from the countless others they receive.
Now is the time to begin brainstorming. Get out all your ideas, everything. No holds barred. Get out the whiteboard, chalkboard, notebook paper, some beers, wine or sodas and start kicking around smart ideas as to why your band, music or show is worth your audience’s time and money.
Here is some food for thought:
- Guest appearances – leverage off someone else’s popularity and fan base
- Drink specials – As unfortunate as it is, everyone loves cheap beer
- The line-up – Start creating a group of band’s that are equally as hardworking and create a synergy together
- Free product – are you giving away a free MP3, CD, shirt, etc – everyone loves free crap (hat tip – look for stickers and buttons, low cost items that are a keep sake to fans and promote your band long after the show)
- Limited editions – if you are selling a special product, say live show or DVD, why not limit it to increase demand and create nostalgia.
- Meet and greet – Even if you’re the new band in town, someone will want to meet you, snag a photo and have a beer with you at the venue. Besides, what do you really do between load in and show time?
- Personal items – with sites like Audiolife, you have the option to personalize one off items and ship them directly to fans. What can you do to create value t your fans by personalizing merch?
This is by no means a complete list, just some ways to brainstorm. Now let’s turn the tide to you. What are you doing to separate yourself from the rest of the noise your fans are facing? Let us know in the comments.
This post was written by Greg Rollett, author of Gen-Y Rock stars, a site dedicated to online music marketing. Greg is also a teacher in Label 2.0, a new interactive based marketing training school for musicians.
