Guerilla Marketing for Bands
You're a musician. You have the talent, the gear, and the drive. All you need is a venue and you can start rolling in cash. But you are a lone soldier, a little fish in a big sea, and you have no agent or manager to spoon-feed gigs to you. Where do you start marketing your skills as a professional musician?
If you are a guerilla skirting the bloody battlefields of New York, Seattle, Memphis, and Nashville, don't fret (pun intended, guitarists!) You can actually earn a living as a small-time musician in towns with weaker music industries, and you might be surprised to find it easier where you live, thanks to the economic laws of supply-and-demand. You may still be a small fish, but in your little pond, you can stand out. Your competition is much lower than it would be in the major music cities that have turned away stadium-loads of hopefuls for every Elvis it has turned out. With lower competition, you have a better shot at landing the gigs. However, you still have a hurdle to jump, and that is getting your name out there. The easiest way to do this is by word of mouth and direct interaction with potential clients.
First, record a CD. If you can afford to shell out recording studio fees, do it. But if not, that's fine. You can still record a decent CD with a laptop and free Audacity music software. Second, get yourself some business cards. Again, pay for quality if you can, but if you're a poor, starving artist, buy the cheapest blank cards you can find and print some up on your friend's inkjet printer. The point is to have the cards and CDs ready at a moment's notice.
Armed with your promotional materials, hit the bars, clubs, and restaurants. Check out the local entertainment, and find venues that fit your style. Ask for the manager, and offer a card and a CD. If you really want to make an impression, offer to bring your guitar (keyboard, steel drum set, or full band, as applicable) and play for the manager for free as he or she is closing up. This helps ensure that the manager actually hears you, in the event that your CD ends up under the passenger seat in his or her car, or worse, in the trash bin under the bar.
Despite an economy in a recession, the entertainment industry is still hanging in there, and many are seeking solace in the very places you would like to play. The trick to music marketing is to make it as easy on the manager as possible to hear you and hire you. While marketing for a musician can be accomplished with very little out-of-pocket cost, the time involved is substantial. But when you land the gigs, and when the crowd is singing along, you'll realize that it was all worth it.
