How to promote and maximize sales of your album.
So it’s been months of rehearsals, promotion, cutting and
recording. But what now?
You have the album in the digital format but how do you maximize
its reach and sell sell?
Remember… maximizing an opportunity and an album can maximize its
sale potential, drop the ball and it could sink without a trace.
I’m going to use one of my favourite bands as an example for
this blog, The Black Keys, and an article I discovered for the PR they did on
the Album, El Camino
It’s was a stressful time for the record label
Nonesuch/warnerbros and their management, Q Prime and especially for the band
members. However, how they promoted the album has become a case study on how to
best release an album in the digital age. The result was 206,000 albums sold in
the first week of release in the USA. Pretty great right?
So how did they do it?
Well, first off, the rule in promotion and marketing is to
always have a strategy. The Band used every opportunity they had to mention the
release. This wasn’t just on a few occasions where they deemed fit, but at
EVERY possible chance and daily too. Here is a simple breakdown.
·
email blasts to a fan mailing list
·
Twitter and Facebook updates
·
viral videos
·
tour date releases
·
Record Store Day record release
·
TV, print and radio interviews
·
video interviews
·
album release shows
·
live stream broadcasts
Now as
a new artists and one without a label, PR company and management behind you,
some of the tasks seem daunting. But refer back to a previous blog on INDIE-Pendance
where I explain how to be your own manager as well as to use Social Media to
its Maximum capacity for free.
The Black
Keys were successful in creating somewhat of a frenzy in their fans,
encouraging them to pre-order albums for a fear of missing out. They created a
demand.
If you
are doing this independently, please remember a few things.
With emails,
you have to give as much info as possible and be very direct with your fans
- Always insist
fans to join the email lists
- Try and
gain as much support from local music stores and independent outlets as much as
possible. This seems quite daunting, I understand, however, you would be pleasantly
surprised how much people are willing to do. Refer to previous blog on Amanda
Palmer and the Art of Asking.
- Use twitter
at least 3 times a day to promote it
The band
did chose an unusual album release date of 6th December however, Pat
Carney Noted in an interview,
There’s
a rule you release albums in February-March, then you tour the summer. Then
there’s the September-October schedule. Our new album is out on December 6. I
asked the label for a list of major rock bands that had released albums in
December. In the last 10 years there’s maybe four. But our manager said it’s a
shame more bands don’t, ‘cos it would force the industry not to shut down. So
we’re going to try it.
Perhaps without the major competition of releasing
against other artists in your genre will work in your favour. Do a bit of
research and find out who is doing what, when and why.
Having never released an album myself, I can only imagine
the stress, time and money it takes to get promotion started. However, if you
take a small page out of some of the big names “book” and find a way to make it
work for you, you will be on the road to success in no time.
I wish you the best of luck and look forward to an autographed
copy!
X
Romy
romy@beonthescene.com
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