{"id":3482,"date":"2021-09-24T19:26:28","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:26:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/"},"modified":"2021-09-24T19:26:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T19:26:28","slug":"a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/","title":{"rendered":"A Musician\u2019s Guide to Online Advertising"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#How_to_build_an_audience_for_your_music_with_online_advertising\" >How to build an audience for your music with online advertising<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Why_should_you_advertise_your_music\" >Why should you advertise your music?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_listener_journey_from_stranger_to_fan\" >The listener journey, from stranger to fan<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_Rule_of_7_in_advertising_It_takes_multiple_touch-points\" >The Rule of 7 in advertising: It takes multiple touch-points<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_Halo_Effect_for_your_music_brand\" >The Halo Effect for your music brand<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_temperature_scale_for_audience_loyalty_at_various_stages_in_the_journey\" >The temperature scale for audience loyalty at various stages in the journey<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_best_platforms_for_advertising_music\" >The best platforms for advertising music<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Defining_some_basic_terms_in_digital_advertising\" >Defining some basic terms in digital advertising<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_is_an_impression\" >What is an impression?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_is_an_engagement_in_music_advertising\" >What is an engagement in music advertising?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_is_a_conversion\" >What is a conversion?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Realistic_expectations_Even_winning_ads_fail_most_of_the_time\" >Realistic expectations: Even winning ads fail most of the time.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_is_ROI\" >What is ROI?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_should_your_goal_be_with_advertising\" >What should your goal be with advertising?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Building_custom_audiences_and_owning_the_relationship\" >Building custom audiences and owning the relationship<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#What_makes_a_good_music_ad\" >What makes a good music ad?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#STOP_THEM_in_their_tracks\" >STOP THEM in their tracks!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Think_like_the_viewer_and_be_IMPATIENT\" >Think like the viewer and be IMPATIENT<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#VIDEO_IS_KING_but_it_takes_more_than_a_king_to_rule_a_kingdom\" >VIDEO IS KING, but it takes more than a king to rule a kingdom<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Share_a_MYSTERY_that_only_your_%E2%80%9Ccall-to-action%E2%80%9D_can_solve\" >Share a MYSTERY that only your \u201ccall-to-action\u201d can solve<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Play_to_their_sense_of_identity\" >Play to their sense of identity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Keep_your_ad_content_casual\" >Keep your ad content casual<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Ad_content_should_feel_%E2%80%9Corganic%E2%80%9D\" >Ad content should feel \u201corganic\u201d<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Whats_a_marketing_funnel\" >What\u2019s a marketing funnel?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Advertising_your_music_on_an_indie_budget\" >Advertising your music on an indie budget<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Budget_during_the_testing_phase\" >Budget during the testing phase<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Budget_during_the_optimizing_phase\" >Budget during the optimizing phase<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#The_easiest_way_to_advertise_your_music\" >The easiest way to advertise your music<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2021\/09\/24\/a-musicians-guide-to-online-advertising\/#Help_your_music_break_through_the_noise_with_online_advertising\" >Help your music break through the noise with online advertising<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_build_an_audience_for_your_music_with_online_advertising\"><\/span>How to build an audience for your music with online advertising<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>There\u2019s one thing that every artist wants: FANS!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Loyal listeners don\u2019t invent themselves though. <\/span><span>They have to be found, wowed, and converted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Found, wowed, and converted \u2014 by you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_should_you_advertise_your_music\"><\/span>Why should you advertise your music?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>There\u2019s a movie where a ghost tells a guy to build a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield, promising that when he does, thousands of sports fans (and a few more ghosts) will show up and the guy can finally earn some money from this whole baseball fixation thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sounds great, right?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Except nothing like that has ever happened in real life. Not in baseball, and not in music.