A simple guide to DIY marketing for independent artists and producers

Here, we offer a comprehensive guide to the independent artists and producers out there, detailing how translate social media engagement into an actual revenue-generating fanbase.

Guest post by Chris Carvalho of Unlock Your Sound

If you are an independent music artist, you have probably tried loads of different social media tactics and found that nothing really affects the long tail.

You might be getting loads of likes and streams, but struggle to actually sell anything.

That’s because people don’t go on social media to buy things, they go on to mindlessly scroll and escape.

This is why it’s important to not only garner the attention of your audience, but to capture and nurture it too.

This article aims to help you build a working marketing funnel so you can build a fanbase to market to directly.

6 steps to build your working marketing funnel

1. Create Mailchimp account
2. Create folder for online files
3. Set up welcome email with link to folder
4. Create a call-to-action
5. Promote
6. Cultivate

Tools that will be used

Mailchimp

This is email marketing software.

This is where you collect the names and emails of your fans, and where you create email campaigns.

Dropbox / Google Drive

A place to host the files that will go out to your subscribers.

Canva

Using Canva.com you can create graphics, PDFs, presentations and much more.

The Marketing Funnel

Use the funnel concept to break down your audience

Followers

These are the people who follow you on social media but casually consume your content on their feeds.

Subscribers

The people who opt-in to hear more about you over email.

A Mailchimp sign-up page will be where you capture them.

Customers (Fans)

The segment of your subscribers who open every email, click every link, and buy your merch and music.

The Offer

Free download

This is the offer you promote to your audience to incentivise them to sign up.

Use a good call-to-action on your content output.

Example.

Click the link in bio to download my latest single, PDF liners notes, a lyric sheet and more for FREE

On subscription, an automated email will deliver them the download link as well as links to follow you on platforms.

Follow links

The automated welcome email will contain links to follow you on: 

Bandcamp

Spotify

Apple Music

Youtube

Socials

…and links to sell merch (e.g. Teespring)

Sales

You may also choose to include links where your subscribers can spend money with you.

This might take the form of premium releases, merch, or subscriptions like Patreon.

Mailchimp

Create Mailchimp account

Mailchimp is email marketing software. Here you’ll create sign-up forms, collect emails, and create nicely formatted messages to send to your audience.

Set up Welcome Email

This is the email that will go out to them when they subscribe to your list. 

Personalise it and thank them. This is where you will include the link to the download folder and calls-to-action to follow you everywhere.

Engage

Create campaigns (emails) to captivate your audience with updates, stories, and exclusive content.

Nurture your audience

Tell stories

Storytelling IS marketing. Keep your audience updated with what’s going on. You could even do a wrap-up of the content you posted on social media through the week.

Invite to exclusive events

Youtube livestreams

Zoom Q&A sessions

Sell things

Directly promote your music releases and sell merch to your fans.

That’s it!

The goal of this document is to help you build out an effective marketing funnel and build your own audience.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below.

Christopher Carvalho runs Unlock Your Sound out of the UK helping independent artists create and release their music.