How to create a band bio that gets results | Email Marketing
Back when we all used to buy CDs and records, one of the best parts of the experience was opening up the sleeve and reading the band bio. A solid band biography helps tell your story and create a deeper relationship with fans. But in the digital age, it’s not as simple as including a few paragraphs in your liner notes. Today, you’ll need to flex some different muscles to craft the right kind of content that attracts new fans.
The importance of storytelling
A study done in the United Kingdom found that eight out of 10 consumers want brands to tell their stories. Now, we know your band is an outlet for your art and is more than just a brand to you, but by adopting this marketing mindset, you’ll be able to create a band bio that gets results. This will allow you to communicate with fans on a very personal level, inspiring them to invest in your music and attend your shows.
Editor’s note: Don’t have a website yet? Make one fast with GoCentral, GoDaddy’s website builder. There are prebuilt templates just for musicians, so you can have a professional website in under an hour.
Writing a band bio: The essentials
Use these tips to attract new fans and boost your SEO rankings, improving your online reach.
Speak plainly, with a side of SEO.
Be concise.
Include testimonials.
End on a high note.
Get more mileage out of your bio.
Now, let’s sprinkle a little marketing dust on your storytelling skills to create a band bio that works for you.
1. Speak plainly, with a side of SEO
“An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way.” ~ Charles Bukowski
Penning poetic lyrics is great. In fact, it’s encouraged. But when you’re writing your band biography, don’t overuse complex sentences or inundate readers with adjectives — most people will lose interest or bounce off the page.
Use simple, conversational language that is easily digestible and universally accessible. Touch on your band’s history, its influences and what makes it special.
Now, here’s where marketing comes into play. As you write, use relevant keywords that you want to rank for on search engines, weaving them into your copy naturally and sparingly. And use anchor text where you can, too.
Unfamiliar with search engine optimization (SEO)? These resources make it easy to learn the basics:
- Keyword research and content optimization tips
- Beginner’s SEO guide: Search engine optimization for small business websites
- Flesch reading ease calculators, which can help you decide how readable your bio is to the general public
Editor’s note: The SEO experts at GoDaddy can help if you need some extra help (or simply don’t have time to think about SEO). Tell them about your band, and they will get your site in tip-top shape, so you can think about writing the next great ballad.
Related: Crank it up: How to sell music online with a website in 4 easy steps
2. Be concise
Digital consumers’ attention spans are short. When writing your band bio, it’s vital to keep it succinct.
Consider this for a moment: Before the rise of Beatlemania, when the mop-topped quartet was playing gigs in small pubs, nobody would have been compelled to read an entire essay about the band. Back then, people didn’t care where John got his hair cut or what Paul’s favorite meal was, and in this respect, things haven’t changed.
This means your band bio should provide only the essential information.
As a guide, stick to a clearcut beginning, middle and end, and keep the entire bio between 400 and 700 words.
Sit down as a group and jot down the key points you want to include in your bio. From there, you’ll be able to plot your narrative, adding personality and filling in the blanks as you go.
3. Include testimonials
Studies suggest that brands using real testimonials in their promotional content can earn up to 62 percent more in revenue per site visitor. Your band is no exception.
If a promoter or another notable figure in the music world writes or says something positive about you, use it in your band bio. If you have a selection of testimonials to choose from, break up the bio with the best of the bunch.
Not only will they help the page look more visually appealing, but they will also validate everything you’re talking about within the content.
Don’t have any testimonials? Reach out to people you’ve worked with, venues you’ve played at or promoters you’ve dealt with over the years and ask for them. You’ll be surprised by how many people will oblige.
You can also use social media to drum up quotes from your current fan base — you could even offer a prize as an incentive. This will give you plenty of testimonials to work with as you refine your band biography over time.
4. End on a high note
Any piece of promotional content worth its salt ends with a call-to-action (CTA) of some kind.
You don’t want to come across too salesy (you’re a credible band, after all), but after giving potential fans a glimpse of you and your world, it’s important to tell them what to do next.
If you’ve done your job, they’ll want to know more. So if you’ve got a string of shows coming up, direct them to a gig calendar, or if you have a new track out, tell them where to go to listen and leave comments. Remember to keep your CTA updated so it doesn’t feel old and outdated. You can hone your CTA skills with these tips.
Related: Find more fans — How to get music on blogs
5. Get more mileage out of your bio
Once you’ve written a compelling band bio for your website, you can use elements of it for other platforms, including your social media accounts, SoundCloud page, Music Glue store, YouTube channel, guest blog posts, third-party ticket sites … the list goes on.
The point is, your band bio will form a blueprint for all of your other promotional efforts.
Here’s how to repurpose your bio successfully:
- Never simply copy and paste parts of your bio. Always slightly rewrite or rework the sections you use for other platforms to avoid being penalized by Google for duplication issues.
- Study each platform or medium you’re repurposing your content for, looking at ideal structures, word counts and, if applicable, style guides, to make your promotional snippets as effective as possible.
- Learn the fundamentals of writing for social media and use elements of your bio to craft engaging posts that will grab attention and spark positive reactions.
Writing a band bio that gets results can be a daunting task, but by following these tips, you’ll be able to create something that resonates with fans. And after you’ve got your bio in place, keep the marketing wheels turning with these three priceless pieces of music marketing advice.
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