Often when launching a new band website, musicians fall into the trap of thinking that simply getting a good website up and running will guarantee success. The fact is that web traffic won’t come to your website automatically. There are traffic-building strategies that can drive people to your sites and increase your fan base.
Search Engine Submission- Although Google is great at searching through web content; one thing people sometimes don’t realize is that Google doesn’t always automatically index new websites. Submitting your web address to all of the major search engines will ensure that you website gets listed. Proper Keyword Use- Keywords should always be positioned in the title, description, keyword tag and headings in addition to the first paragraph of your body text. Keyword research tools can be used to see how many times certain terms are searched. Choose keywords that best describe your band and have the highest monthly search volumes. Increasing Your Google Page Rank-Google rates your page based on 25% of your web site quality and content. The other 75% is based on how many other sites include your website address link. Therefore, making sure that plenty of other websites link to your site is critical. Link directories, article submissions and press releases are effective ways to extend your link throughout the web. Press Releases- Want to spread the word about your new website and upcoming gigs? Press releases are the quickest and most cost effective way to hit your target market. Press releases can be professionally written and distributed to 200,000 newspapers/online sites for under $500. Often when a press release gets successfully picked up, it can end up on media outlets like Google News, MSN, Yahoo, USA Today and The New York Times. The amount of traffic that major media coverage can send to your website is quite staggering and can truly put you and your website and band on the map. Social Networks-It might shock many people to learn that around half a billion people are involved in social media. Start by creating profiles the major social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. Once you have created profiles, look to join groups related to your area or music in general and post info about your website and gigs. Ideally, your profiles should be customized to match the look of your website and have audio and video posts. YouTube Videos- Dropping a CD off for an entertainment manager is both ineffective and costly. Create a video of your performances, upload them to YouTube and e-mail the links to potential clients/businesses. Video is far superior to audio only and is more likely to be reviewed by booking agents or fans. In Summary- The recession has put pressure on the music establishments so bands with great followings that can provide solid revenue will be considered for gigs. A comprehensive online marketing strategy is the key!
Anthony Phillips is a former tavern owner and is currently the President of Phillips Creative Media, a Las Vegas based client services firm that specializes in website design, online press releases, SEO & hospitality based motion graphics advertising. More information about the company’s services can be found at http://www.phillipscreativemedia.com
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