Saturday, June 8, 2013

Rappers Need To Give Themselves A Unique Brand

By Adam Galloway


One of the first things you should do if your an artist is to develop your social media presence by generating content-filled & arranged pages. Then begin to build your network of fans. Article writing is a great form of marketing for your music. Find five social media platforms (I prefer to focus on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, and the others are tied for 5th). Once you pick your top 5, develop the hell out of those! Make it so if a music industry profession came upon your site, it would look good and not an absolute disaster with no likes, followers, photo's, bad spelling, ect. YOU ARE A PROFESSIONAL NOW!

Collaborate with other artists similar in your style, whether it's someone you know or someone online. If you search "collaborate musicians" or even similar searches, many sites which make this easy will show up. Collaborating is a powerful way to connect with more people in your niche as some sort of rapper, hip hop artist, beat maker, ect.

Be controversial (without going overboard). Innovation is huge in the music industry, and if you're bold enough to try something new and unique, you can essential brand yourself and stand out from the crowd, which eventually will get you success as an artist!

Get on Youtube with your face, music, and other random stuff that could possibly go viral. Youtube is HUGE, and considering a lot of people have a camera (even if it's on your phone), you can record anything anytime, and post it anytime. Take advantage of video blogging, song/mixtape promotion, and a lot more. You can release your whole mix tape for free as one video depending on the length and promote it like crazy. Radiohead did that "free download or donate" marketing strategy, so why not give your stuff away for free for a bit, which will definitely get you many targeted fans!

In case you are into playing living, contact venue promoters locally (look up your city and venues, then ask for info from each). Try to book as many shows as possible. Advertise these simply by finding venue marketers who know how to advertise their shows. Meaning a lot of shows are sold out!

Before you think about sending your mix tape demo, give the recipient a call (that way when they get it, they'll remember your phone call and be more inclined to listen).

Create your unique brand, logo, what you stand for, and most significantly, a PERSONAL WEBSITE. I cannot stress this enough in order to be considered respectable in the music & business community. Social media and live shows are all good, but you need some sort of legit website for people to visit if they inquire. Go to Weebly.com and get a free account/hosting (get your domain there or even cheaper elsewhere). You can't send fans to only a Facebook page in case you are looking becoming a legit player in this particular business. Speaking of business...

Get some awesome business by getting business cards! Vistaprint is the best for that via my experience. Ideal prices and good quality and quantity! These are great to possess when you're around people that might be potential fans or customers of one's CD.

Never give up in your pursuit to be a successful rap artist! The ones who push us down are the one's we'll power through when we're better than them! Once you've made yourself legitimate, you can spend more time promoting yourself, with your identity unique and there. Now go buy beats that inspire you, work on your image, and RAP!




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