Musicians, Are You Ready for Spring?

Yep, Spring is just about upon us That means the spring/summer/fall gigging season is coming. What does this mean to you? While it is true that most musicians and bands perform gigs in the winter months, The warm weather through the spring, summer, and fall brings music lovers of all kinds out of the house and out to local venues, festivals and more. For you, the working musician, that translates into potentially bigger crowds and thereby a chance to expand your fan base, winning over new fans and the opportunity to book more gigs, make more money and sell more merchandise.

For many bands, this means increasing efforts in order to prepare for a busy spring and summer. Due to the fact that a great many bands are working hard making final preparations and readying themselves for a busy spring and summer, things become much more competitive in an already competitive industry. The musicians and bands that have have developed a professional image, will stand out amongst the others. It is those bands and musicians who will garner the gigs, the additional attention of fans, sell more merchandise and get the attention of industry professionals.

So, I pose the question once again...Are YOU ready? What elements are missing in your image? Think about it. There are alot of elements that, together make up your professional image. Website, social media, press release, logo design and branding, promotional and marketing services, professional merchandising, the list goes on. Many bands elect to try and handle all of this themselves, in the name of tiny operating budgets and lack of support. However, very few bands get it right. Most bands have a less than impressive collection of online sites, a logo, a website done by a buddy or family member, a little merch and absolutely no branding. Why is this the norm? Because as hard as most musicians work at it, no one can understand and know everything. When your already busy schedule affords you little time to devise and create a marketing plan and branding, you will most likely choose the most popular social media,  throw up a "cool website" and maybe have a few shirts and schwag to sell to your fans. In the end, your efforts produce an image that does not stand out from just about every other band out there.

Look at the bands out there that are where you wanna be. What do they all have in common? Professional marketing and promotions, merchandise, and all of it is tied together with proper branding - combining it all together under one professional image. Those bands also have another thing in common - Utilizing professionals who truly understand the importance of branding, professional image and letting a professional do the work for them. However, many of the "big" bands shell out large sums of money in order to have that professional image and branding. What if you could have that polished, professional image that even the biggest of bands have? What if you could have that image plus a customized marketing plan, and have it all for a ridiculously low price?

Impossible to have all of that and low pricing you say?  Negatory Honcho!

There is a marketing company, run by musicians, for musicians and dedicated to providing the unsigned, unknown and independent musicians the same level of professional quality image and branding services, but at prices that wont break your already small budget. In fact, you will be surprised at how affordable having that image can be. Genius Switch Design is that company, and it is owned and operated by working musicians FOR working musicians. Check GSD out, and discover just how easy it is to have the tools, and the plan to run with the big dogs.

A solid marketing plan is only as good as one's understanding of their target demographic, or target "audience". When planning your marketing campaign, one of the most important steps in the pre-planning phase is determining who you want to market your product, service or business to.

Once your demographic(s) have been determined, you can then formulate a marketing plan that speaks directly to the audience most likely to use your product, service or business. Targeted marketing strategies create a much larger traffic return than the typical "blanket-approach" that many apply to their marketing campaigns. Creating a strong, targeted marketing campaign requires time and patience.