Now more than ever, it’s important for artists and marketers to realize: nothing we do happens in a vacuum. Every decision we make in the context of a marketing plan ultimately effects other aspects of our client’s career in important and unique ways.

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It might seem obvious. However it’s important to be honest and evaluate if your marketing plan is consistent with your message, vision, and goals. Here are some tips to make sure you’re on track:

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Ask ‘Why’

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Always ask yourself why before you start developing a marketing strategy. If your answer is simply “I want more streams, followers, or dollars” you should consider digging deeper.

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All artistic projects start with an artist and a message. The integrity of that message is hard to pinpoint, yet somehow it’s still obvious to the average person. The same is true of marketing. If your plan is strictly focused on vanity, or if you’re just chasing current trends, you’re missing the real opportunity marketing offers.

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Increasing streams, views, and followers are still the main goals of any digital marketing plan. However, the best way to accomplish those goals is to stay focused on creating conveying a message that will connect with your target audience.

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Stick to your brand

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When deciding on ad designs or other marketing material, make sure the creative makes sense within the greater context of your brand. Even if one creative may perform better than the other, it’s much better in the long run to cultivate a fanbase that understands where the artist is coming from, and their core message. Good coordination between the artist’s vision and the final marketing plan will also help engagement with real fans on social platforms.

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This relates, once again, to the idea that artists need to hone in on the messaging around individual songs and projects; it’s a lot easier to create a brand around messaging that’s fully thought out than attempt to brand something that not even the artist has spent time thinking about, aside from “will this get me streams?” Appealing to a specific branding idea allows for the marketing around the project to really shine.

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Listen to your fans

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With technology today, it’s easier than ever for you to find out what truly resonates with your fanbase. This goes beyond looking at comments, likes and engagement rates (although those metrics are certainly helpful). A data-optimized marketing campaign can tell an artist and their team what content is being clicked on the most, and how long fans are engaging with said content.

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Looking at all of the incoming data from a digital marketing campaign can help an artist and their team better shape future campaigns or projects. Certain data points, such as age range, interest targeting and hot spots for click-throughs can answer important questions regarding what content is or is not resonating with the user base and audience as a whole.