This past Saturday night, I had a rather in-depth conversation with the bass player of a well-known local band. I was surprised by the actual topic of conversation, and being the nerd that I am, took careful mental notes and decided it was worth sharing…

Turns out that owning a business can be a lot like being a musician in a band. You pour your heart and soul into something because you love it. You might have even started off in your garage, just like some of our favorite bands. And any successful musician will tell you – when you’re starting out, it’s not glamorous whatsoever. The glamour may only come for a few; it doesn’t come until much, much later in the journey (if ever), and for some, it’s a flash in the pan that comes just as quickly as it goes, leaving behind what we fondly refer to as “one-hit-wonders.”

How similar is this to the local businesses we try to help daily when it comes to their marketing and advertising needs? Very similar. We’ve all seen the businesses that open shop in town; they experience some success, and before long, they’re long gone.

What happened?

They’re out-of-tune with marketing

Some think that just because they have an idea and the money to open a business, that’s all it takes. Few ever do a market analysis on the area, and even fewer think about marketing and advertising their business long term.

Facebook is free, right?

And speaking of Facebook, if you think that’s all you’ll need, think again. Gold records don’t get produced by trolls that exist only on Facebook.

Take it from an experienced musician; if you’re a musician or in a band and want to get to the level of professional recording artists, your band needs to be run like a professional business. Social media is important, but a professional website is also needed. Sick of playing crummy bars and venues you never see any money from playing? Here’s how to get oneself into the bigger venues with actual labels taking a peek: marketing.

Invest in your marketing

“But I can’t afford marketing! It doesn’t work! I tried X, Y, Z, and it didn’t work!”

One can simply complain about the task of marketing and its costs or let the competition run wild with success. One can have the best product or service, or make music that sounds heavenly, but if you’re not telling people about it, you might as well hang it up now or get used to being a starving artist and failing business owner.

For musicians that make it to the level of having a label backing, professionally produced albums, sold-out concert arenas, and having songs heard on the radio, none of that is possible for the band or musician that does not properly invest in marketing. Period. Unless one wishes to continue playing the bar scene and staying at the amateur level.

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“If you’re not putting more than half of what you make in profit back into marketing and continuously branding yourself, then there’s no point; your competition is way ahead of you.”

Stated again…

“if you’re not putting more than half of what you make in profit back into marketing… your competition is way ahead of you.”

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Businesses that invest more than half of their profits back into marketing are the ones that are going to be successful. Success will not come to those that simply hang a sign that says, “open for business” or “live music tonight.” Take market share from big chain retailers, or give your profits to the big chain retailers? Play the local dive bar or famous concert venues?

Should be pretty obvious what separates the professionals from the amateurs.

Get your name out there

Intrigued by the conversation, I asked, “So, let’s say I’m in a band, and we’re pretty good; we have a great following, and we are consistently playing live at local venues. Put up the money to have a quality album recorded and got the social media pages all up and running, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. How can I get some bigger venues to let us play and maybe play where recording labels often hang out to discover new talent?”

“None of that is going to be enough nor worth your time and energy if you’re not thinking of your band as a business and the music you produce as the products of the business. When you think of it as a business, you think of marketing and how you can get your name out there.

Invest in merch that has your name and logo on it. Get a professional website up and running. Talk to promoters. Get professional pictures taken. Invest in a manager that will further help with marketing. No business mindset results in literally, no business, especially so when one doesn’t get their name out there.”

So, from a local musician who has figured out the power of marketing to properly market a band’s music…

“If you’re in business for yourself and you’re not investing in marketing, did you want to have the Going Out of Business sale now?”

Yes, it requires an investment. If you’re just starting out and overwhelmed by the task and money needed for marketing, you’re in good company. But once one gets used to the uncomfortable, not-so-glamourous part of growing, success eventually comes. But it will never come to those that choose not to market.

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