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marketing content funnels. (turnuptoeleven.com)

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Music marketing. Brand awareness. Artist exposure. Music promotion. Whatever you call it, music marketing and music promotion are a major requirement in getting people to learn about your music and keeping them interested so you can build a community of fans. Building an effective content marketing funnel requires strategic thinking about how to guide potential fans from discovery to deeper engagement and ultimately to financial support. The key is creating valuable content at each stage that serves both the audience’s needs and your business goals while maintaining authenticity in an industry that prizes genuine connection. Independent musicians face unique challenges in standing out in today’s saturated digital landscape. A well-structured content funnel helps artists cut through the noise by delivering consistent value while strategically guiding audiences toward monetization opportunities. The most successful funnels blend artistic expression with business savvy, never losing sight of the core musical identity that attracts fans in the first place. First, let’s learn about and explore what a content funnel is. What is a Content Marketing Funnel? A content marketing funnel is a strategic framework that guides potential fans through their journey from learning about your music for the first time to final purchase or True Fan. It typically has three main stages: The top of the funnel (TOFU) focuses on attracting attention through broadly appealing content like blog posts, videos, and social media The middle of the funnel (MOFU) nurtures interest through more targeted content like email newsletters and downloadable resources The bottom of the funnel (BOFU) converts engaged audiences into customers through specific offers, products, or services The funnel metaphor represents how a large audience at the top gradually narrows to a smaller group of qualified customers who make purchases at the bottom. Let’s take a look at some example content at each of these three stages using the most common music marketing funnel, The Artist Discovery Funnel. The Artist Discovery Funnel: Top of the Funnel (Awareness) So what kind of content do you share when you’re building awareness of your music at the top of the funnel? What platforms should you focus on? Platform selection is crucial for initial discovery. DISCLAIMER: With TikTok’s future hanging in the balance at the time of this writing, make sure you consider all platforms where you audience might be, such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and even Bluesky. Go where your fans are, not the most popular or trendy platform. TikTok’s algorithm favors new creators, making it ideal for reaching cold audiences. Short-form video should focus on your most compelling moments – the hook of your best song, an impressive vocal run, or an energetic live performance clip. Behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand and gives audiences multiple ways to connect. Success at this stage requires understanding platform-specific best practices. TikTok favors raw authenticity and trending sounds, while Instagram Reels reward polished production and lifestyle content. YouTube Shorts excel at music education and tutorial content. Cross-posting can be effective but should be tailored to each platform’s unique characteristics. Creating shareable moments is essential for organic growth. This might mean isolating particularly impressive instrumental solos, capturing genuine emotional moments in the studio, or finding creative ways to showcase your personality alongside your music. The goal is to stop the scroll and create enough intrigue for viewers to investigate further. Content Ideas for Top of Funnel (Awareness): TikTok clips featuring song hooks and viral-worthy moments YouTube Shorts highlighting performance energy Instagram Reels with studio session snippets Blog posts about songwriting inspiration and creative process Free download of acoustic demos The Artist Discovery Funnel: Middle of the Funnel (Engagement) The middle funnel transforms casual listeners into active fans. Email marketing remains the most reliable channel for nurturing these relationships. Your newsletter should mix personal updates with exclusive content – unreleased demos, early access to tickets, or behind-the-scenes stories. Discord communities create valuable fan-to-fan connections that strengthen loyalty to your brand. Community building at this stage requires consistent engagement and clear value propositions. Regular livestreams give fans real-time interaction opportunities while creating urgency through live-only moments. Private social media content makes fans feel like insiders, while exclusive playlists help them discover your musical influences and recommendations. The key to middle funnel success is maintaining momentum without overwhelming your audience. Create content calendars that ensure regular touches while leaving room for spontaneous engagement. Focus on building two-way relationships by actively responding to comments and fostering discussions within your community. Content Ideas for Middle of Funnel (Engagement): Email newsletter with unreleased content Private Instagram Close Friends stories Discord community access Free livestream performances Exclusive playlists The Artist Discovery Funnel: Bottom of the Funnel (Conversion to Sales/True Fans) Converting engaged fans into customers requires clear value propositions. Limited edition items create urgency while validating super-fan status. Bundle physical products with experiences to increase perceived value – signed vinyl with a virtual meet-and-greet, or merch packages with exclusive content access. Successful monetization requires understanding your audience’s price sensitivity and purchasing habits. Test different price points and bundle configurations to find the sweet spot for your fanbase. Consider offering payment plans for higher-priced items to increase accessibility. Content Ideas for Bottom of Funnel (Conversion): Limited edition vinyl VIP concert packages Virtual meet-and-greets Exclusive merch drops Fan club memberships Examples of Other Music Marketing Funnels The Cover Artist Funnel Top of Funnel: Cover song videos Tutorial breakdowns Gear rundowns Performance tips Cover artists can leverage search traffic by targeting popular songs while adding unique value through educational content. Your interpretations should showcase creativity while remaining recognizable enough to attract fans of the original. Middle of Funnel: Extended arrangements Sheet music downloads Backing tracks Private community Transitioning to paid offerings requires demonstrating expertise beyond performance. Educational resources and arrangement services provide clear value while building authority in your niche. Bottom of Funnel: Custom covers Wedding packages Teaching services Licensed arrangements Diversifying revenue streams through teaching and custom work creates stability. Wedding packages can be particularly lucrative, combining performance fees with arrangement services. The Beat Producer Funnel Top of Funnel: Beat previews Production tutorials Sound design tips Sample pack demos Success in beat selling requires consistent output and a strong brand identity. Regular content builds trust

