Content Marketing for Music Brands: You’ve Caught Their Ears, Now Catch Their Eyes

Whether you’re a record label or a streaming platform, a musician or a management company, a band or a venue, a retailer or an instrument maker, you have a lot of information you want to offer to your fans, listeners, or potential customers. They’re already interested in what you produce, so it’s important to keep them informed about and engaged with your brand. By using content marketing to communicate with your target audience — writing engaging social media updates and posting top-notch website copy, blogs, and e-books about topics they care about — you can maintain their attention and earn their loyalty.

Here are some things to consider when planning your content marketing strategy, as well as a few tips that can help you produce stronger, more effective content.

You have a big audience

According to a Nielsen study, close to 91 percent of Americans listen to music more than 24 hours a week. That’s an incredibly large audience interested in what your industry produces. It’s also a big challenge. How do you transform listeners and people interested in your product into paying customers, particularly in an era in which music consumers are moving to new digital platforms? Whether you’re a band looking for a break, a promotional company wanting to tell everyone about your clients, or a business trying to sell a product, you need to make your voice heard amid the sweet cacophony. Your marketing strategy must include an ongoing commitment to high-quality, professional online content to reach your audience.

Feed your followers

Social media has evolved into the most popular and most engaging channel in the content world. For most music industry players, social media performance is crucial. That’s because customers and clients use Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms to keep up with ever-changing music industry news and information, ranging from new releases and products to concerts and other events. To keep your audience attuned to your brand, you must consistently share professionally crafted content that will grab the attention of even the most jaded industry professional or busiest consumer.

Producing a steady stream of fresh, relevant content for your social media feeds is a challenging task. Most social media users have little tolerance for irregular updating and low-quality posts. Followers often ignore brands that update their feeds infrequently or that post unexciting, conventional content. Good social media writing means the difference between engaging your followers and having them skip over your updates.

Make your website copy sing

A website visit is often the first active point of contact that a customer or client has with your business. They visit your website because they need something, perhaps information about a new CD release, tour dates or a calendar of events, or an answer to a question about your product. Consider every page of your website as an opportunity to educate a visitor about your brand. Avoid boring copy or out-of-date information. They may cost you a sale or give visitors a negative impression of your brand. Well-crafted content and a consistent voice will keep your website in tune.

Blog posts are one of the most effective ways to appeal to your website visitors. These brief, conversational posts, running about 400 to 650 words, are a great way to offer useful tips, comment on music industry trends, and make your visitors think about cutting-edge issues. Like other first-rate website copy, well-written and voice-consistent blog posts enhance your brand’s credibility, expand its reach, and build loyalty.

Get your customers to listen

Sending marketing emails to your customers is one of the most direct and personal methods of marketing outreach. Effective marketing emails and product descriptions keep your recipients informed, expand your market, and turn prospects into customers.

Because almost everyone’s email inbox is stuffed full of messages, persuading the people you’ve targeted to receive your message to open it and to continue reading it are big challenges. To get good results, your marketing emails must have intriguing subject lines and professionally written copy.

Likewise, a well-written product description can make all the difference. It’s not just the visuals or sounds that sell a music product, it’s also the story. Your product needs a story that speaks to your customers and connects with their needs.

Show that you’re an expert

Standing out as an expert and thought leader in the industry will strengthen your brand, create trust and goodwill, and generate quality leads. Three content marketing formats — bylined articles, white papers, and e-books — can help establish you and members of your team as experts. They’re a subtle form of promotion that doesn’t have the negative baggage of traditional advertising. Potential customers gain valuable knowledge and insight without being accosted by a hard sell.

Usually appearing in trade publications, like Billboard, or in industry blogs, bylined articles are about 800 to 1,200 words long. They usually cover hot topics or industry trends. Because bylined articles must meet a publisher’s editorial standards, they’re usually written by professional writers. The writer interviews the expert and researches other resources to produce the article. The article appears under the name of the expert.

White pages (10 to 40 pages) and e-books (6 to 12 pages) are similar to each other in many respects. Both provide an in-depth discussion of a compelling industry topic, such as direct ticketing or virtual reality concerts.

Check out this white paper (or this one) to get an idea of what white papers and e-books are like. By demonstrating your expertise, these professionally written digital publications will build trust for your brand and establish it as an industry leader. And they’re particularly effective in producing good leads. Because people perceive that e-books and white papers have high value, they’re often willing to provide you with contact information in exchange for a free download of the publication.

These tips will help you better understand how content marketing can help you achieve your goals. But if your business lacks the time, or in-house expertise, to create high-quality content, Prose Media can help. We have music industry experts who can provide professional writing and editing services that fit your content marketing strategy needs. Sign up today for free, no-obligation access to our platform. We would love to see what you have in mind.