Running online ads to promote your music, merch, tour announcement – whatever it may be that you wish to market – can assist in boosting your reach to new and existing audiences. However, as with any marketing tools, it is key to use them effectively especially as there is a time and financial investment involved.
Online ads are currently in the spotlight – often discussed as a ‘hack’ to assist in boosting your online presence and reach. Like any and all marketing strategies, online advertising through social media ad functions and YouTube ads, for example, are best used in conjunction with other methods. Using solely ads without implementing any other marketing and PR strategies will not yield the most impact in terms of results, and when many bands and artists are having to carefully monitor their spending it may not be the best investment.
The Right Time For Ads: Aspects To Consider
As a band or artist, there is a significant amount of progress that can be achieved prior to diving into monetary based marketing options. Taking social media as a primary example, building up an audience – making connections, networking and beginning to create genuine engagement is all very doable and should be undertaken early on.
You need to consider carefully what it is that you are wanting to promote. If you are in-between releases, spending money on online ads at this point may not be the best investment choice as you don’t have a specific goal or product to market. The psychology behind marketing strategies should be taken into account. Research shows that people need to see something approximately seven times before they will reach for their wallet. Therefore, if you’re randomly targeting individuals with no specific focus, in a virtual world now filled with all sorts of advertising, it is significantly less likely to translate into sales.
Who is your audience? In order to set up a successful ad, targeting the appropriate audience is crucial. Spend the time thinking about *who* your audience actually is – consider demographics such as age and location, as well as other relevant interests such as music genres and any related areas e.g., gaming, fantasy, horror. Find further guidance on understanding your audience here!
As with any aspect of your music, a clear and realistic budget for promotion is necessary. If you choose to run online ads, they should be a part of your marketing budget – though, as stated above, not the sole strategy you are implementing. If you choose to run multiple ads across different platforms, consider how you are going to divide up the finances between them. Also explore which platform(s) will be most relevant to what it is you are promoting? For example, for a new music video, YouTube ads will be most effective.
Creating the ad itself requires planning. If you are using YouTube ads, it is a case of selecting the video you wish to promote, however on other platforms text, images, video or other media may be required. Ensure that any text is carefully written and proof-read. If you are using images or video, make sure that the visual media is correctly scaled to each platform and that the media itself is of a high quality. If you are spending money on ads, you want to ensure there is no reason for a potential viewer to be put off. Take a look at ads when you are scrolling online and think about what you like and don’t like – what grabs your attention and entices you to stop scrolling versus what you scroll past.
Online ads are one of many marketing tools that, when used correctly, can greatly assist a band or artist. Like any marketing tool, they are significantly less effective if used alone and without careful planning in terms of timing, budget, and the quality of the ad itself.
For more on the holistic approach to marketing your music, check out these blog posts:
Embracing a Holistic Approach to PR for Music Promotion
Promoting Your Music Holistically: PR, Online Ads & Marketing