One of the biggest mysteries of being an independent artist is getting endorsements. The good news is that now is a great time for getting endorsements for indie artists, as in the past, endorsements would usually be reserved for stars with lucrative record label deals. In today’s music world endorsements are key when it comes for artists to support themselves. It might be not only an extra source of revenue, but also in the form of equipment support as well. In this blog post, I would like to get into 5 steps of getting endorsements for independent artists.

1) Get your music out there

Before you do anything, you first need to make your music available and easily accessible for all. Go digital, make sure your music is on iTunes, Spotify and other platforms. Also make sure that your videos are on YouTube. An artist without content is like a businessman without a business card. Your content speaks for you.

2) Build your numbers up

One of the biggest reasons a company will want to endorse you is because you either have large social media following or your music is being listened/watched by a lot of people. By getting their products in your videos/music and by associating themselves with you, they are utilizing your popularity to sell their products. It’s as simple as that. For this reason, the more people actively follow you and your content, the better chance you have for getting endorsed. Notice the emphasis on actively, I would not recommend buying followers or views because they do not engage with your content.

3) Do your research for reaching out

The next step is to find the companies that could be potentially interested to endorse you. They don’t have to be all major instrument brands, but also accessory companies – guitar capos, strings, picks, pickups, drum sticks, guitar stands, microphones, headphones… Be creative with your options, you’ll never know how far they will get you.

4) Prepare your portfolio

A great portfolio includes a one sheet, videos, music, pictures, links to social media accounts, biography and a cover letter indicating your proposal. Once you put this altogether, you should be almost ready.

5) Send your package and follow up

Once you prepare everything, send it to the marketing department of the company. Larger companies have a specific section for endorsements, which you can find on their websites. It might also be helpful to see if you know anyone that works in these companies, as having an insider could help you with pitching your proposal to the company.

After sending your package, it is highly likely that you won’t hear back for days, or not even hear back at all. This is because companies receive dozens of proposals everyday and they simply do not have the time to respond to everyone. At this point, following up after a few days would be a great way. I would not suggest following too many times. I think at most two follow ups would suffice. If they want to endorse you, they will know where to find you.

So, to sum up these are the steps to getting endorsed. Don’t forget to get creative if you need to, as new ideas can help attract the companies’ attention. Have fun and be persistent!

Adva Mobile is a marketing services and technology company for creative artists. Using Adva’s mobile services, you can let your fans learn about your latest creative work, run contests, take surveys, reach out to your superfans and engage with them.

Visit our video on https://bit.ly/2sLCCL0  to get started!

Alper Tuzcu is a Berklee College of Music and Denison University alumni, and a Boston based guitarist, songwriter and producer. His new EP ‘Lines’ was released on November 2017 and his debut eclectic album ‘Between 12 Waters’ featuring 8 different vocalists is available on Spotify. In addition to being a musician, he regularly teaches workshops and masterclasses internationally. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter, and for more information you can visit his website www.alpertuzcu.com