Most of us cringe whenever we hear the word branding.
No one wants to talk about it. But if you want to be part of the music industry (yes, industry. You can cringe again.), you have to think about branding and marketing and networking and all the other non-music stuff in order to turn your passion into a full-time career.
You don’t have to roll your eyes when you hear the word branding because in layman’s term, it simply means your indelible mark, your identity, your band’s personality…which you pretty much already have figured out anyway. But of course, it’s a little more than that.
Here are the reasons why you must create/identify your brand now:
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Because you will need to come up with a band name
And it should be congruent to your brand.
If you delay defining your brand, there’s a big possibility that the name that you will come up now is just a random one and by the time you brainstorm your branding in the future, you can’t do anything about the name. And so you have to do everything all over again or become limited by the name you came up with.
There’s a better way, dear lads.
Because you will need a band logo pretty soon, too
You know, for your Facebook page and merch and album art and…everything, actually. There is absolutely no way you can have a good logo if you don’t have a solid brand.
Because you need to let people know what makes you unique
If you are not so sure what makes you different from all the other bands out there, if you put very little effort in establishing your identity, then the audience won’t know what makes you different either.
Branding is your way of helping them realize what makes you unique so you will be identified and remembered.
Because you want to make some merch
How are you going to make kick-ass band merch and posters, pray tell, if you still have not thought about your branding and marketing strategy?
So you will eventually think about those stuff. Might as well do it early so you are consistent.
Because you need a consistent “voice” in your website and social media
Is your band funny, classy, naughty, hip, trashy?
You have to have a solid personality so your voice is consistent. You can’t go “one love y’all. XOXO” in your newsletter if you decide that you’re somewhere between classy and sophisticated.
These are just some reasons why you have to think about branding and marketing strategy the moment you have a band.
If you start thinking about your brand now, not only will you be ahead than those who do not bother, it will make all of you motivated because you will then be talking about your goals and not just your passion and talents.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
