3 Important Lessons I’ve Learned About Digital Marketing for Musicians

Although I think I’m good at many things, I consider digital marketing one of my greatest strengths.
By no means was this gotten easily.
In 2012, I invested in a failed music industry startup, which happens to be where I started going to school on this.
I knew a thing or two beforehand, but roughly eight years ago is when I dug in and started consuming everything, I could get my hands on.
So, today, I’d like to share three quick lessons with you regarding digital marketing, but rest assured this won’t be the last time you’ll be hearing from me on this.

Blogging Really Does Work

Trust me, I also had my doubts early on.
I’m probably one of the music industry’s most ferocious bloggers, and I just wasn’t seeing the kind of results I’d hoped for from my epic content.
But I kept going.
And, eventually, a post about the subconscious mind took off like wildfire. It’s still a unicorn in a sea of donkeys today.
Subsequently, posts about social media sites and guitar tabs started gaining traction.
And, eventually, a few other sleepers started to catch some momentum, helping me build the site to where it’s at today.
What I’ve achieved is the following, and I’m now confident I could duplicate these results in practically any industry:

If you follow me long enough, you’re going to get tired of seeing that screenshot after a while, but it truly is a testament to the power of content.

Music Sales Are Still A Thing

Hold on a second — am I reading a post from 10 years ago?
No, you’re not. It’s 2019, and surprise, music sales are still a thing.
And, we’re not just talking about the occasional “fluke” sale on iTunes either.
I recently interviewed John Oszajca of Music Marketing Manifesto for the podcast. As of this writing, I have yet to publish that episode but it’s coming soon.
And, one of the most valuable tips he left me (and really the whole community) with is the fact that music sales are still alive, and they are still one of the most powerful ways to make money in music.
How? With funnels.
These days, there are several businesses pushing funnels as the be-all end-all of digital marketing.
Now, I do believe you should have funnels. But I also believe you shouldn’t be entirely dependent on them.
That’s another conversation for another time, but it’s good to know that if you set things up right, you can still make good money from your music.

Email Marketing Remains King

This might not be a revelation to anyone, but email is still king in the world of digital marketing.
If you’re not building your email list, you’re doing yourself a massive disservice.
I know. There are plenty of musicians not doing this. But last I checked, you’re not Katy Perry, and you’re not reading this if you are (by the way, Katy is collecting tons of emails while you aren’t).
Please don’t rely on social media. You’ve got to pay good money to get views these days.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t use social media. It will probably play an important role in your digital marketing efforts. But it’s not the cure-all. Sorry.
Email lists are known to draw higher engagement numbers and lead to more sales. If don’t believe me, Google marketing stats for 2019.
So, there you go. It’s as simple as that.

Final Thoughts

There’s so much that can be accomplished online.
But don’t forget to interact with people. Truly, nothing happens outside of what you create in conversation.
Many years ago, I made the mistake of thinking that I could stay locked up in a room to build my music career. It took a long time for me to realize that’s not how momentum is created.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re introverted or extroverted. We’re all capable of having conversations. So, stay in conversation and keep creating a magnificent future.