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Here\u2019s reality: More music is being made and released than ever before. Competition is fierce. That means <\/span><span>very few people will take notice of your music just because you\u2019ve made it<\/span><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>You need to do SOMETHING ELSE besides simply releasing music in order to:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Get seen\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Capture attention<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Drive results\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span>All the usual promo efforts apply here, from big <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/8-reasons-you-arent-getting-publicity-for-your-music\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>publicity<\/span><\/a><span> or campaigns to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/submit-a-song-directly-for-spotify-playlist-consideration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>get your song on a Spotify playlist<\/span><\/a><span> campaigns all the way down to playing a show in front of people who\u2019ve never seen you perform.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Advertising can play an important part in that mix, and luckily for independent musicians, online advertising is very affordable compared to more traditional forms of advertising. You can spend as little as $20 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.show.co\/ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">an interactive banner ad campaign<\/a> \u2014 or drop a few dollars a day on Facebook ads \u2014 and see measurable results.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_listener_journey_from_stranger_to_fan\"><\/span>The listener journey, from stranger to fan<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>People don\u2019t go right from a blind date to a marriage proposal. The same is true for music fans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>You need to lead new listeners on a journey, in this order:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span>Awareness<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Curiosity<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Enjoyment<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span>First they need to know you exist. Then they need to wonder about your music enough to stop whatever else they\u2019re doing. Then they need to care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Advertising can help you achieve all three goals, but not always at the SAME time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Rule_of_7_in_advertising_It_takes_multiple_touch-points\"><\/span><em>The<\/em> <em>Rule of 7 <\/em>in advertising: It takes multiple touch-points<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Back in the 1930s, movie studio bosses wanted to know how many times the average person needed to hear about a movie before they\u2019d buy a ticket. They eventually landed on the idea that it took at least seven different advertisements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You should assume the <em>Rule of Seven<\/em> applies equally to acquiring fans for your music. There will be the occasional unicorn who hops in a single leap from introduction to lifelong fan, but they\u2019re, well, unicorns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Halo_Effect_for_your_music_brand\"><\/span>The<em> Halo Effect<\/em> for your music brand<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Not all seven touch-points (give or take) along the listener journey need to be an advertisement, as long as you\u2019re reaching people through other means: blog coverage, organic social reach, playlist placements, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But those things aren\u2019t guaranteed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Advertising your music can help you fill in the gaps or even supplant PR and playlist promotion altogether. When your ads work in concert with other strategies though, it can create a \u201chalo effect\u201d where the sum of your efforts is greater than the parts, and audiences begin to lean into your messaging with greater curiosity and brand awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Imagine you\u2019re trying to build your following in Los Angeles. Someone in LA who likes your kind of music sees one of your videos in their Facebook feed. They take note of your artist name but ignore the video. Then they see your interactive banner ad on Pitchfork, but they don\u2019t click because they\u2019re late for work. On the way to work they\u2019re listening to Spotify and your audio ad comes on: \u201cHey Los Angeles, this is (your artist name)\u2026\u201d Now they\u2019re REALLY curious and primed to actually LISTEN the next time they\u2019re reminded of your music.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_temperature_scale_for_audience_loyalty_at_various_stages_in_the_journey\"><\/span>The temperature scale for audience loyalty at various stages in the journey<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span><strong>\u201cCold\u201d Audience:<\/strong> These people have never heard of you. They can\u2019t care. They\u2019re strangers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><strong>\u201cLukewarm\u201d Audience:<\/strong> Maybe they\u2019ve heard of you, watched a video, listened to a song. Meh.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><strong>\u201cWarm\u201d Audience:<\/strong> They dig you. They want to hear more.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><strong>\u201cHot\u201d Audience:<\/strong> These are your diehards. Your 1000 true fans. They want to know about everything you do.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_best_platforms_for_advertising_music\"><\/span>The best platforms for advertising music<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>There are a lot of ad platforms and tools out there, including TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but the following is where you\u2019ll get the most bang for your buck:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/business\/ads\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Facebook\/Instagram<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Facebook has created one of the most powerful ad platforms in human history. <a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/facebook-instagram-ads-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook and Instagram advertising<\/a> gives musicians access to billions of users across the two sister platforms. You have granular targeting options. And it\u2019s affordable to reach new listeners!