It's very complex, difficult, expensive, interesting and fun to be an independent music producer. Volume three covers my attempts to: make acoustic improvements to the studio; cut down my production times; learn the art of mastering in-house ad muc...
I've look into doing Facebook/Instagram ads in order to boost my following but I say no thank you, for now. Now is the time to get my music done so people hear it and see some substance - not just empty words. There is a time for everything. Now is not the time for ads for me is what I concluded as I wrote this.
For those of you who want to get an intro to ads
You use Facebook/Instagram ads in order to convert strangers to fans and fans to patrons. Below you'll find the link to the webinar and the video above introduces you to Facebook ads. How to target your ads effectively is taken up by the video above.
As an indie musician, you do not have a label backing you up and doing all the advertising. Because I have a good group of followers already on Facebook/Instagram but far from the number I need to get the release to be a hit, I was wondering if, when and how I should try to use FB ads to get more people interested in time for the album drop later this year.
You can release the best album but no one would find it if you don't do some work beforehand to make sure that the release is a success. I'm not interested in making money nor do I believe that I will but my purpose is to
1. Be able to continue to make great music (and that costs money)
2. Help people find peace of mind.
I am in the process of trying to figure out the when where, whys etc of releasing an album and looking into promotion. In that effort, I watched a webinar by Little Spiral (Patreon name), where she lays out the way she uses it.
When to use ads
- you want to invite in new fans to what you are producing/doing
- to invite current fans into a deeper relationship (email lists Patreon sales, events...)
- Time sensitive promo (special offers, events, deadlines, crowdfunding)to let your fans know about your deadlines
- when you have a budget to spend on ads
She says that you should get a bigger plan in place and have clear goals before you start payng for ads otherwise you may waste your money.
Why do you use ads?
To convert strangers into fans and to convert fans to Patrons.
Going straight from strangers to patrons doesn't usually work so don't waste your money there!
The hierarchy of ease
She notes the things people do as they grow in a relationship with you and your music (the farther down the list the increasingly warmer the relationship needs to be with your fan to get that action). I quote her list here. They move downwards as they grow in a relationship with you.
like/heart your post
play your video
comment on your post
click on link or swipe up
like/follow your page/profile
Share on Facebook
Repost on Instagram
Download free gift
Sign up for email list
Direct message
RSVP to free online event
Attend to free online event
Donate to crowdfunding
Buy a digital product
Buy a physical product
Attend an event in person
Choose those who are warm already and go deeper with them They have liked your page, seen your videos and followed you for a while. Choose 500 to 1000 of these she says, (Lol I only have 500 + on Fb in total). She recommends not to run any ads before you have those 500 to 1000 warm (interested) people following you.
O.k. Good. I'm back to start. :-(
Really, I am getting tired of all this.
I've already spent too much time trying to collaborate, share, honestly interest myself in others' posts etc, but I keep reaping the wind. I am not making music for the money nor can I be. But it would be nice if I could pay my bills instead of my husband doing it. I will go back to mixing for now and leave all of this to you who already have a great following. My hope is to get this music out and take it from there. Everything I say before I drop the album is simply empty talk I guess. Time to show them what I do. No talk all action!
Conclusion. I plan to be doing daily Facebook live events, post new lyrics videos on YouTube every week and boost with ads on Instagram, Gab and Facebook the month before the release and combine these things with a Spotify pre-save button through Show.Co (CDBaby). It will mean one intense month of what I do best. And it will be fun.
The months before, I need to
get this music ready for mastering, plan the release, create liner notes, create giphs, and Wavves, create music videos etc. Ambitious? Yes but I have waited a whole life to get this music created and now I am going to go all in. All without an ad agency. All to help people get some peace of mind. I hope I can keep my own in the process.
