[Editor’s Note: This article was written by Angela Mastrogiacomo.]
Music videos are an artist’s visual key to sharing their story. Think about it. You put all this time and effort into creating an incredible song—one that you hope will touch people, or get them dancing, or in some way make their lives better. And then, you put it out there, and you have to just hope that people switch on the audio and listen.
But there’s one problem with that—we are visual creatures.
While some of us like to listen on the go or as the background to our day, a lot of us are captivated not just by sound, but by the visual element. It’s why we would rather watch a TV show than listen to an audio book. Or why kids (and let’s be honest, some adults) like picture books rather than 300 page novels. We need that visual element to keep our interest, and to really drive the storyline home. It’s what seals the deal for us and truly connects us.
Why then, are so many artists making terrible music videos?
Or worse yet, making great music videos, but putting absolutely no effort into actually marketing them and making sure they get out there?
That ends today, because today, right now, we’re making sure that video gets seen. Here are 5 ways you can market that brand new video of yours.
Involve your fans
One of the best ways to make sure people see your music video is to make sure it’s getting shared. And one surefire way to do that is by making your fans a part of the video so that they actually want to share it. A few ways to do this are:
Have fans submit their own version of the video. This is a bit of an ask, so if you’re doing it this way I suggest running it as a contest where the winner gets something pretty special or exclusive. However, depending on your audience size and what you’re asking them to do, it can be a great option.
OR you can ask them to submit a short clip that you then include in your video, like Sunny State does here with “Human”. Not only that, but you can then take it a step further and use your fan’s stories to highlight them on social media, as you see done here. That way, you can take submissions, and then share with those whose clips you used. They’ll not only be incredible excited to see their videos used, but they’ll be so excited they’ll want to share it
Throw a digital release party
There’s no reason you can’t still have an awesome release party for your music video—just do it digital style! Throw together a Facebook event and invite all your friends, and then do some work getting in the DMs of your fans. This is going to take a little elbow grease but it’ll be worth it when you see all the turnout and appreciation.
I’m talking about privately DMing the people that follow you on social media (yes, I mean one by one) starting with your most loyal fans (the ones who are always engaging) and working you way down, to re-connect with them and then—and only once you’ve made an authentic connection— inviting them to the release party. Maybe even grab their email so you can send out a special email blast in the days leading up with contests, a private Facebook group just for fans, and a Zoom watch party to unveil the release and celebrate together. You can make this a full on virtual event/release party with prizes, contests, community, and celebration—it’ll be a night to remember.
Partner with other bands for a joint release
Want even more eyes on your video? Partner up with another band releasing at the same time and throw a dual release party. All of the above tactics, but now with two bands instead of one. Which means..you guessed it…even more new eyes and ears on your music. (hello, future fans!)
Collaborate with like minded brands for in-video features
There’s always a good reason to collaborate with like minded brands and bands, and the release of your new music video is just one of them. You can do this in a few ways. The first is incorporating their product into your video. For instance, partnering with a local clothing brand to wear their clothes, or a local artist to feature their art in the background. They’ll of course share with their audience, and you’ll be helping bring new eyes on brands you care about and believe in.
You can also include brand partnerships in your digital (or physical) release party, like…having the local cupcake spot provide cupcakes in exchange for getting their new flavor in front of some eager testers (and as such, sharing the news of where people can try it exclusively—AKA your show).
Of course, you want to remember to only partner with companies that align with your own brand and messaging but, when done right, this can be a really great way to build long term relationships and partnerships, while getting in front of a completely new audience.
Upload directly to Facebook & IG
Trust me on this—Facebook and IG love native content and if you upload your video directly to the platform, rather than using a YouTube link, FB and IG will show that video to way more people than if you link to an outside site. Don’t worry about losing YouTube views because the reality is, if you share a YouTube ink, FB will just suppress it anyway and no one will see. So upload it directly to Facebook, maybe even directly to IGTV as well, and just get that baby in front of as many eyeballs as possible.
So what do you think, are you fired up to start getting this video in front of people or what?! You have an incredible story to share, and your music and your video are the vehicle for that story—now go out there and make sure you get it in front of as many people as possible. 🙂
Want more fans? Join me for my free masterclass, How to Get Your Next 1,000. Fans to learn how to attract more of your ideal fan, boost engagement, build followers, and start seeing results.
Angela Mastrogiacomo is the founder and CEO of Muddy Paw PR, where her artists have seen placements on Alternative Press, Noisey, Substream, Spotify and more as well as the THRIVE mentorship community—an online community that provides indie artists with affordable year-round mentoring from music industry experts, and much more. She loves baked goods, a good book, and hanging with her dog Sawyer.
Tags: artist tips featuring music videos