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Google\/YouTube<\/strong><\/a> \u2014Between these two entities, you can run ads on the #1 and #2 search-engines, the #1 platform for music consumption, and, well, you get the point. It\u2019s Google and YouTube!\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.show.co\/ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Ad Builder<\/strong><\/a> \u2014\u00a0with Show.co\u2019s ad tool, you can instantly turn any YouTube or Spotify link into an interactive ad that reaches real music fans on major sites like Pitchfork, MTV, RollingStone, and more. The same tool also lets you run audio ads on platforms like Spotify and iHeartRadio.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span><strong>LOCAL print media<\/strong> \u2014 While this article is mostly about digital advertising, it\u2019s worth mentioning that traditional media can still be effective and affordable when focused locally. I\u2019m not saying you should run an expensive radio or TV ad, or put your face on a billboard or bench, but if you have a big release or concert, you might consider a one-off ad in the local paper or weekly to emphasize the event and brighten the glow of that halo effect we talked about earlier.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Defining_some_basic_terms_in_digital_advertising\"><\/span>Defining some basic terms in digital advertising<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Before you build out your <a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/music-marketing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">music marketing plan<\/a>, you\u2019re going to need to know a few of the basic concepts.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_impression\"><\/span>What is an <em>impression<\/em>?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>While we WANT new fans, what we first NEED is reach.<\/p>\n<p><span>Reach is often measured in the form of an <\/span><strong>impression<\/strong><span>, which is defined as any time your ad renders on someone\u2019s screen. An impression doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the person SAW your ad, mind you, let alone cared or clicked, but the total number of impressions is a decent way of understanding at quick-glance how many people are encountering your message, music, artist name, video, or whatever other content you\u2019re serving up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Combine reach with great music and a message that makes people want to click and a smart advertising campaign CAN sometimes lead a listener all the way from cold to hot, from first introduction to lifelong fan. But let\u2019s not get ahead of ourselves; REACH \u2014 in the form of impressions \u2014 is the one thing you\u2019re guaranteed in your advertising. You\u2019re ushering someone to the starting point of the listener journey: awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_an_engagement_in_music_advertising\"><\/span>What is an <i>engagement<\/i> in music advertising?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><strong>Engagement<\/strong> can be measured a few different ways, depending on your goals and the platform you\u2019re advertising on. In general though, you can define an engagement as some action the person took while viewing the ad, giving their attention to the ad, or even clicking the thing you want them to click on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples of \u201cengagement\u201d are when someone:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>watches a certain duration of a video ad in their Facebook feed<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>plays the YouTube video embedded in an interactive banner ad<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>clicks your ad to subscribe to your mailing list<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_conversion\"><\/span>What is a <em>conversion<\/em>?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Like engagement, there\u2019s no single way to define <strong>conversion<\/strong>. Sometimes it\u2019s taking the action you want them to take within the ad itself, such as a click or providing an email address. Sometimes it\u2019s an ADDITIONAL action beyond the call-to-action in the ad, such as a vinyl purchase, a Spotify follow, etc. To make a clearer distinction between engagement and conversion, you could think of conversion as arriving at the ULTIMATE goal of your ad.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Realistic_expectations_Even_winning_ads_fail_most_of_the_time\"><\/span><span>Realistic expectations: Even winning ads fail most of the time.<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>In baseball, even the best batters strike out more often than not. While building an audience for your music, you have to remember that not everyone will love your songs. MOST people won\u2019t. Your job is to find the RIGHT listeners, say hello, prove your worth, and give them a clear path to becoming a fan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When you interpret the results of your advertising, remember it\u2019s a numbers game. A winnowing game. An upside-down pyramid game. Lots of impressions. Fewer engagements, clicks and conversions. But those are still your wins, your fans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I recommend for your own sanity that you don\u2019t spend too much time counting up the losses (impressions who don\u2019t engage). Taylor Swift doesn\u2019t count the million people who stayed home when she plays the local Enormodome. She sees a sold-out arena.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As mentioned above though, <\/span><span>failing at your conversion goal more often than not still creates awareness, so maybe those little losses lay the foundation for future connections.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_ROI\"><\/span><span>What is ROI?