One of the most important ways to market your band is to focus on your branding. Branding is important because it helps your fans identify your music, merch, and personalities from the get-go. Of course, it also helps set you apart from other bands in similar genres.

By Sammy Hakim from Bandzoogle

1. Imagery

The first thing to look at when beginning your journey into branding is the imagery you want to put out. This includes your style, band photographs, album artwork, and even haircuts. Why is this so important? 

Well, your imagery is going to be one of the first things your fans notice about you. If they discover your music anywhere BESIDES the radio, they’re going to see some sort of image of you right away. Whether that’s on social media, your album cover, or even at a live show, the consistency of your image is a huge part of what defines you as a band.

So take some time and think about what your image may be. Maybe it’s wearing all black, or spiking your hair in crazy fashions. Or maybe it’s as simple as each person wearing their own style in an extreme way.

Whatever you decide on, just make sure it defines you and your music well.

2. Language

One thing that often gets overlooked when developing your own branding is the consistent use of language. Now I know what you might be thinking, the way you speak doesn’t seem like a grand marketing scheme. But it can be.

For example, there are artists like Ashnikko who look, act, and talk using whatever language or subject they want to discuss. IE, cursing, sexualized topics, etc. 

Next, let’s take a look at Disney artists. Their use of language is quite far on the other extreme. They use their words and topics of songs and conversation much more conservatively – and it makes sense for them to do so. Their audiences are younger and their branding is more contained. 

In that sense, language is one of the most important decisions you can make in your branding, as it can quite literally set boundaries on who your fanbase is, and what you’re geared towards in the public eye. 

So spend some time thinking about it, even if it might take a little longer than one night to get it established. 

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3. Merchandising

This one might be a little bit more obvious, but your merchandising can help establish your branding. Are you selling handmade bracelets or lighters? Or both? What kind of imagery and colors do you use on your products? 

The types of band merch you sell, as well as the color scheme you use with it, can make a huge impact on your brand image. Think about it – a punk band that curses heavily and is always dressed in studs and black t-shirts that offered bright pink glittery merch with rainbows and unicorns (might be a vibe) could send a confusing message unless they had a song and something on the shirt that tied into that. Or that had ALWAYS been a part of their branding. The same way a Disney princess selling lighters with her name on it might send a confusing message.

Nevertheless, both things are okay! Just make sure that whatever you’re selling is a deliberate choice that says what YOU want it to say about your band. If you do that and stick with it, you really can’t go wrong. 

4. Fan base

Your fan base is one of the most important factors to consider when working on branding. While this isn’t something you can truly change on your own, knowing who you’re marketing your music towards is really helpful when considering the steps you want to take.

Going back to what kind of merchandise you sell, and what language you use, and how you want to stylistically appear can help you determine who your target audience may be. If you curse like a sailor in your songs, you’re probably not aiming for ages 6-12. But that’s okay! There’s nothing wrong with who your target audience may be. It’s only important that you identify them, understand them, and make sure your branding matches up. That will attract them to you and your music.

5. Sound / Instrumentation 

Last, but certainly not least, having a consistent sound, or instrumentation usage, can really help establish your artist brand. It’s almost funny that we’re talking about your sound last on this list, but it goes to show the power of the modern technology era. Your fans can come to you from anywhere first, and as long as your sound and the imagery you’ve created is consistent, you’ll be able to keep fans on board. 

That’s not to say that your sound has to be the same as your image. Just that both should be intentional.

Then we come to artists like Elvis Costello who change their sound multiple times over his career. This is still something you can do – branding isn’t there to limit your ability to explore sounds. It’s actually there to help enhance it.

Keep that in mind as you continue on your branding journey. 

At the end of the day, branding has everything to do with your band identity. And while you can transform that overnight, sometimes it takes time to think about, which is totally okay! Your brand is going to define the next period of your music, if not your entire career as a band, so as exciting and tempting as it is, there’s really no need to rush it. 

Use the tips above to help yourself find your brand identity and voice. And whether it happens overnight, or it takes months, once you’ve followed these tips, you’ll be set up for success.

So what are you waiting for? Start thinking about it today. And let us know if there’s any tips we missed! We’re always looking for more cool ideas to help each other grow and learn on our musical journey.