Bands fail all the time. They fail, not through a lack of talent or because of a mutual decision to pursue other interests, but because of a lack of interest, band recognition and a small fan base. This lack of interest has absolutely nothing to do with the band's musical or vocal abilities; rather, it is due to a lack of promotion. Without promotion and advertising to generate interest in the band, it will fail. This begs the question, how does a band promote itself? Is there a single method of promotion that will work, or must it be a multifaceted marketing plan? Promotion is the most important aspect of becoming successful in the music industry. To accurately promote a band, a comprehensive promotion plan must be created. This plan will encompass many different aspects of advertising and promotion and each one plays a critical role in the success or failure of the band. Without a comprehensive promotion plan, a band cannot expect to garner the kind of fame and recognition necessary to be offered a large contract through by a top music industry label. Without promotion, the only fans you will gain are those who actually get to hear the band play, with no means of gaining a larger audience.
A comprehensive promotion plan will cover many different areas:
It will permit fans to hear a band's music without actually having to present at a concert event. This can be achieved through two distinct methods. Creating a music cd that can be distributed free of charge is a great way to build a fan base. Members of the band can be given an allotment to distribute through their everyday lives. Custom stickers can be placed within the jewel case, allowing fans to promote the band on their own. You can also create music MP3's and host them on the Internet for free download. Both of these methods will allow prospective fans to listen to the band's music in a comfortable setting without having to go to a show.
Use the Internet. The Internet is an incredible promotional tool if properly used. Almost every band has a presence on social networking websites such as MySpace and FaceBook. You can use these to host your free MP3's, let fans request more information and band stickers and bumper stickers. Stickers and bumper stickers can be custom made to meet a band's particular needs through custom sticker printing.
Playing any venue that will book the band, from free shows at a local bar to annual Battle of the Bands competitions held in many cities. The more venues played, the great the number of people that are able to listen to the band's music and see experience their stage show. This allows bands to dramatically increase the amount of buzz generated about the band and boost name recognition in the public.
Possibly the single best promotional tool at a bands disposal are custom printed band stickers. These are an incredibly popular way for people to display their interests, causes, political statements and more. Through custom made stickers and bumper stickers, bands can use their original artwork, graphics, logos or designs that they may want to use. They are created through custom sticker printing and can be found many places on the Internet. Most fans are more than happy to put stickers of their favorite bands on their notebooks, backpacks, in their cars, on bulletin boards and anywhere else they can think of. This allows a vast number of others to see the band's name, artwork and logo designs, increasing name recognition by a large amount.
A comprehensive promotional plan encompasses all this and more. Each aspect listed here dramatically increases the fame and name recognition of a band and contributes to growing the band's fame and fan base. In short, the more people that are aware of a band's presence, the more people are able to listen to and appreciate the band's music and attend concerts. Fans are what the music industry is all about, in the end, and the more fans a band has, the greater the chances that the band will be signed by a music label.
StickerGiant was founded in 2000 by an unknown mad scientist named John Fischer and world renowned illustrator Mike Brooks. Since then John has made sure that StickerGiant works to source and sell ALL stickers that represent a myriad of views, Freedom of Expression through Stickers is our motto. Think of StickerGiant as a non-partisan clearing house for the 1st Amendment. We don't write the stickers here, we just provide a place for others to express themselves. Remember, Diversity is what makes America Great!
In case you are wondering, the StickerGiant community consists of Liberals, Conservatives, Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Atheist. We are a slice of the American pulse and we like it that way. So, stand up for who you are and pick out a sticker that represents who you are. Say it with stickers!
