Musician 101- Knowing and Targeting Your Audience

Musician 101 – Round 7

What to do to take it to the next level

By the Swami

Back in the 90’s when I had a developmental deal with Sony, I was privileged to have several great mentors. Then the labels still had A/R departments and would look for talented artists to sign and then “train” to be a pro. For me, I was lucky enough to have such encounters. Here in this monthly column I will share with you not only the things I learned from “the big boys” but really from the school of hard knocks and the other school of figuring out what not to do.

Each month I will pick a different topic that I think truly makes the difference between amateur and professional.

Knowing and Targeting Your Audience.

Some of the best advice I got from my time with Sony was understanding who truly is your audience. First is understanding what type of music you are creating. Is it thrash metal? Alt/Indie? Folk-Bluegrass? By identifying your writing and performance style, you can begin to apply your branding, marketing and event schedule around it.

Branding: Does your logo, your instruments, your look, your stage presence, your flyers, your website, your social media pages represent your musical style? Does someone who has never heard you before, get a good idea of what you may sound like? These are critical steps in creating a lasting and memorable image for your potential new fans.

Marketing: Are you placing your message in the right places? Are you connecting with the right people that represent your musical style? Are your flyers, logo and stage banners presenting your product correctly? Colors, backgrounds, and proper marketing trails are very important. Don’t place an ad in a “bedroom community magazine” if you are trying to reach a downtown audience! Don’t leave flyers in an indie clothing store if you are country band! You get the idea. Be strategic.

Events: So you know your target audience based on your musical style…If you are an indie band, work on getting a show at the Hi-Dive or Larimer Lounge. Jam band? Cervantes would be a great choice. Metal, hit up the Roxy or Soda Jerk. You get what I am saying – identify your audience, and play those venues where your potential new fans know what style of music to expect.  Another great tactic is to befriend similar well known local bands and ask if you can open for them. They already have a built in fan base that may very well like your music and performance too!

This is just a sample of the thought process you need to go thru to establish your identity in a local music market. Knowing who you are and who you are not is a very good thing to know, eh?!

Got a question or a topic to cover?  Hit me up [email protected] – I am here to help!

Tags: swami, musician 101

Category: Shop Talk