aliquam

Jay Cartere’s tips on music marketing for independent artists

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BIshop – Jay Cartere’s perception could potentially resonate with you. Its can be hugely beneficial, stay conscious of whether this applies to you as you take this in.  Jay “Long-Term Planning” Cartere This saucy plan can be applied to ANY venture… Yesterday, I recorded a video about the future of music marketing… I can’t cover EVERYTHING I covered in that video​ right now (you’ll need to wait for me to release it) but I can drop some FIRE gems on you. These are the steps you’ll see me following with my new journey into the music business… These are the steps I used to gain financial freedom and build a business that makes money when I SLEEP… Let’s get stuck in: 1 – Focus on building a CATALOGUE of content that serves your IDEAL customer. In my case, I’m creating and releasing a BUNCH of tutorials and content around music production, songwriting and building a creative business… This is PERFECT content for creatives, like you and me, who don’t want to be starving artists… My ideal customers are creatives and artists that want to claim their freedom… That want to be self sustainable… That want to create their OWN opportunities using the internet… I call these wonderful people – Digital Art Dealers… Or D.A.Ds, I guess… But, that’s not all: This concept also applies to the music I’m gonna be releasing on Spotify. I see “artists” that create 1 song a year and then wonder why they aren’t successful, ALL THE TIME… Their major problem is: They don’t have enough songs in their catalogue to convert new listeners into fans… Another problem is they waste time, energy and money promoting their single releases… Instead of FOCUSING on building CATALOGUE…and then promoting the singles that their audience enjoyed…based on DATA. Using MY strategy, when you eventually decide to promote a single that’s already proven: You’ll spend your time and money more effectively because you already know people like this song… And, you’ll promote your entire Spotify catalogue as a side-effect of promoting any song…saving you money and helping you create die-hard fans. You’ll get MUCH better at your craft while you focus on building your catalogue… You’ll also give yourself WAYYY more opportunities to make money in your sleep… it’s a no-brainer. 2 – Create products that help your ideal customer solve their problems or reach their goals. It hurts my heart when I see aspiring artists focusing ONLY on making money directly from their art… But, the worst thing is: Most people are ONLY thinking about themselves when they do this…and that’s why they fail… Their sales pitch is something like: “Hey, I make stuff. I would really like to be able to make stuff for a living, so please buy my stuff.” Ew. The FIRST thing you NEED to understand is that NOBODY CARES about you or what YOU want. People care about what’s in it for THEM. And, the best way to build a successful business is to SOLVE PROBLEMS… Art is subjective, solutions to problems are not. That’s why I’m offering: Courses on different aspects of music production and music creation… Templates for artists to use in FL studio… Beats for artists to record songs over… Drum Kits for music producers… Loop packs for music producers… And more. These products solve problems that my customers have… It’s MUCH easier to sell something that solves a specific problem…and this allows me to let my art, be art. The best way to do this is to solve your OWN problems… Then create a product/system that allows other people to do the same. 3 – Promote your paid products in your videos…and offer a free gift in exchange for an email address How do you get people to know about your products? Well, the most effective way to do this and build a long-term business that makes you money in your sleep is to CREATE EVERGREEN CONTENT… This could be blog posts on your own website or videos on YouTube. These types of content work best because they can rank highly on google or YouTube… And, people can find this content YEARS from now… Bringing you potential customers FOREVER. Then, in this content, you promote your products at the end of the video. (You should also link to your products in the description and pinned comment on YouTube etc.) But, wait: Do not underestimate the value of building your email list… Your email list is something YOU control. Your email list is where you can communicate with YOUR audience. Here’s how you build your email list: Give your perfect customer something they want, for free. Let them pay with their email address… That’s how I got you on this email list, right? You signed up for my free course or another free thing you wanted… And, you stick around because I send you GEMS to help you reach your goals, instead of SPAMMING YOU. Building your email list gives you the opportunity to SERVE your audience more deeply… And, you also give yourself the opportunity to promote products your audience is interested in… For example: I got FIRE trap beats for you over on: https://JayCartere.com/beats Create your next hit song with beats created by an artist, FOR artists… These beats are PERFECT for rapping singers and singers… Click the link below ASAP to browse my beat catalogue: https://JayCartere.com/beats​ And, use these marketing gems to PROMOTE your song after! All the best, Jay “Long-Term Planning” Cartere

