Since MySpace Music was born, it has increasingly become an incredibly important marketing tool for musicians. I’m sure by now most of you reading this article know the basics and features of MySpace Music – let’s see how you as a musician can get the most out of the networking website.
No matter your genre, you can use MySpace Music as a platform to get your music heard. Create a MySpace band profile and start uploading your music. Once you’ve selected some of your best stuff that you’d like to feature, be sure to upload some photos of yourself or your band.
Add friends, not just anyone!
Don’t rush to get your music heard by as many people as possible. What you are trying to do is develop a strong fan base that will constantly visit your MySpace Music page. Make sure you’re not just sending random friend requests. Initially, you should target people who might share similar taste in music. Maybe their profile song is a band that has a similar sound or is in a similar genre to your band. Target people in the cities where your upcoming shows will be located.
Always keep your followers updated!
Once you’ve established a solid number of friends and repeat visitors, be sure to keep your followers updated. You don’t want your friends to lose interest in you, so stay on top of your game! Make sure you add value to your page so that the visitor comes back. Keep your tour dates and upcoming shows up to date. Upload videos like slideshows and music videos through MySpace Music and Youtube. Brainstorm creative ideas for videos you can upload. Show something a little more personal, like you or your band joking around or recording in the studio. This helps create a special connection between you and your visitors. You must also allow your songs to be added to visitors’ profiles. Your music can, in turn, pique the interest of someone visiting your profiles.
customizable profile
When creating a band page, it’s important to present yourself professionally, and this is where customizing your MySpace Music profile comes in handy. Your MySpace Band page is easily customizable. If you’re not too familiar with HTML, perhaps you should do a quick Google search for some basic HTML code, such as background color changes or other design elements. If you don’t want to customize every aspect of your page yourself, there are websites all over the web today that offer FREE MySpace layouts or templates. All you need to do is copy and paste the HTML code of the layout offered on these websites into your MySpace bio. Make sure there is a consistent color theme throughout your profile. Keep your page easy on the eye and match your profile colors with photos of you or your gang.
Comments
MySpace comments are very important when promoting on MySpace Music. As soon as someone adds you as a friend or accepts your friend requests, be sure to comment on their profile page with a special thank you. Use their name directly to make it feel more personal, and let them know you’ll be updating your page often and they should check back. You may even want to create a small graphic to post in your comments to make your post more visually appealing. Those who visit your profiles may find your comment and visit your page out of curiosity.
MySpace Blogs and Bulletins
Blogging on MySpace is another vital feature that can be used as a promotional tool for you or your band. These blogs can sometimes be personal, letting your visitors know what you did that day or recording significant events you’ve been through as an artist. However, you can also use your blog as a news update for your visitors. Make your visitors aware of upcoming shows or events. Make sure your blog titles are eye-catching! When promoting yourself on MySpace Music, you should also consider the Newsletter feature. You should send newsletters to your friends list to let them know about upcoming shows, newly uploaded videos/music, and other important news surrounding you or your band. However, be careful not to abuse this feature. Too many posts too soon can have the opposite effect of driving visitors to your page.
PROMOTE!
Once you have a successfully running MySpace Music page, don’t forget to promote it as much as possible! At the end of your concerts, be sure to remind your audience of the name of your MySpace page. Let them know that it is on your page that they can find more information about your band. Include your MySpace address on any external promotional tools, such as business cards, T-shirts, or demo CDs.
