The Five Marketing Traps Every Musician Falls For

by Cari Cole

1. Hiring A Publicist Too Soon

A publicist can’t do a thing for you if you don’t already have momentum with your music – period. I know, I too, fell victim to the tune of 5000 whopping dollars. And what did I get? A big fat – zero. And it’s not unfamiliar – probably with a lot of you. But the mistake, is to hire them too soon! Don’t hire a publicist to get the word out when you don’t have a buzz. The time to hire them is when something big happens or is about to happen. Don’t waste your dollars here until you are positioned to cash in on their help.

2. Paying for Radio Promotion Before You’re Ready (or getting played on the wrong stations)

Every musician I’ve ever met falls for this one. It’s normal to think – “if I can just get on radio, my career will take off.” But, alas, it’s way more complex than that. Don’t waste precious dollars you could be spending to grow your audience on a radio campaign until you have some leverage with your music and an audience. You won’t need anyone to tell you when it’s time – you’ll know.

3. Touring Far From Home When You Have No Fanbase There

Sometimes playing far away in another land sounds really exotic and cool. But it’s not cool when you don’t have a strong following there. Do the work before you go to build that section of your fanbase. Create the demand and then head out for a successful tour!

4. Paying A Fortune to Fly Your Band Out To Play a Showcase at SXSW Because You’re Desperate to Be Seen + Heard

Yeah, I know. Been there done that. And what did it do for you? Don’t waste your precious dollars to play SX until you have a real showcase and industry support behind you – you’ll know when it’s time.

5. Thinking a Manager Will Swoop Down and Lift Your Burden

Wrong. You’ve still got to do the work. A manager should come on board when you are already making an income of $30-50k + from your music. Get to work! Hire a VA (Virtual Assistant), assemble a team. Get ready to grow.

 

Have you fallen into any of these traps? Share in the comments below.

©2013 Cari Cole, Vocal Mag, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Hi, I’m Cari Cole.

You’ve got talent, but you want to become great at it. You’re in the right place! My mission is to help you refine your unique artist vision to bring to the world.

About Cari Cole

Cari Cole is the CEO / Founder of caricole.com and CCVM: Label Without Walls. She is a Holistic Vocal Coach, Artist Development Expert, A&R Director, and Songwriter based in New York City helping artists for the past 38 years. She is a mentor for Women in Music and The Association of Independent Music Publishers.

Her latest venture, CCVM a label services company, provides artists with a seamless path from creation to completion. After 30+ years of observing the overwhelm and challenges that artists face, Cari pulled together the best top creative professionals and designed a new approach to supporting our artists.

Disclaimer:
The information provided on Cari Cole's website is informational only and should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on Cari Cole's website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately.

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