Marketing. The very name can strike fear into the heart of any musician. It is a necessary evil especially when our preference is to play or teach. Honestly, who has time for promotion?
Marketing is absolutely critical for steel pan
players and groups. We are not exactly playing instruments that are "mainstream," at least not in
the U.S. Without consistent and timely marketing, the steel pan player and group has to fight to get noticed.
We rely on word of mouth, public performances, and social media to get the word out. Clearly that is a mix of offline and online promotion. Is over reliance on one dangerous? Over reliance on any one method in marketing usually doesn't produce results we hope for. The ultimate goal is to figure out who you are, what you bring to the market, who your target audience is, and where the heck they are? Then you need to develop a plan to cover all the bases and stick to it. A sprinkling of marketing here and there doesn't cut it.
I had a chance to speak with a number of players around the country over the past couple of weeks. Many of the solo pan players play small social events. Most have tailored their websites and messaging to speak directly to their target audiences. The best examples I found were those playing for weddings. They know the audience. The music they provide includes romantic, tropical, and dance/party music. Check out some of their sites. Most have their playlists up too. Some even have music samples to listen to. They constantly market through social media and word of mouth. They aren't afraid to foster relationships with those in the "wedding" industry. Talk about knowing their market.
So keep this in mind when you think about how to do your marketing:
- Know what you bring to the market
- Know who and where your target audience is
- Be prepared to market constantly.
- Plan and Execute
Those who do this consistently seem to be the ones positioned for long-term success.
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