Brand Partnerships & Influencer Marketing
Have you ever thought about brand partnerships before? Working with a brand provides a musician the unique opportunity to forge a partnership based on mutual growth. A strategy of music influencer marketing opens many doors that previously had no key. With a brand working alongside you, you can use their audiences to reach your career goals at a much faster rate.
In recent years the music industry has undergone a number of dramatic changes. The rise of technology has enabled independent artists better access to a music career than ever before. In doing so, it has also made the music industry far more competitive.
Making music alone is rarely enough to sustain a career as an upcoming independent artist now. Whilst most artists turn to live performances to top up their income, recent events have made this rather challenging. Without performing as a viable option, there is not better time to buck the trend and get innovative with your revenue streams.
When done right, collaboration can be one of the most convenient ways to develop opportunities and your artistry.
And it’s not just independent artists who do this. When you pay close attention to your favourite artists, you’ll notice that they carefully select who they work with. They wouldn’t do an advertisement campaign on behalf of a company who violates their principles. They work with those who support their image and nurture their brand.
If you are just starting out there’s plenty you can do to get started at a local level. But you need to know how to identify opportunities and where to start.
How To Find Partnership Opportunities
In order to entice another brand to work with you and exhibit that it would be a mutually beneficial to you both, you need to understand the brand you are pitching to. In other words, you will need to showcase to them just how much value you can bring to the brands individual goals.
Start by defining you goals as clearly as you can. You’ll want to ensure that any partnership you pursue forges a relationship that meets these goals. Then, work on defining your values. If you align closely with a brand’s values, principles and ethics then great! But, you don’t want to work with a company which have very conflicting viewpoints to you or your audience. Next, define who your fans are. The brand will be interested in who your fans are, so they so how you might benefit them. But, you will also need to know so you pick up a brand that your fans appreciate. Any kind of influencer marketing campaign always needs to be mutually beneficial.
Where To Find Opportunities
Firstly, don’t be afraid to really think outside the box. By being more creative with where you approach for partnerships you will end up creating a unique opportunity that other artists haven’t done before. This could be your secret weapon. Creating an opportunity where you don’t initially see one will be completely individual and personalised to you.
If you were to go to a “call-out” sent out by brands, you’d get a generic partnership that hundreds of other music influencers are competing for. That’s not what you want or need. What you are looking for is a unique opportunity that adds genuine value to both you and the partner brand.
Sit down and think about the places you already go. These could be cafés, coffee shops, book stores, bars… You name it! Chances are some of these have a local presence and a vibe which pulls in a regular group of customers. Does your music match their customer base? If so, it looks like you might be on to a winner here. Look for ways to create an opportunity. Perhaps you could curate playlists, do a venue performance for them or advertise them on your social media. Search for businesses who compliment your vibe and look for a way you can genuinely help them.
Align With The Right Partnership
Don’t be a sell out. Partnering with a brand needs to go further than just the monetary value. You need to really consider the morality and ethics of any company you work for. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because partnering with a brand with poor-ethics could be career suicide. If your fans discover that you partnered with an “evil” brand, you will loose the respect of a huge number of people. Work with a brand who benefits you more than just paying your fee.
Benefits
Access to New Audiences
Your partnership with an established brand will be mutually beneficial. Some of the customers that they have may not have heard of you or interacted with your music before. Creating a presence within their brand may help you pick up new fans.
More than that, a brand may have a much farther reach than you initially realise. Some brands have a loyal global audience, making it easier for you to share your music global through a unique and trusted channel.
Pay
Of course, there is money! A number of brands will pay you for being a promoter or engaging in what is known as music influencer marketing. In some opportunities the gains you can get outside of money are just a valuable as getting paid. In brands with a much wider reach you could earn money through media activity that is generated for you by this exposure. It’s always worth looking past an initial pay check and considering how you will make money across the board.
Elevated Release Awareness
While influencer marketing works to share the brands content and elevate their awareness, you will find it does the same for you. Working with a brand, your content will be shared to a whole new audience. Working on a marketing campaign in the run up to a single or album release can significantly increase the awareness of your music to new fans. In this case, an influx on new listeners could also help you end up on algorithmic playlists on streaming platforms such as Spotify.
Are you looking to get your music out there? With Identity Music you can get your music all over the globe in order to gain the maximum exposure. By using our distribution and music promotion services, you’ll be able to take control while watching your music reach new heights.
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