occaecati

Seeing your goals clearly

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Having a distinct vision of your objective allows you to envision the end result of what you aim to accomplish. This clarity is vital when conveying your artistic expression, whether through music videos, songs, or personal style. It essentially defines your brand. To achieve this, it is essential to document your ideas. This can be done through written notes, audio recordings, or a combination of both. I personally recommend utilizing both methods to capture your ideas in comprehensive detail. A clear vision can serve as a source of motivation, particularly when your enthusiasm is high while jotting down your thoughts. It is quite common to feel energized one moment, only to have that energy wane within a couple of hours. However, if you meticulously record your ideas during those high-energy moments, you can remain aware of how the elements that excite you can lead to success, thereby preserving your motivation alongside the content. Allow me to clarify further… If you conceive a brilliant idea for a music video that resonates profoundly with your current or prospective fanbase in your mind, it is crucial to capture those thoughts in the moment and recognize what made them so impactful. While this may sound straightforward, it underscores the importance of motivation. If it were easy, everyone would succeed, but it is indeed possible, and that is what truly matters. As soon as an idea strikes you, create a voice note detailing your concept. Be thorough in your description. It is worth noting that the more exceptional the idea, the less inclined you may feel to record it if you lack motivation. This is the challenge; however, if you take the initiative to document it, you can rekindle the excitement that inspired that fleeting burst of motivation. You will understand how people will respond, and before you know it, you will find yourself in front of a video director, fully aware of what you want and ensuring it aligns with your vision, confident in the results you will achieve. There’s a believe that you have to work against the greys and you can’t really know what results you will get when you put out your work but it’s a myth for the most part. You can be sure that your work will be successful, how successful; not so sure. (but it’s worth making predictions so you can aim for what you want) But once you tap into this awareness, motivation could potentially then be second nature. One thing I will say for sure is that you’ll end up doing it eventually if you have tapped into this.   Sign up and join Bishop. We can support you in seeing exactly what you need to do to accomplish what you want.

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