This is the second part in my ongoing “Marketing Yourself Like a Band” blog series. You can read PART 1 HERE.
One of the key components to marketing yourself like a band is getting into the mindset of being on tour. Going out on tour is how bands get their music heard and connect and create a community with their biggest fans. In terms of building your business, you have to think of networking and getting out there to promote your brand as going out on tour.
The marketing part of all of this does play a part, but most bands have $0 to work with when they’re getting started. The heavy-duty marketing machine only kicks once they’ve signed with a record label or if they have enough money to hire a PR company.
Because most bands don’t have much of a marketing budget when they’re just starting out, bands need to get creative and focus on booking tours and playing gigs to get their music out there. If you also have a limited budget to market your business, you need to think of your brand as a band on tour.
“GOING ON TOUR” MINDSET
In the book, “Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991” by Michael Azerrad, he says, “Black Flag became the Lewis and Clark of the punk touring circuit, blazing a trail across America that bands still follow today.”
I love that statement. It’s really something that’s always stuck with me. In Henry Rollins’s book, “Get in the Van”, he talks all about the fact that Black Flag was constantly on tour. At that time, the band had played every place they could in the LA area because they knew that their brand of punk/hardcore music wasn’t going to be well-received on the radio or achieve any kind of mainstream success. The band knew that the only way they were going to sell records and get their music heard was by going on tour. That’s how you need to look at your business and personal brand.
TOURING ACTIVITIES
So what does going on tour mean for your business? Well, “going on tour” for me means that I’m using LinkedIn and posting at least once a day. This includes interacting with my network and relationships on LinkedIn every day by commenting, posting, and re-sharing. I am also taking advantage of other social media networks, like Instagram, Facebook, yes, and even TikTok.
Other activities that fit into this touring mentality and rock and roll mindset include making your phone calls, sending out emails, being involved in WhatsApp groups, and other networking groups.
That’s how you have to approach your business like you’re a band on tour and the only way people are going to hear your songs, buy your merchandise, and become raving fans of your brand, is to get out there in front of your target audience while on tour.
This is one crucial step to begin building your own personal brand.
ROCK IT!