This fall, music industry executives will send off thousands of bands on tours throughout the world. Amongst the guitars, drums and P.A. equipment and fans that will be following these musicians as they travel from city to city, however, there is something else that will be packed as well: a content marketing strategy.
Content marketing has swept into the music industry and is now becoming an essential means of promotion for bands and executives alike. In fact, as a recent Venture Harbour report shows, the music industry has spent over $3 million this past year on content marketing.
So, why is the music industry all about content marketing these days? Traditionally, there has been a big divide between musicians and fans. Content marketing is helping to close this gap. According to Midem Director Bruno Crolot, musicians are now using content strategies to extend into new audiences and reach fans in a personal way.
"By providing the most relevant content at the right moment to an audience, content marketing represents a powerful tool for artists & labels to reach further and create a meaningful relationship with fans,” Crolot explained.
The report goes on to explain that Facebook is currently the most important social network for advertising in the music industry, as 62 percent of shares and 55 percent of social traffic come from the social media giant. Additionally, infographics, how-to blog posts and case studies are being used to interact with audiences and create interactions.
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In terms of what type of content is most effective, the report explained that the most shareable material evokes strong emotional responses. Issues such as piracy, low royalty payments and the exploitation of artists generates a lot of interaction throughout these social media channels. It is also important to post relevant material on blogs and websites in order to keep traffic flowing internally throughout connected networks.
As Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith explains, strong content is all about fostering strong connections in regards to issues that matter in the music industry.
“Great content connects concrete details to the bigger picture,” says Smith. “That's why case studies can be a particularly strong form of content marketing. Case studies allow for a satisfying level of detail presented in a larger business context. They can showcase solutions but are most valuable to the reader when the takeaway goes beyond 'buy our product.'"
In order for bands to connect to the bigger picture, this means staying relevant. Every band wants to be noticed, and therefore must pay attention to how searchable they are on the Web. This means staying as close to the top of a Google search as possible. In order to do this, a solid content marketing strategy is necessary. This means producing content regularly and linking to credible, related sources. Failure to pay attention to Google’s new compliance rules could mean getting blacklisted by the search engine.
Therefore, if your band dreams of selling out Madison Square Garden, and not your local dive bar, it is essential that you form a content marketing strategy that works.
Edited by
Ryan Sartor
