Don’t run ads: Better ways to spend a hundred euros
Let’s say an artist has €100,00 to invest in their career. What’s the best way to spend it right now?
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Don’t run ads: Better ways to spend a hundred euros
Let’s say an artist has €100,00 to invest in their career. What’s the best way to spend it right now?
Why it matters
Social media advertising is often a waste of money for emerging artists. Other marketing tactics usually offer a better return on investment. I've written about this before and created a five-step flowchart to help artists decide whether to invest in advertisements.
But let’s say an artist has €100 burning a hole in their pocket. What would be a better investment than running an ad campaign?
How it works
Here are a few suggestions for artists to spend €100 in more effective ways than on advertising. Let’s build this list together to help artists. Leave your suggestions in the comments.
Support local talent by purchasing concert tickets. This fuels creativity as artists can generate content around their experiences and fosters community spirit. When building brands and communities, giving more than asking for is essential.
Invest in making things happen. For example:
Use the budget to travel to another city for the weekend to create content.
Create a video format for collaborating with fellow artists, such as inviting them for a record shop spree and recording the experience.
Invest in content creation hardware. For example:
There are great low-budget mini microphones on the market targeted at content creators for recording interviews. These microphones instantly boost the quality of vox pop social media videos.
Invest in lightning, such as a ring light.
Consider getting a gimbal or other smartphone stabiliser to enhance the quality of high-energy gig videos.
Invest in creative software. For about €100,00, artists can purchase or subscribe to photo and video editing software like Affinity and Canva. This will instantly improve the quality and workflow of their social media content.
Start networking by inviting ten people for coffee. Look for fellow artists, creatives, and music industry professionals. Artists should consider what they can offer their coffee companions rather than solely asking for help in exchange for a cappuccino.
Invest in AI. Premium options of AI tools such as Chat GPT or Claude could be worth exploring. If this technology keeps advancing at the same pace as it does now, it might give emerging artists an advantage in knowledge and skills.
Yes, but..
Some artists may find that social media advertising yields the highest return on investment based on their campaign objectives.
However, I firmly believe that creativity and community are the cornerstones of successful promotional efforts. As such, emerging talent should allocate their budget to these areas rather than advertisements.
Take action now
Artists can explore one of the suggestions above or develop additional ideas to spend €100,00 euros on their career. Remember to share those with hundreds of artists, creators, and industry professionals in the comments.
Further reading
Should artists run ads? (The Fanbase Builder)
Artists should work with creative people, instead of hiring marketing gurus (The Fanbase Builder)
Why artists shouldn’t skip steps (The Fanbase Builder)