As an independent artist, you may have wondered if having a website is necessary for your brand. After all, there are numerous social media and music streaming platforms that already help build and establish online presence. However, creating – and maintaining – a website can assist you in reaching and engaging with your fans, establishing credibility as an artist, and driving revenue. 

That’s not to say that social media isn’t an essential part of digital marketing, as TikTok and other social platforms can be key promotional tools. Your website and social media profiles can support each other in achieving your goals. 

Why is having a website important?

Having a website isn’t new to digital marketing. Since the 90’s, companies saw the potential that websites had to offer in reaching consumers and selling products online (McCullough, 2018). Although marketing tactics have changed since the dot-com bubble, McCullough (2018) notes “the dot-coms from that time, the training wheels for the internet, taught us to live online.”

Here are a few reasons why having a website as part of your music marketing strategy is important in 2022:

Engage with Fans:

Having a website allows you to engage with your fans through your website content. This content can include videos, pictures, and show dates. It’s up to you, since you have control over the design and types of content you would like to post (Shah, 2021). 

You can also engage with fans through email marketing by allowing them to sign up for emails on your website. Building your email subscribers will allow you to send personalized emails to your audience and notify them when you have an upcoming event. 

You can even use tools like Google Analytics to help you further understand your audience and content they resonate with. 

Improve Online Presence:

There are 5 billion global internet users and over 4.5 billion social media users (Statista Research Department, 2022). As mentioned previously, websites and social media can support each other in establishing an online presence. You can lead website visitors to your social media pages by including social media links, embedding YouTube videos, and showcasing your content from Instagram on your website. If you have released music, you can also include links to relevant streaming platforms to boost streaming numbers. 

To increase your visibility in organic search results, you can execute search engine optimization (SEO). Oetting (2022) explains that SEO works by “optimizing a website’s content, conducting keyword research, and earning inbound links to increase that content’s ranking and the website’s visibility.” In 2021, there were 1.88 billion websites (Armstrong, 2021), so it’s important to find ways to optimize your content and find relevant keywords to reach the right audience. Keyword research can also be used to inform your social media strategy (Berg, 2022).

Establish Credibility:

Creating a website makes you look more credible and professional (Shah, 2021). Creating a website gives you more visibility online, so industry professionals will be able to find you easier. Publishing video EPKs and live performances will allow you to showcase your work and can even land you gigs with booking agents. 

Drive Revenue:

Websites can help you drive revenue by:

• Online stores: You can create and connect virtual stores to sell merchandise, posters, CDs, vinyls, and yes, even cassette tapes (which may be coming back in style) (Bomey, 2022). 
• Streaming platforms: Linking to streaming platforms on your website can help boost streaming numbers and make you extra $.
• Upcoming shows: Your website is the perfect platform to promote upcoming shows and events. If the event is selling tickets, be sure to include the ticket link to increase attendance. 

Websites are an important piece of the digital marketing puzzle. Be sure to follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to stay up to date with Indie Spin!  

 

References

McCullough, B. (2018). A revealing look at the dot-com bubble of 2000 — and how it shapes our lives today. TED. Retrieved from https://ideas.ted.com/an-eye-opening-look-at-the-dot-com-bubble-of-2000-and-how-it-shapes-our-lives-today/

Armstrong, M. (2021). How many websites are there? Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/chart/19058/number-of-websites-online/ 

Oetting, J. (2022). The ultimate guide to SEO in 2022. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/seo 

Shah, D. (2021). Does my business need a website? 12 reasons why & 5 reasons why not. HubSpot. Retrieved from https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/38/five-legitimate-reasons-your-business-doesn-t-need-a-website.aspx 

Berg, P. (2022). Social media SEO: Everything you need to know. Forge and Smith. Retrieved from https://forgeandsmith.com/blog/social-media-seo-business/#:~:text=SEO%20is%20about%20optimizing%20your,people%20interested%20in%20your%20offering 

Statista Research Department. (2022). Worldwide digital population April 2022. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/ 

Bomey, N. (2022). Cassette tapes cannot be denied: Tape sales rising. Axios. Retrieved from https://www.axios.com/2022/07/19/cassette-tape-sales-cds-records-music