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span><em>Return on Investment.<\/em> <\/span><span>In other words, what are you getting back for the amount you\u2019re spending? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>When you think about ROI, keep in mind that start-ups expect to lose money for a long time before they turn a profit. It\u2019s built into their business plan as \u201ccustomer acquisition cost.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span>So if you run an ad campaign that actually drives as much revenue as you\u2019re spending out of the gates, you\u2019re off to an amazing start! That\u2019s unlikely to happen in your early advertising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Advertising is an investment in your music career\u2019s long-term growth, but one where you need to be very intentional about the goals you set.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_should_your_goal_be_with_advertising\"><\/span><span>What should your goal be with advertising?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>There\u2019s no right answer here. It could be to boost streams on Spotify, to grow your email list, to get people to your website, to sell merch. You SHOULD measure your ROI though, even if you know you won\u2019t make back what you spend. It\u2019ll help you focus on the right goal \u2014\u00a0because NOT ALL CLICKS ARE CREATED EQUAL.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For instance, I recently ran two nearly identical interactive banner ads, one that drove people to Spotify and one that drove people to my website. The page where they landed on my site had an experience for the listener: a YouTube video, essays, a Spotify player, pictures. Oh, and an email capture pop-up. Guess which one yielded more tangible results: Yep, my website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Whenever possible, use your advertising to drive results and build audiences you can RETURN TO by owning the relationship with your audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Building_custom_audiences_and_owning_the_relationship\"><\/span>Building custom audiences and owning the relationship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The most effective online advertising gives you a way to understand who has engaged with your ad and at what depth. You want to be able to serve up additional ad messaging in the future that is appropriate for each individual, based on their previous actions and engagement.<\/p>\n<p>Within the Facebook ecosystem, for instance, you have the ability to \u201cpixel\u201d your website traffic and know what pages they\u2019ve seen. You can create custom audiences based on specific engagement with your content. And much, much more. Show.co\u2019s Ad Builder tool will soon introduce its own \u201cpixeling\u201d solution too, so you\u2019ll build ad audiences knowing you can reach them again at any time.<\/p>\n<p>If the previous paragraph sounded like a bunch of confusing jargon, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/remarketing-for-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this video about retargeting, remarketing, custom audiences, and the Facebook pixel.<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_makes_a_good_music_ad\"><\/span>What makes a good music ad?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There\u2019s no ONE FORMULA to make an effective ad, but here are a few things to keep in mind:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"STOP_THEM_in_their_tracks\"><\/span><span>STOP THEM in their tracks!<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>You want to grab them right away, get them to stop scrolling, scratch their head, turn the sound on, click the button. That means you need more than an impression, you need a pattern interrupt: Something that is so shocking, strange, thrilling, or laser-beamed at their heart that they can\u2019t ignore it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Think_like_the_viewer_and_be_IMPATIENT\"><\/span><span>Think like the viewer and be IMPATIENT<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>In order to get attention, your ad needs to strike immediately. If it\u2019s a video ad, no fade-ins or long intros. The visual hook that grabs them needs to happen in the first second or two.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"VIDEO_IS_KING_but_it_takes_more_than_a_king_to_rule_a_kingdom\"><\/span><span>VIDEO IS KING, but it takes more than a king to rule a kingdom<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Think about how you consume stuff online. You respond to video above all other forms of ad content, right? If you have a good video, you can do some really effective advertising on a budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But not every music video is gonna work as an ad (lyric videos, long videos, videos with preamble, etc). Plus, video content can be cost-prohibitive and time-consuming to create. Lastly, not every platform is optimal for video. On Spotify, for instance, an audio ad is far more appropriate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>All that to say, don\u2019t put all your eggs in the video basket. Banner ads and audio ads can also be effective, and they\u2019re much easier to build. With interactive ads, Show.co will make your ad FOR YOU in minutes \u2014\u00a0just drop in the link to your music on YouTube or Spotify!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Share_a_MYSTERY_that_only_your_%E2%80%9Ccall-to-action%E2%80%9D_can_solve\"><\/span><span>Share a MYSTERY that only your \u201ccall-to-action\u201d can solve<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Once you\u2019ve grabbed attention, you want to KEEP it. Can you heighten the drama or plant the seeds of a question that can only be answered when someone clicks the button? You want the person engaging with your ad to feel compelled towards that call-to-action (the text on the button or ad that clarifies the action you want the person to take). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>You already create tension and release in your music; now build it into your advertising.