By now, most people have heard of WordPress.com, a platform built on the WordPress software that powers 30 percent of websites. However, if you’re a musician, you might not be aware of the tools offered by WordPress.com that can help you sell and promote your music online.
So, how can WordPress.com help you showcase music, engage with fans, and monetize your content? Let’s get rocking — read on for more!
Choosing the right theme
The first thing you want to do is pick a music-centric theme for your site. WordPress.com themes are designed by professionals with an eye for stylized website templates. All you have to do is supplement the theme with your own content, and make a few tweaks to ensure that everything looks just right.
There are many great music themes to choose from on WordPress.com. Some are scaled-down free themes, and others are paid premium themes that come with additional built-in features. Every theme is unique and offers different design elements. Make sure to read your theme’s documentation in detail so that you know everything it has to offer, and how to get the most out of each feature.
Once you pick a theme, start promoting your music.
Eight ways to promote your music on WordPress.com
You might be the most incredible musician in the world, but if nobody knows where to find your music, your talent won’t be discovered. This is where marketing comes in. Thanks to the internet, it’s easier than ever for you to share your music with the world — even if you’re strapped for resources.
Here are eight tips to help you build a passionate fan base and promote your music using WordPress.com:
- Make it easy to find important information — None of your promotional efforts will matter if your site isn’t easy for users to navigate. Begin by deciding what content your fans need to access. Then, figure out where to display that content to make it easy for fans to find. Need some inspiration? Look at the websites of your favorite artists to see how they present their content.
- Provide concert information — One of the first things that your fans will want to know is where your next performance is. This can be as simple as providing a list of upcoming shows on your homepage. Don’t have any shows planned, or want to fill in the gaps of your show schedule? Try going digital by scheduling online livestream shows via Facebook Live or Snapchat.
- Embed “behind-the-scenes” and music videos — Your fans want to see and hear from you, and video is a great way to accomplish this. WordPress.com makes it easy to embed videos that you host on YouTube or Vimeo into your website. Consider sharing everything from full-length music videos, to behind-the-scenes features about how you write your songs.
- Blog regularly — What’s your latest music update? Trying out a new instrument? Introducing a new band member? Your blog is where this content should live. Your fans want to stay updated, and keeping a blog is a great way to accomplish this.
- Write a newsletter — How do you keep fans coming back to your website for repeat visits? Encourage them to subscribe to your email newsletter. Most WordPress.com themes have built-in email signup sections. You can also integrate popular email services like MailChimp into your website.
- Get social — Be sure to link your social media channels to your website to grow your fan base and keep yourself on the top of newsfeeds. All WordPress.com themes have this functionality built-in. Simply enter your social handles when you’re setting up your website.
- Free to sample, pay to download — Let your fans listen to your music for free on your website, while providing links to your Amazon, Spotify, or iTunes pages where they can pay to download it.
- Sell merchandise — Another great way to advertise your brand (and make some money at the same time) is by selling merch on your site. There’s no “right way” to do this. If you want to go all-in on your website’s eCommerce functionality, WordPress.com has you covered. However, if you want to go a simpler route, you can still sell your merchandise with an easy-to-add Payments button.
In fact, the flexibility of features in Payments from WordPress.com provides an effective way for bands and musicians to sell their music online. You can also use Payments to collect recurring payments and build your own subscription site for your biggest fans.
Whether you’re part of a band or a solo artist, you’ve got the necessary information to start making money. Promote music on your WordPress.com site to grow your fan base and share your tunes with the world.
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