When you are in a rock band, you develop bonds with your bandmates that can last a lifetime. One of the reasons why your group came together was that you had the same goals. You all wanted to play the same kind of music. Also, you all have a common interest in musical experimentation. Plus, you all want the group to succeed. For your band to succeed, everyone needs to get involved in the promotion.

It is also helpful to get friends, family members, and fans of the band involved as well. The more you can promote, the better your chances are of drawing a broad audience. Here are five ways to market your group that you can expand on to find your own level of success.

5 Reasons

1) Handbill

Giving out flyers and pamphlets has been a proven way to market a rock band for decades. What has changed is putting up posters on telephone poles has become ineffective. People will get most of that information from the Internet. But when you give someone a handbill with your band and show information on it, she/he will usually scan it to see what is on it. In this day and age of instant marketing, handing someone a small quarter-page piece of information will do much more for you than littering your town with fliers and posters.

2) Samples

Whether you are in a cover band or rock band, an original band, a prospective audience member will want to hear what you sound like before paying money to see you. That is why it is crucial to have a decent studio-quality recording of your rock band that you can offer as a sample. Post the music on the social networking Internet sites, and have CDs with you that you can give away. The low cost of CDs, and the ease with which copies can be made, making this an effective way to promote your band.

Rock Band - What More?

3) Street Team

A street team is a group of fans that want to help spread the word about the band. You usually ask someone from within the band to run the street team or put a close friend of the rock band in charge. When a show is coming up, get the street team some handbills to hand out and have them start chatting up the show on the Internet. Offering free gifts to street team members such as drinks at a concert or a band t-shirt will help to keep your street team motivated and productive.

4) Free shows

Some bands shy away from doing shows for free, but if it gives your rock band a chance to play in front of a broad audience, then you would be foolish not to take it. Start by getting a hold of the promoters of more significant events in your area and offering your band’s services as an opening act for free for the festivals and big concerts. Don’t forget the free sample of your rock band so the promoter can hear what you sound like. You would be surprised at how many concert promoters love bands that will open for free because it helps to keep the cost of the show significantly lower. Just remember not to make a habit of playing free concerts. When you realize that the audience is there to see your band, that is the time to get paid.

One More Thing

5) Videos

Video is a compelling medium. You can present your band’s full look and personality in one four or five-minute video. Contract with a professional video company. They will help you to create a promotional video that is a compilation of live footage, live pictures, any press quotes the band may have. It will make mention of the band’s email or website. Post your video on as many free Internet video hosting websites as you can, and start sending free copies to local promoters.

Promoting a rock band is a lot of work and requires a great deal of determination. But if you want to start making decent money playing live music, you need to learn how to market your rock band and create your audience.