by Amelie Mueller

Created on: July 08, 2009

With the technological revolution in full tilt it has never been easier for bands to promote themselves. Not only do the resources available to us grow on a day to day basis, but it is also becoming more and more cost effective to market ourselves.

The music industry is in a weird transition phase right now which has essentially split us up into two groups. Those of us who are using the internet to our advantage and those who are blaming the internet for the collapse of the industry. The former, being the only ones who have any hope of making it out alive.

The first place bands look to is often MySpace. After all, you're not really a band until you have a MySpace page, right? Not necessarily. In fact, MySpace is quickly turning itself into old technology. Instead of limiting yourself to poorly designed layouts and limiting the number of songs you can post online, go ahead and spend the $10 its going to cost you to setup your own website. You'll have complete control over the design, content, and forum. You don't have to be a computer whiz to make a website. There are countless drag and drop website design utilities out there that even a kid can use. If you just cant manage to make a site yourself, another route would be to ask a friend or super-fan with some web programming skills to lend a hand.

Also, be sure to take advantage of other social media outlets that are less obnoxious than MySpace. Set up a Facebook fan page, get your band on iLike, create a ReverbNation, account, and don't forget to sign up for Twitter! They have great gadgets now that allow you to update all your social media outlets with just one click of the mouse. To fully utilize these modern day networking tools, its important to not push your brand onto people. Don't send out mass messages saying this is my band, you HAVE to check us out! Instead, try building an honest relationship with your followers. Take the time to get to know them, read what they have to say, and reply back to them. It doesn't always have to be about the music. Think of it as building a friend base, not a fan base. If people don't feel like they are trying to be sold something, they are far more likely to show interest in what you have to say. Everyone hates a spammer, even if they do happen to be a really cool band.

Since we can't spent all our time hanging out on our computers or pecking away at our phones keyboard, be sure to work your magic when you're out on the road to. Take the time to interact with people who were nice enough to come out and see you play. Spend time working the crowd before, during, and after the show. People like to feel acknowledged, even if it is a quick, Hey we really appreciate you coming out tonight. Hint: Eye contact goes a long way here.

Remember, if you are trying to make it as a band, you need to treat your band like it's a job. A job that you never really get to take a break from. Every person you come in contact with is a potential customer.

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