I started working at Search Laboratory in September 2012 with a background consisting mainly of music production and fashion. For the first few days I understood that both my past studies and future work were creative but I saw this as a weak connection between music and content creation.
However, after my first few months, I’ve noticed a stronger relationship developing between my two interests which I’d never really considered before and I’ve now simplified them into three main elements. These are – the creation of the product, the distribution and the result. The following nine points highlight different areas of these factors which are highly important in each industry.
Target the right audience
In music it is essential to create compositions that will appeal to your target audience. There is little point in creating a heavy dance-pop song directed at the 50-60 age brackets. In the same respect, when it comes to creating content, it has to be interesting, engaging and essentially written for your readers. Think about what kind of people you are reaching out to – their lifestyle and their interests. Is it something they might find helpful? Entertaining? Are they likely to share it with others who are interested in the same subjects? Make sure you have done your research!
Ensure quality over quantity
For a song to be considered as high quality, the main ingredients – the content, recording and the production – have to be spot on. It is better to create one track which has taken a lot of thought, time and effort than to produce hundreds of poor quality songs that even your Gran wouldn’t listen to. Content has to be of high quality to attract your readers. It has to be interesting, topical and impact upon your readers thoughts. Including photos, videos and interactive widgets in your content is a great way to get people to react. A unique post is also highly important. You wouldn’t purchase a song more than once so make sure all your posts are different! Content can be changed and adapted in the same way that music is covered.
Develop a marketing strategy
To have the desired effect, music has to be marketed at the correct time. There has to be an interest, a want and an audience ready to listen. Content must also be promoted at the optimal time. It could be a hot or trending topic or a seasonal topic but if you miss the deadline then you lose out on readers interest. Preparation is key, so plan for its launch when your target readership is highly active so it will receive the most attention.
Target niche communities
Forums are a great way for musicians to get involved with their community. Submit your content on websites that are relevant to your niche and keep active within the community, involving yourself in discussions. Join forums that are relevant to your content and become actively involved in sharing great content. Share this content also on social sites such as Linked-In, Google plus and Stumble-Upon to gain exposure and increase awareness – not just for your post but for you as a content creator.
Support others
Artists tend to ask smaller musicians to support them when it comes to live performances therefore giving them exposure in the music industry. Help to promote other bloggers and their work and in return they will help you.
Use a signature to its full potential
When sending out emails, artists have a signature incorporating links to their website or their social media pages. Add a link to your latest piece of content in your email signature for when you send outgoing mail. The receiver can then choose to view your latest work without you actually forcing them to!
Get involved and interact with fans
Musicians who respond to their fans gain respect within their genre community. In the same way, be sure to acknowledge readers who re-tweet your posts, comment and like your content. Respond to their questions and comments, thank those who share and help someone who requires content which may be relevant to your niche. This is a great way of building your connections and creating strong, influential relationships in the industry.
Make a come-back
Christmas songs always make it back into the top 40 in the charts. This shows good (cheesy) music can always be revived. Be sure to promote your old content; if discussions arise on an old topic of yours, alert the attention towards your post. Fans that follow you on twitter may have missed out on your earlier posts, so there’s no harm in re-tweeting the golden oldies every now and then!
Collaborate!
Its great to be able to collaborate with other artists in music. You get a wide variety of ideas and influences and attract a wider audience. By quoting or mentioning high authority bloggers and influencers in your content, you invite them to take a look at your work, comment and they may be inclined to share it. With them, they bring a larger audience which is perfect for promoting your work!
Insights
