You never know where your marketing efforts may generate some desirable press or social media coverage.

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About three or four months ago, when I decided that I had a few songs I genuinely thought might have some commercial viability, I decided to focus some time and energy trying to get them noticed by people who might like them… and hopefully be inclined to part with 99 cents or so to make them their own.  In an ever-expanding universe of really talented people who are making and uploading terabytes of outstanding music every single day, that’s no small challenge.

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Finding an audience is the first step, and one of the most intuitive ways to go about that task is to basically do what you’d do if you were just looking for stuff online that interests you. I am basically an unknown, independent artist who’s trying to figure out how to become… well… a little less unknown. 

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For starters, I was interested in trying to connect with other folks like me—home recording artists who are trying get their music discovered.  So, I joined about a half dozen Facebook user groups that cater to this interest. One evening while scrolling through the various group feeds, I found a post by the publisher of a UK-based magazine looking for articles about different artists’ songwriting processes.  Though I didn’t think I had a snowball’s chance in a Las Vegas summer of placing an article in the magazine, I messaged the editor and asked if she’d be interested in a short article about my approach to songwriting.  Much to my surprise and delight, she said “yes,” and just about three months after first contact, my article (along with a link to my website) was published in “Write Away” magazine https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/62605420/write-away-magazine-april  The article has only been out for 5 days (at the time of this writing), but I’ve already noticed an uptick in the traffic hitting my website.  www.thisislifesong.com.  If you haven't checked out "Write Away," I highly recommend you do so!  It's filled with tons of great information provided by people passionate about the art and craft of songwriting! www.writeawaymagazine.co.uk/ 

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Second, I searched for blogs focusing on the subject matter of the songs I’m trying to market.  One song, “Far From Perfect, But He Was Mine,” https://youtu.be/uXYg2-mXvpI is about the passing of beloved husband after a long, but not necessarily perfect, marriage.  There are dozens—probably hundreds—of blogs addressing the passing of loved ones.  I messaged or sent emails to the moderators of about 20 of them, respectfully requesting they listen to the track and to consider mentioning it in any future articles or posts they thought appropriate. In response I received several kind and complimentary notes, which in itself was unexpectedly and overwhelmingly rewarding. (Words don’t do justice to the gratitude you feel upon learning your music brought a little comfort to someone in pain.) 

 

More surprisingly, when conducting a search for songs about the passing of a husband in an effort to find more people to reach out to, Google returned a link reading: “Funeral Songs for the Passing of a Beloved Husband,” and I thought, “great—this is EXACTLY the kind of site I’m looking for.  The site, “After the Dash” is dedicated to supporting people through the difficult time following the loss of a loved one.  When I clicked the link and started reading the article—THERE WAS MY SONG!  (I didn’t recall sending an email to the site moderator, but I must have.) The website kindly included it in their TOP 5 SONGS commemorating the loss of a beloved husband, along with hits by Celine Dione, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, and Jo Dee Messina!  https://beyondthedash.com/blog/funeral-songs-for-the-passing-of-a-beloved-husband/7308 To say I’m overwhelmed and grateful for this kind and favorable coverage is a bit like saying “winning the Powerball?  Yea, I guess that would be OK….”

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Bottom line:  You never know which of your marketing and outreach efforts will generate traction, but if you’re gracious and tenacious, your efforts will pay off—sometimes in ways you never anticipated!