INDIE-pendant!

It’s a fact, independent artists are just that…Independent and one of the many perks of being an artist, is your creative freedom. An artist has the opportunity to work with their own time to complete projects and the ability to be in charge of their own pressures.

However, there is a downside to this and that is the lack of support from a financial perspective. For instance a musician does not have the backing from a record label and design students do not have the help from a manufacturer. As a result, the artist is left independently on their own, in relation to marketing and Pr.

Here are a few tips I picked up from several blogs, including one written by Author, blogger and journalist, Cendrine Marrouat, who started her career as an independent artist focusing on poetry and spoke word, but found her calling in the social media field. She is the founder of the blog Creative Ramblings that often focuses on small business and social media marketing. In a particular blog Cendrine translated an insightful article for other Independent artists.

In this blog I will summarize on her article of how musicians and creative’s are able to support themselves, independently.

First off, valuing your work,

The artist creations are a direct result of their passions and hard work, but success also depends on how high they value their products

“For instance, if you are a musician and plan on giving away your album, label it as “demo.” That way, your CD will be considered as a work in progress by listeners. You will have a better chance to actually sell it when it is officially released. You can also choose to share a couple of tracks instead. It is up to you

“If you are an author, share extracts from your book(s). Before sending anything, make sure that both parties agree in writing on certain terms. E-mails work too.” Cendrine Marrouat

Think about costs involved in the production of your product, remember, time is just as valuable as money and signed artists do not offer discounts. So, it should be the same in the independent industry.

Networking with like-minded people.

As much as BOTS loves to mingle with our members, our Monthly Get Together’ s and events are not just a chance for us to show off our amazing community, but the simplest and effective way of networking. People need to interact with people in their own industry, especially as these people speak the same language. As a result, you are kept in the loop and part of a community that is unified.

Choosing the right medium for exposure,

Not every opportunity for exposure is a good one. There are many services and Websites that offer help, sometimes for free, such as BOTS. However, it does take trial and error to find out which ones will work for what you have to offer. It’s much like small business marketing, essentially you are your own business and to get your product out there to achieve your goals, you need to look at the correct target audience. Artists tend to spread themselves all over to gain exposure, and while there are many advantages of this, you could be wasting your times on others. Instead, do a bit of research into the community you are a part of, and find out who their target market is and if it is in line with your goals. Quoting a previous blog I wrote on Anti-Social Media, “Your next step should always be able to get you closer to your target goal”

In conclusion to this, being an independent artist takes willingness to self-promote, valuing your-self higher and networking.

“Often results exceed expectations” – Cendrine Marrouat

x

Romy 

romy@beonthescene.com

share your ideas or stories with me and you could feature on the next upcoming blog!