A Professional Indie Artist.
“Watch your manners” or “be good” – all of us have heard these phrases over and over as children. Moms just simply expected us to be a ‘professional’ child and adhere to the rules at all times. However, back then, we spent less time worrying about what others thought about us and more time doing what we wanted to do. Unfortunately, today, as grown-ups, quality of professionalism has become so prevalent, we are forever learning and evolving.
Even as indie artists and indie bands, professionalism has to be maintained at all times. Let’s face it, music artists anyway have a social reputation of being casual and unprofessional. As I have written in my blog Being Indie is a Business, all of us in the indie music industry are aware that the outside world doesn’t look at bands as ‘professional’. This problem has plagued us with its bad stigma for many years and led to the death of many bands. As a young indie artist, your ability to be respectful and diligent makes a world of difference to your career. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mean to say that you should be serious all the time or carry a briefcase around to look professional. The idea is to display yourself and your band with a high degree of professionalism through your presenability and communication skills. In this blog I am going put together some tips to practice. These will help you reach the level of success that you strive to achieve in your career as an indie artist or band.
First impression
Yes, this age-old belief that the first impression is your last does hold merit in a lot of cases, and your career is one of them. It is extremely important to understand that for many reasons, your level of respect and maturity towards work as well as towards people can and will determine your success in the industry. Let’s take a moment to discuss some materialistic opportunities available to help you on your path to being professional. To begin with, it might not hurt to invest in some professional attire. There is no book that says an indie artist has to be covered in tattoos and piercings. Having a small selection of dress clothes will really help you with the ‘first impression’ phase of the game. Being appropriately dressed shows the bookers and label managers that you mean business. I understand that it is actually your talent that counts, however looking professional is always going to boost your level of confidence.
Communication
One of the most important aspects of professionalism is how you present yourself through communication. There is a right time and a right place for everything. This cannot not be more true in terms of what you say and when you say it. With this in mind, when in a professional environment, it is crucial to execute the grown-up version of ‘watching your manners’. When you are an individual indie artist or part of an indie band, whether you know it or not, you are representing a brand that you want to be successful. While you are interacting with people, the way you present yourself will have a profound effect on them in how they see your talent. Your ability to leave a good impression is directly proportional to your ability to communicate well. Good communication shows people that you are mature, and suitable for a bigger role. A simple good communication tip is to listen patiently. Effective listening will help you to actively engage in the topic as well as show the speaker that you understand and respect them.
It is also important to be professional while sharing your thoughts on social media, like I have written in my blog How Can an Indie Artist Become Popular, be vocal about your work, but remember to use the right words. You wouldn’t want to get involved in legal problems or remembered for a wrong statement. Preparing a script is advisable. Permission-based marketing using e-mails to your fans is a good way to advertise. This makes them feel important and generates interest in your upcoming release. They even book for a copy in advance. When you get support from artists, friends, fans and DJs, do not forget to thank them. Gratitude and humbleness will take you a long way and open doors to success, so will sounding professional and politically correct.
When you are a professional, even the casual conversations on your website should be professional. Avoid slangs and remember to explain or elaborate industry jargons. This bring us to another important part of displaying professionalism in this industry – having your own website. You must have your own website if you want the bookers to take you seriously. If you have no idea about creating and maintaining a website, there are companies like Hyper Effects that can help you connect with your target audience efficiently. Hyper Effects is one stop for your website, marketing and cyber development requirements. It helps you to create a website to display your talent or sell your indie music or indie art.
Your success in the music world is largely attributed to your level of professionalism. Your personal brand will prosper through effective and appropriate communication. Opportunities come to those who earn it. Bigger labels recognize you through your talent as well as through your level of professionalism, so use these tips to your advantage in reaching the ultimate height of success!
