NOTE: This is a high-level marketing plan for your music. It will be the first step, prior to creating a social media release plan, distribution plan, PR plan, playlist plan, promotional plan and just about every other plan.
In essence, this is the framework for which everything else you do to market your music will be built off of, and as a result, answering the questions present in this plan thoroughly and carefully is extremely important.
You may also find yourself coming back and changing your answers throughout your music journey, which is fine, as you will undoubtedly grow, however, you will need to change everything if that is the case and all other plans (social media release, PR plan, distribution plan, etc), to ensure you are consistent across your entire brand.
Consistency is key in marketing, never forget that.
The first step of your marketing plan is the most important, yet skipped by over three-fourths of musicians, and so you will already be well on your way to success, shall you take the time to properly "discover" your music, goals, target market and much more!
This first blog will cover STEP ONE: Know your Music, Message and Goals.
If you do not know the answer to a question asked in this plan, do not take an assumption as absolute, instead test your assumption(s), to either confirm or deny it. In order to confirm or deny an assumption, you should always base this off of what data is telling you (from the analytics section on social media, through what others are telling you, stream numbers, feedback, etc).
You need to test every single assumption you make, because an untested assumption is only an opinion. If an assumption is denied, using the data you now have, make a new assumption and test it. Do this until you have confirmed all assumptions, to which they then become facts.
The biggest mistake (and ultimately assumption) artists make is regarding their target audience. As a generic example, they may say their target market consists of males between the ages of 18 and 27, living in the US, that like rap music. They take that as a fact and roll with it, yet then wonder why they're not growing...
You need verified information, and even at that, your target market is not your starting point. Your starting point should always be about your music and the goals you want to achieve with it.
With all that said, we will now dive into the plan, which will help you shape your message, target audience and much more.
For these steps, please take out a piece of paper, or type answers to each of the following questions. Try your best to be as specific as possible, because the more broad you are, the less likely at the end of all these steps that your marketing plan will be effective.
1. Determine Your Objectives
The first step of this first section of your marketing plan is to determine exactly what you hope to accomplish with your music. Too often musicians do not know their end goal, and as a result their marketing message, tactics and strategies are all over the place.
When this happens, not only do you not achieve what you're wanting to, but it is also very confusing for your fans to understand your music, such as its importance, what it is about, or even why they should listen.
As a result, take your time with these questions. This is the fundamental reason as to why you make music in the first place.
How would you like people to describe your music prior to a release?
What is your objective with your music in the next month?
What is your objective with your music in the next 6 months?
What is your objective with your music in the next 12 months?
What do you need to do to hit those goals?
2. Understand Your Music Profile
Next you need to understand your music, the value it has, how it is different and exactly the style of it. There are millions of artists of artists, but only one of you, and so when answering these questions, do not think about your idols, what other artists are doing, or anything else, but your music.
How would you describe your music to a friend?
What is unique about yourself and your music?
What will your music make people feel?
How does your music compare and contrast the music of others in your genre?
What should you be receiving credit for, that you are not currently?
Why are some people not listening to your music?
3. Know Your Music Attributes (Beyond the Sound)
The next step is to know your music attributes beyond the sound it creates. Use your imagination when answering these questions. It may help craft a clearer image of your music, and who may be a listener of it.
Choose one of each to describe your music.
Masculine or feminine?
Simple or intricate?
Grey or colorful?
Conservative or extravagant?
Approachable or authoritative?
Necessity or luxury?
Fun or serious?
Professional or casual?
Modern or classic?
Sporty or elegant?
Extreme or safe?
Also answer, what are five words that represent the personality of your music? (Picture your music as a person, what would its personality traits be)?
4. Understand Your Target Market (and Their Personas)
Notice how target market does not come into play until step 4? That is because it is such an important step, but can only be attempted to be understood after you have much more detailed information about your goals, uniqueness of your music, and attributes, beyond the sound (or genre).
With that being said, you still may not have enough data to answer these questions accurately. As a result, do it as best you can (make an assumption) from the answers you gave in step 1, step 2, and step 2, and then test it, to either confirm or deny it.
If denied, make a new assumption and test it again. Do this until you have confirmed all assumptions.
Testing can be done by using hashtags, or running paid social ads with the assumptions you made, to see results. Keep in mind though, you will need a "control target market group" to measure it to, to see if the results are better, worse, or the same.
Even if you find a target market that seems to be bringing in great results, there could still be an even better, more engaged, or more profitable target market. Due to this, we always recommend further testing audiences, especially when in the early stages of your music career.
Demographic data (age, gender, income, marital status, kids, education)
Geotarget (United States, United Kingdom, China, or more specific, New York, London, etc)
Psychographics data (interests, aspirations, lifestyles, habits)
What do you think your current listeners like about your music now?
What do you want listeners to think about or feel when listening to your music?
What are the personality traits of your ideal listener?
Why are people currently listening to your music?
What other artists does your ideal customer listen to?
Where does your target market typically “hangout?”
5. Position Yourself Correctly
So now that you have your objectives clearly written down, a solid understanding of your music, and an idea of your target market, you need to connect and combine those elements, to position yourself (and your music) correctly.
The importance of this cannot be understated. Everything needs to work in cohesion to achieve what your music and yourself set out to accomplish.
What is the value you would like to provide your target market, and how will you connect to them, to provide that value?
How would you like a listener of your music to describe it?
What are other artists doing in your genre that create opportunities? Collaborations?
Who is someone that does not currently listen to your music that you believe should?
6. Know the Message You Want to Release
The next step is to brainstorm and come up with a clear message that you want to portray about yourself, or your music, with all previous information in mind. What is extremely important regarding this step is that it is simple. Focus on one message, rather than two, three or four, and the problem your music is solving.
In addition to that, keep the message short. It should be abke
What is the main message of your music?
What challenge is your music solving?
7. Stay True to Your Values, Morals and Ethics
Building off of coming up with a clear message, sticking true to yourself also needs to be a priority in your marketing plan. The more clear, bold and genuine you are, the more people will resonate with yourself.
Stand for something and stick true to it. This will ultimately shape your brand, and your brand is something you stay true to, even when the times get tough.
What values are important to yourself?
What are you most proud of regarding your music?
What keeps you making music?
This first step of your high-level marketing plan is the most extensive and most important, and so if you have completed it, we recommend waiting a few days, and going through it again, before moving on to the next section of the plan, which is covered in another blog.