Word of mouth is an unpaid form of advertising in which happy consumers tell their friends, family and circle of contacts how much they like something. Word of mouth is the best and most effective form of advertising because it relies on recommendations and reputation. As an independent artist, word of mouth is your most valuable asset and one that you must rely on to help spread the word about your work. In order to make this happen, you must create solid relationships with fans, turning them into ambassadors of your brand who are confident enough to recommend your music to others.

So what can you do to make word of mouth advertising work for you? Here are some points to consider:

–        First and foremost, make good music. Your work has to speak for itself and if you want to get others talking and sharing, your product has to stand up to its reputation.

–        Be easy to work with. When you book a show, be kind to the booking agent and the venue staff. And make sure you keep your end of the bargain.

–        Go above and beyond. Give your listeners something they weren’t expecting, and wow them with your live show so much that they’ll want to talk about you the next day. And at live shows, if you tell the venue you’ll draw 40, bring in 65 and really impress them.

–        Give them something to talk about. Remember that visibility is key. If you’re not playing shows and you’re not releasing new music, then what are you doing? Remember that you must make things happen for yourself in order to give people something to talk about.

Bottom line: if you make good music, put on a killer live show and consistently give 110%, people will begin to tell friends and family. But word of mouth only goes so far. You have to stand up to your reputation and consistently deliver. Are you up for the challenge?

Tell us what you think! Do you work to ensure that others are talking about you?

Up next: The ins and outs of the online press release.

The SongCast Crew