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>One of my favorite examples is Smalltown Poets\u2019 call-to-action: \u201cHear the song that got us kicked off stage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Is it bad? Offensive? Too loud? Even if I\u2019ve never heard of the band, I want to hear the song.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Play_to_their_sense_of_identity\"><\/span><span>Play to their sense of identity<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You have a hard job as an artist. You\u2019re not selling a solution or essential product. Not really. It\u2019s music, and there are millions of other musicians out there who can appeal to a listener. So the way you advertise has to be more about personality and connection.<\/p>\n<p><span>Make the language, look, and purpose of your ad speak directly to someone\u2019s sense of self. <\/span><span>Anti-social EDM fans? Outlaw country for white-collar workers? Steampunk soccer-moms?\u00a0<\/span><span>Know who you\u2019re talking to and how your music helps.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keep_your_ad_content_casual\"><\/span><span>Keep your ad content casual<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>How do you respond to something appearing in your feed that is obviously an ad? You ignore it, skip it, mute it, scroll past. Things that LOOK AND SOUND like ads feel manipulative and cold.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The world of online advertising now aims to create viral content that looks communal, quirky, \u201cauthentic.\u201d Sometimes a conversion goal hides \u2014 like soldiers in the Trojan Horse \u2014 within a piece of content your friends might share on social. Other times you know it\u2019s an ad, but it just HITS right, so who cares.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This works in your favor as a DIY musician because you don\u2019t need a big budget, fancy tools, or mad design skills to create an effective ad. It can be rough around the edges as long as it feels real and interesting. What kind of things would your friends share? That\u2019s probably a good ad. Keep it cas\u2019 ftw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ad_content_should_feel_%E2%80%9Corganic%E2%80%9D\"><\/span><span>Ad content should feel \u201corganic\u201d<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This is perhaps another way of stating what was mentioned above about being casual. But with specific focus on the vibe and culture that\u2019s native to a particular platform or placement.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, if you advertise your music with Instagram Reels, your ad should look and feel like\u2026 a Reel!<\/p>\n<p>That means it should feel viral, fun, communal. You might even consider NOT having a CTA or link in an ad format like Reels. Which means the norms of the environment should shape your strategy, and where certain placements fit in your funnel.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_a_marketing_funnel\"><\/span>What\u2019s a marketing funnel?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cFunnel\u201d is just a fancy term for your fan\u2019s journey from stranger to diehard, or from prospective customer to the person who owns every album on vinyl. It provides a kind of map for how your true fans move closer and closer to completing your objective, as well as a structure for you to vet your messaging, tools, and tactics.<\/p>\n<p>At the \u201ctop\u201d of funnel (TOFU), you\u2019ll have a large group of people you target with your music or message.<\/p>\n<p>Those who are interested take some step that brings that closer to you. (They click, they listen, they watch, etc.) They\u2019re now further down the funnel. You\u2019ve moved them from simple awareness to something more like curiosity or consideration. That\u2019s \u201cmiddle of funnel\u201d (or MOFU).<\/p>\n<p>Those who didn\u2019t take the step either fall out of the funnel entirely, or you retarget them to see if you can warm them up a bit more.<\/p>\n<p>But, just like an actual funnel, the volume decreases as you move downwards. Far fewer people will reach the middle of your funnel than you target at the top. Even fewer will move towards the bottom of funnel (BOFU), which is the place where they\u2019re more likely to take the desired action: joining your email or SMS list, a ticket purchase, a monthly subscription, buying the signed vinyl, etc.<\/p>\n<p>Again, like the Taylor Swift reference up above, your marketing funnel is a winnowing process.<\/p>\n<p>It helps you identify where fans are at in the journey so you can communicate to each of them appropriately. Best of all, it helps you find those lifelong supporters.<\/p>\n<p><span>Targeting the right audience for your music<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>So we\u2019ve talked about how to create a compelling ad, but how do you determine who\u2019s going to respond to it? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Targeting. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Targeting is the act of limiting the audience who\u2019ll see your ad based on:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Demographics (age, gender, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Geography (country, city, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Interests (genres, artists, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Habits (when they\u2019re online, whether they watch videos or not, which websites\/platforms they visit, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>When you advertise your music to people based on the artists and genres they like, be sure you ACTUALLY sound similar to those artists and genres. I envy the hell out of Radiohead and Lizzo, but I don\u2019t sound anything like either of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Also, when you target people based on interests, don\u2019t (necessarily) limit it to JUST music. Your songs might find another kind of interest alignment, such environmental activism, cycling, relaxation, personal empowerment, vandalizing freight trains, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Mine the subject matter of your songs for connection points, not just the SOUND of the music.