We live in an age where fans receive hundreds of Facebook event invites, and artists see dozens of people click "going" only to perform to crowds that include very few of those people. Artists tweet links to events and send out e-flyers on Instagram, and while everything I've just mentioned is a free way of promoting an event or album, is it as effective as some of the tried-and-true ways of the past?
"There's so much going on with social media," Asbestos Records founder Flood says. "You're at the mercy of both Facebook algorithms and just the inability of your audience to process all the crap that's thrown at them."
The best way to solve this problem is to use some of the traditional methods of promotion artists have been using for years. Hip-hop artist Notar employs such methods. "Time and effort go a long way," he explains. "I can make a Facebook event and drown myself in the abyss, or I can take the time to go physical, and make the effort to get out there, and strategically put it in the right people’s hands. No Facebook executive is going to do all of my job for me."
Physical, of course, isn't free, but as Notar points out, what you're willing to invest in yourself can be viewed as a reflection of how you view your career. "A zero budget is bullshit," he says. "I ain't no zero."
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