Think about the last time you felt really connected to an artist. The last time you felt like somehow, they really understood you. The last time you had that overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort and maybe even a little excitement because in that moment you just felt connected in a way that can oftentimes be so hard to truly find.

No matter what that moment was—a vulnerable social media post, a captivating live performance, a piece of merch or even a funny photo that just resonated with you—the one thing that each instance has in common is that connection.

While we rely on so many avenues to foster this connection for our own fans, including our social media, our live shows, the merch we create, the partnerships we forge, and so much more, there’s one piece that very often gets left out and truthfully, forgotten about.

Blogging.

An unestablished band’s ability to sell merch often means the difference of whether a show or entire tour ends up being profitable or not. But like lots of other non-musical aspects of making and performing music seriously, merch is something that’s often neglected, even by the musicians who could benefit from selling it the most.

Today, we’re talking about three ways to help musicians sell more merch, but let’s first talk about why offering band-related stuff to your fans is important. The biggest and most obvious reason is that merch sales bring in extra revenue for your project. This can translate to more money earned on tours or additional funding from sales made through your website. In addition to extra cash, merchandising is also a chance to give fans opportunities to experience your project in non-musical ways. Merch solidifies your identity and fills a fan’s need for clothing, artwork, and other things at the same time.

Think of the coolest marketing campaign you’ve ever seen. It can be something your favorite band did, a campaign your favorite clothing company ran, or a contest put on by the local diner for their 25^th anniversary. Whatever it is, think about what made it stand out, why it captured your imagination, and why you still hold onto it.

Odds are, it’s not because they ran some mediocre ad campaign or shoved the same generic t-shirt design in your face. It’s because they did something that spoke directly to you and what you believe in. They used their brand and their message to tap into what it is that matters most to you—their fan/follower/customer—and because of that, you were able to really grasp onto it, and it left an impression.

Anyone can create an ad, put out a new piece of merch, or play a show. The real power is in creating an experience that’s so valuable to your fans that they not only remember it, but they want to share it with all their friends.

So how do you make sure your next promo strategy is worth remembering?

While simply uploading music and hoping for the best works out for some, most musicians need to promote their work if they want to make their mark with audiences. Music promotion is a broad term that covers everything from urging fans to listen to new music over social media to launching a costly professional PR campaign. Professional music promotion efforts aren’t cheap, and it’s common for the world’s biggest music stars spend millions of dollars to get the word out every time they put out new music. But if you constitute the vast majority of very broke musicians, you’ll need to find inexpensive ways to promote your music. Here’s a few tips to help get you started:

Have you ever heard the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover?” Of course you have, and if you’re like me, you have definitely, 100% judged a book by its cover more than once in your life, and odds are, you’ve also judged a band’s album art more than a few times. We’re only human.