If you want to succeed as an artist and introduce the right people to your talent, you need to find your target audience. This is the key factor in popularizing your music and attracting the attention it deserves.
The age of the internet immensely expanded the availability of content. This means that it’s harder to get your songs heard. With the unlimited variety that the internet offers, you must be proactive if you want to be noticed.
What you need is a niche audience that you can go back to time and time again. Identifying the target audience means that you identified the people who could understand and love what you do.
There are certain steps you can take that will lead you to your target audience. To find out what those steps are just keep reading.
1. Start with Musicians that Sound Like You
Look for musicians and artists whose sound style resembles yours. No, they are not your competitors. They are the road signs to your target audience.
If your music has a similar vibe to David Guetta’s, start following their fan base. People who like artists in the same genre can fall in love with your tracks just as easily.
Follow people who follow those artists. You can look into those popular musicians’ Instagram followers, Facebook followers, or members of those musicians’ fan groups on Facebook.
When the fans see your follow request they will check out your profile. What they’ll find there? Some amazing songs that match their taste.
Growing your social media followers will grow your exposure to a wide audience. It will also give you a noticeable platform to promote your music and get people interested.
2. Arm Yourself with Useful Tools
Take advantage of the wonders of the digital world. There are many tools out there that can help you get to know your target audience. The more you know about them, the easier will it be to connect with them.
The tools you can use are:
YouTube Analytics
If you are active on YouTube (and you probably are) turn to analytics to find out who your target audience is. The Analytics feature will show you the demographics of users who watch your videos, including their age, gender, and location.
Spotify’s Artist Insights
Learn more about who listens to your music on Spotify. Go to the Insights page to get the details on listeners’ age, gender, location, and how they discovered you.
Google Analytics
In case you have a website, don’t forget to dig up the data. Use analysis tools like Google Analytics to collect insight about your website visitors, the pages on your website they stick on the most, and similar.
Comment Section
In case you have a website, don’t forget to dig up the data. Use analysis tools like Google Analytics to collect insight about your website visitors, the pages on your website they stick on the most, and similar.
3. Conduct a Survey
Get the data on where your audience “hangs out” directly from them. Conduct online surveys on your website or social media (e.g. use the Instagram Story Questions feature)
Ask questions like:
- Where did you find out about me?
- Where do you go to listen to music?
- What kind of other things are you interested in besides music?
The latter can reveal your target audience’s hobbies and more. You can notice a pattern that can help you branch out of your reach. For example, if a big part of your audience is record collectors or comic book collectors, you can target groups and forums with those topics.
Find out on which platforms your audience is mostly present and you’ll find new ways of spreading your sound.
4. Create and Publish Quality Content
You need to look beyond getting your audience to listen to your lyrics. Get them to notice you. Then, you can direct them to the music you make.
What can help you reach a wide audience that shares your interests is engaging content? Create content that your fans would appreciate.
From the previously mentioned surveys, you can get information on your audience’s likes. Shape your content based on those preferences.
Let’s say that you make indie songs. Start an indie-inspired blog. Write blog posts that analyze indie music videos, discuss upcoming artists, dissect the lyrics, and more. You can then subtly add a link to your song or even create a page for listening to music that includes some of your own tracks.
Get inspired by reading well-written essays on music that you can find over here and access for free. Great writing on relevant topics can spark some fresh content ideas.
Your blog or content doesn’t need to focus on your type of sound. Direct your content-creation towards any point of interest and belief that most of your target audience shares.
If writing isn’t your strong side, no worries. Post attractive visuals on social media that your target audience would like. Find inspiration from the shots in music videos, for example. You can even make videos and use your songs as background music.
5. Collaborate, Network, and Get Seen
Putting yourself out there will increase your chances of getting noticed by “your kind of people.” So, what does putting yourself out there really mean?
Well, find musicians that are “in your lane” and reach out to them for collaboration. If you aren’t ready for music-type-of-collab, ask them whether they are interested in promoting you if you promote them. People don’t exclusively listen to a single artist. Why not join forces to increase both of your follower bases?
If you found out (from detailed research we mentioned) that your potential fans go to certain places, head there. Introduce yourself to people. You can naturally slip what you do in conversation. When people get to know you, they’ll have the motivation to check out your music.
Another action you can take is to boost your performance. Inquire about local events, volunteering events, or concerts. Offer to perform for free or get in touch with headliners to be their opener. Exposing yourself to people who can expand your reach will also bring you closer to your target audience.
Final Thoughts
Take the above-mentioned steps to get on the road to people who understand your music. Those are the people who can become your true fans and would want to help you rise to success.
Don’t wait for the magic force to pull your target audience to you. Be the one who does the pulling and paves the way to your future fans.
Words from Alison Lee.