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Advertising_your_music_on_an_indie_budget\"><\/span><span>Advertising your music on an indie budget<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Can DIY musicians effectively advertise with small budgets? <span>In short, yes.\u00a0<\/span><span>The key is how you allocate your small budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Budget_during_the_testing_phase\"><\/span><span>Budget during the testing phase<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>If you\u2019re running Facebook ads, for instance, it\u2019s helpful to spend about 10-20% of your total budget on testing. You want to test different audiences, ad content, and so forth, until you find the best combo (which usually means the cheapest cost per the desired result). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In Show.co\u2019s Ad Builder, you can run similar competing ad campaigns, often referred to as A\/B testing, for as low as $20 per campaign to determine the highest performing ad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ad Builder users saw an average of:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>1.9x the impressions for their spend than Facebook Ads<br \/>\n6.7x the impressions for their spend than Instagram Ads<br \/>\n14.8x the impressions for their spend than Premium direct<br \/>\n16.9x the impressions for their spend than Google Ads<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: Comparisons are based on the average CPM of <a href=\"http:\/\/show.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Show.co<\/a> Ad Builder ads in January and February 2021 compared to Ad Stage\u2019s Q1 2020 advertising benchmarks for Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories and Google Search Ad. Premium averages are based on observed averages from major label deals on premium publisher sites. Remember! Ad results can vary and impressions \/ CPM are not guaranteed.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Budget_during_the_optimizing_phase\"><\/span><span>Budget during the optimizing phase<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Once you\u2019ve determined the winning ad(s) and winning audience(s) through your initial testing, it\u2019s time to put the rest of your money behind that winner. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Whether you spend smaller amounts per day over a long duration, or use up the budget quickly for saturation is up to you; just be aware that if you set your daily budget too low, your ad might lose out to other possible ads in an \u201cauction\u201d \u2014\u00a0which is how a platform or website determines which ads to show when there is limited space and lots of \u201cinventory\u201d (potential ads to display).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>However, just because you\u2019re putting your budget behind a winning ad doesn\u2019t mean your work is done. You can still make tweaks to the ad or audience to get better (cheaper) results every time. This is know as \u201coptimization.\u201d Machine-learning (AI) within Facebook\u2019s ad platform gives you a great assist in optimization, practically automating the process for you. The more results you get from your ad, the smarter Facebook gets at finding similar results for less money. That helps you stretch your budget even further.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_easiest_way_to_advertise_your_music\"><\/span><span>The easiest way to advertise your music<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>All that being said, most independent musicians don\u2019t have tons of time to nerd-out on ad optimizations all day. Nor do they have the money to run endlessly optimizing campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sometimes it\u2019s a matter of saying to yourself, \u201cI have a new album coming out Friday, only $100 to spend on ads, and I want to blanket as many big music sites as I can with my music over the next 3 days.\u201d With Ad Builder, you can put a small budget to work placing your Spotify music player or YouTube video on sites like Pitchfork, RollingStone, MTV, Billboard, and Paste.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Help_your_music_break_through_the_noise_with_online_advertising\"><\/span><span>Help your music break through the noise with online advertising<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span>Every artist wants to grow their audience, but we forget that \u201cgrow\u201d is a verb. It takes effort, and sometimes money. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As this article lays out though, you don\u2019t have to be spend big to get real results. Thanks to digital advertising tools like Ad Builder, you can launch an engaging ad in minutes, target the right listeners, and build your fanbase one click at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"co-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.show.co\/ads\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Build Your Audience Today<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/music-promotion\/advertising-for-musicians\/\" target=\"_blank\">A Musician\u2019s Guide to Online Advertising<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Musician<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to build an audience for your music with online advertising There\u2019s one thing that every artist wants: FANS! Loyal listeners don\u2019t invent themselves though. They have to be found, wowed, and converted. Found, wowed, and converted \u2014 by you. Why should you advertise your music? There\u2019s a movie where a ghost tells a guy to build a baseball diamond in the middle of a cornfield, promising that when he does, thousands of sports fans (and a few more ghosts) will show up and the guy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3482\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}