ARE YOU AN UP-COMING MUSICIAN? HERE 101 WAYS TO PROMOTE YOURSELF OR YOUR BAND

Thanks to Alan Harbiodinho for this piece, please enjoy it:

1. Think a unique and catchy name for your brand (eg: DBANJ,WALE WAVES, WIZKID etc)
2. Form a street team for your brand and let them help you promote your songs.
3. Put your music on radio and ask your street team to call them to play your song.
4. Make your song as the ringtone of your cell phone.
5. Print some flyers and spread the word about your band.
6. Print stickers and stick it to where you go, to the cars and bus you travel.
7. Print your band name on tee shirts and give it away to fans.
8. You can use a marker pen to write your band name or website address on white tee shirts.
9. Write new songs and print the song lyrics and give it to your fans.
10. Have a public meet up session regularly, perform and talk with your audience.
11. Get yourself some business cards and give it to people.
12. Go to shopping malls, parks and cafes to sing song and promote your band.
13. Look out for places where you can perform; look for local gigs, parties and concerts.
14. Create a mix CD with your song in it and give it to fans.
15. Perform your music in birthdays, anniversaries to spread the word about your group.
16. Design a logo for your band and do branding.
17. Get your band a website. It costs less and easy.
18. Go to cyber cafes and make your website as the homepage of these computers.
19. If you have a physical address, get yourself a google place page.
20. Put your website address on your CDs.
21. Create a nice looking album cover for each of your music albums.
22. Use facebook; create a page for your website.
23. Make other band members as the facebook page admin to contribute.
24. Create facebook group with similar interest (eg: rock lovers, punk music fans etc)
25. Create a facebook event and invite your friends to come at your concert or tour.
26. Use twitter and follow other musicians, tweet with them regularly. Use WeFollow to find these people.
27. Blog regularly on your website, this will bring new audience to your website.
28. Put pictures, bio and videos about your band in your official website.
29. Update your website regularly with your latest updates, keep it active.
30. Put a forum section in your website so your fans can participate in the discussion.
31. Record videos of your band playing music, upload them on YouTube.
32. Make a video blog of your journey as a music band, post them on YouTube.
33. Put social media links in your website sidebar.
34. Upload your music on mp3 download websites.
35. Put twitter and facebook widget on your website so people can click and join your social space.
36. Use MySpace to promote your music. Connect with other musicians and fans.
37. Use google plus to promote your music, create an artist bio.
38. Add other musicians in your G+ circles.
39. Create a video hangout in google plus and perform your music online.
40. Create a band page in google+ and fill it up with information.
41. Put your music on CDBaby that will bring it on iTunes and many other digital distributors.
42. Put your music on Spotify and ask your facebook friends to listen to it.
43. Create a playlist of your favorite songs in Spotify and share the playlist.
44. Upload your videos on Vimeo and promote your music.
45. Get yourself an email auto responder system and start a mailing list.
46. Email your fans regularly with updates and news about your band.
47. Submit your website to music directories.
48. Use social bookmarking sites like digg, reddit to link to your band website.
49. Ask your fans to link back to your website.
50. Create a digital badge for your band so people can put it on their website.
51. Use live video streaming websites and stream your music.
52. Connect with people around you, make new friends.
53. Attend parties and events where you can meet more people.
54. Keep in touch with your contacts.
55. Attend in fund raisers or charity events, help these people out.
56. Make a banner and put your band name and web address on it when you perform.
57. Write new songs every time –everyday if possible!
58. Learn how to write a press release.
59. Build your connections with the press.
60. Create a media kit –put your pictures, bio, contact info and a demo CD in it.
61. Hire a press writer to write for you.
62. Hire a music publicist who will help you with media promotions.
63. Buy some ads in the local newspaper.
64. Use facebook ads to drive traffic to your facebook page.
65. Use google adsense to make promotion for your band.
66. Participate in reality competitions with your band to publicize your music.
67. Send your demo CDs to the record companies.
68. Start your own record company to promote new talent.
69. Get into online worlds like Second-Life and build your band there.
70. Look out for open mic nights and perform.
71. Host an open mic night yourself.
72. Go and play your music in clubs.
73. Go to American Idol or such talent shows by wearing your band tee-shirt.
74. Get interviewed on local news and talk about your band.
75. Offer music lessons, guitar lessons to kids and bring them in your street team to promote your band.
76. Use craigslist and other online classified ad networks to make publicity for your band.
77. Send postcard to your fans and friends about your music.
78. Wear crazy makeup like KISS to stand out.
79. Write articles about making better music or guitar playing tips and post them on EzineArticles.com
80. Write a book on playing instrument; mention your band in the book.
81. Work on your band image and make people love you and your music.
82. Try to experiment and create better things for your band.
83. Host a contest for your fans and give away small gifts in exchange with promotions.
84. Go to a friend’s wedding and play your music there.
85. Follow a recent band that got an award and follow what they did to get to there.
86. Submit your music on music awards.
87. Attend different festivals/carnivals with your band and the instruments to play and promote.
88. Look out for DJ’s, RJ’s who play the type of music you do and ask them to play your song.
89. Send your CD to local discos and pubs.
90. Play for free in schools, charities and anywhere possible.
91. Send your music as MP3 ringtone to your friends.
92. Shoot a good band photo and use it on every promotional outlet.
93. Call to radio shows that are relevant to your music and talk about your music.
94. Use sticky notes, write your band and song name on them and post it to the store windows or such places.
95. Print your band name on tissue papers and give it for free to the people in the street.
96. Buy some bouncy rubber balls or tennis balls and write your band name on it. Give it to kids.
97. Blow balloons and write your band or website names on it and give it to your fans.
98. Write your band name or logo on fans cheeks.
99. Sign up for a battle of the bands in your area.
100. Get some hot girls to hang out with you; you will attract lots of people to your  band!
101. Play great music! This is the best promotion ever.