A typical independent musician today will spend considerable time everyday to post on social media, text their superfans, writing emails and sharing emails. While our minds are constantly out in online, it is important that we do not forget about offline – the world out there! In this blog post, I will lay out 5 reasons why offline promotion still matters for your music.

1.Engage with your followers, because they are real people!

Followers are not just numbers, they are real people. The people who follow you on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter are not just some numbers and faces. They have real feelings, thoughts, tastes, preferences and good reasons why they follow you. You probably inspire them, or they like your music and they can connect to your music that the other artists can not. Talk to them, ask them questions and after the shows, meet with them! Maybe they will like you even more after a chat. Say hi to everyone, be nice and humble.

2. Word-of-mouth is the greatest medium

Many artists these days will buy targeted social ads and fancy reach out campaigns, but sometimes all it takes is the word of a person to make it happen. A good friend can bring 10 people to a concert, or they can get you a spot in a festival, or a concert series. The thing is, you never know where you are going to meet the people that will help you. Social media and internet help, but word of mouth will get you a long way in music business.

3. Your personality speaks for your music, not the other way around

Some artists I know are very shy and they say that their music speaks for them and the people who’re supposed to find it, will do. Unfortunately, being shy is not an option for an independent artist when we’re first starting out. When you’re just putting yourself out there, what you do in real life will communicate where your music is coming from and who you are.

You can try this exercise for instance: Can you walk up to anyone in the street and explain what your music is like in less than 20 seconds and have them get the basic picture? If you can master this, then you can meet with anyone and talk with anyone about your music. When people get the basic picture, they will be able to see your music in context.

Then, you can present your tracks and they will speak for themselves.

4. Live music is more important than ever

People can love watching your videos online, or listen to your tracks – but live music is a totally different experience. I’ve come to become fans of many artists just because who impressed me with their live performances, not in the way that they were playing amazing solos etc. but because of the vibe they created for the musical experiences they create.  

5. Keep networking

The idea is that you should keep meeting different people, including different artists, people who like your music etc. The beautiful thing about meeting new people all the time is that you never know who you’re gonna meet next. With the right people around you, you can not only achieve your goals, but also take them on to the next level.

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.

 

Alper Tuzcu is a Berklee College of Music and Denison University alumni, and a Boston based guitarist, songwriter and producer. His new album ‘Aurora’ was released on October 19, 2018 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