Brand Your Music: Brand Image (The Next Level)

They say confession is good for the soul, so here goes nothing. I, Saqqara M. Grant, have not been taking care of my brand as well as I should. There I said it. I hope that no one will judge me.

During the last 12 weeks, I have embarked upon a journey that has taken me from thinking like a small business owner to full fledge brand conglomerate. Along the way, I have continued to share my gems of brand wisdom with you but it wasn’t until last Tuesday that I realized that I needed to do more. It has been 6 months since Brand Your Music started and to be honest, like many of you in your own careers, I didn’t know how it was going to pan out. I thought I had a solid idea and a good outlet, but I didn’t anticipate the rapid growth of this movement. I created and adjusted my overall brand strategy along the way, got some really interesting feedback from some of you, and ultimately learned where my brand strengths and weaknesses were.

The point I’m trying to make is that your brand cannot stay the same forever. Realistically, if you want to continue to make an impact on your core audience and appeal to new ones your brand image must evolve. Your brand has to have a makeover every now and then. The change can be as big as rethinking the complete image of the brand (new band logo, a completely new style of music, new look for your band, etc.) or as small as changing the way you connect or interact with your core audience. With that said, I am extremely excited to offer you the new Brand Your Music.

Feel free to offer your feedback on our Facebook page or tell me directly on Twitter.

 

This week on Brand Your Music (Aug 1, 2011)

What do you think about the Beyonce´ brand? Share your thoughts on our Facebook fan page or tell Saqqara M. Grant directly on Twitter.

 

Mixtape Marketing

In the ever-changing world of the current music industry, artists are constantly looking for ways to promote themselves. Today’s artists, signed and unsigned, are using the mixtape to its greatest advantage. Originally intended to showcase a DJs live mixing skills, the mixtape has evolved into a promotional tool that is essential to today’s artist no matter what the genre. The mixtape, as a part of Hip-Hop culture, goes back to the 1970s during Hip-Hop’s emergence on the streets of New York. Fans of artists like Afrika Bambaata and Kool Herc commonly recorded their live shows and eventually spread the tapes around to other fans. This, in turn, widened the reach of their music. The mixtape has now become a staple in the music industry with artists like Rasheeda releasing volumes of her “Boss Bitch Music 1 and 2″ to create anticipation for Volume 3.

Releasing a mixtape can benefit an artist in a few ways. First, most mixtapes are free. This allows the consumer to try out your style of music without any “buyer’s remorse.” The last thing you want is for a dissatisfied fan to hit their social networks and spread their distaste for your music. Of course, everyone is not going to take to your brand of music but at least they won’t demand their money back. Second, if your mixtape is “hosted” by a well known DJ it strengthens your overall promotion*. You (the artist) are essentially using their (the DJ’s) status to solidify your place in the music business. Third, if your mixtape generates enough buzz it can position you to be able to tour or do spot dates (a single show). A successful mixtape can generate serious interest in your music from fans and industry professionals alike. So what’s the key? Good music. If you’re actually good at what you do, people will gravitate to you.

*Before we go any further, a distinction must be made. There are mixtapes that are just that. A mix of songs, typically of a certain genre, complied on a CD. These can sometimes be hosted by DJs but most times they’re not. Then there are mixtapes released by artists or prominent DJs. For the purpose of this discussion, these are the mixtapes I’m referring to.