How do you design a singer-songwriter website that conveys your authenticity as a music artist, and what you are all about?

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Please review template example below:

Step 4:

See example template below:

Step 5:

Step 6:

Create a contact page. From the example below, it is a very simple form to make it easy for people to book you, message you, or to keep up with you via newsletter, social media, PR, etc.

Artist: Mikaela Kahn

We hope this has been helpful as you create and build your own website as a singer/songwriter!

Since Facebook now owns Instagram, you will need to set up your Instagram ad through Facebook Ads Manager. If you know how to run a Facebook ad, you will know how to run an Instagram ad. If you do not know how, you will need to start by creating aFacebook page and link it to your Instagram account.

Here’s a condensed step-by-step guide to setting up an Instagram ad:

1. Define your goal

You need to have a way of measuring the success of your Instagram ad, so the first step is to set a specific goal. Attach concrete numbers and a deadline to it. The more detailed you make your goal, the better.

Here are the objectives you can choose from in Facebook Ads Manager that are applicable to Instagram.

2. Determine your budget

You can set either a daily budget or a lifetime budget (meaning day-to-day spending will vary slightly, but you won’t exceed the total budget you allocate for the lifetime of the ad set).

Facebook and Instagram ads work on an auction, so the cost is determined by your targeting and the amount of competition among other advertisers for that audience. Depending on the goal you’ve set, you can choose to pay for your ads by cost per thousand impressions (CPM) or cost per click (CPC).

3. Identify your target audience

If you’re new to advertising on Facebook or Instagram, you’ll probably need to play around with different targeting options for a bit until you hit on the right combination. In Ads Manager, you’ll be able to see in real time how your estimated reach changes as you make tweaks. Here’s an overview of all of Facebook’s audience targeting options.

4. Create your ad

You have several options for the format of your Instagram ad, including photo, video, carousel, and Stories. For musicians, we’d recommend starting out with a simple photo or video ad, depending on what your objective is. Be sure to review the design requirements and recommendations for Instagram ads.

When you create a new ad in Ads Manager, you’ll be guided through selecting your objective, audience targeting, budget, schedule, and placement (i.e., where it’s going to be displayed). By default, all of the placements will be selected, but if you only want your ads to run on Instagram and nowhere else, uncheck all of the placements except for Instagram.

After you finalize your settings, you’ll then be taken to the section where you choose the format, media, and text for your ad. Once you’ve reviewed all of the details, click the “place order” button.

5. Measure your ad’s performance

The work isn’t over once your Instagram ad is active! While it’s running, you need to track its performance and make any necessary adjustments to have the best chance of success. Ads Manager provides all the metrics you need to help you figure out how well your ads are doing.

You will need to roll your sleeves up for this one because this is going to take some serious research.

1. Search For Artists With A Similar Style: It is important to first establish your style and genre of music. Then, Google a similarly styled artist who is well known. For example, if you are a country artist, you might want to Google Kacey Musgraves or Chase Rice. You will find that they have articles or reviews in several publications that review or report on music. Look on through the publication to see if they publish features of new and emerging country artists. If so, send them a polished article or information that will help them to possibly publish a review on you. You will need to email about 10-20 publications before you get a bite, so don’t give up!

2. Pitch Yourself!: Content is KING. Be specific, and keep it simple. Let the publisher know exactly who you are and what you want. Be clear about what you are asking for; a feature of your recent work on their website, a review on a music video, hit single, interview, etc. Publications are always looking for fresh new content, so you are bound to find an opportunity if you just keep pitching yourself consistently without being too pushy or seeming overly anxious.

Things to include in your email to the publisher:

• Clear Subject Line: It’s the first thing they see. Make it count!
• Intro paragraph: Express that you have knowledge of the editor, coordinator, or other personnel that works for the publication. This shows you did your research. Acknowledge their recent work; a little flattery won’t hurt! Always be honest though. Don’t ever claim to know someone personally if you’ve never met them or communicated with them.
• Describe your music: This is the most important portion of your email. Compare yourself to a few other artists to give them a clear vision of what you are all about. Add links to where they can hear your music and see your website. Don’t hesitate to brag on yourself a little bit. If you have opened for well-known artists, or toured with big-named bands, or have had reviews in major publications, add it to your email! This will help you to get your foot in the door. No famous person is known for their humility; go all out! Don’t be conceited, just be confident. You are pitching yourself!
• The Correct Email Address: Before you press send, make sure you have the correct email address! This can be tricky as some publications purposely hide their contact information to limit incoming requests. Others just don’t make contact information easy to find on their websites without intention. Do some digging and make sure your emails are going to the right place.
• Things NOT to Do: Don’t attach MP3s, PDF files, or any other forms of attachments. Editors don’t have time to download information that they will likely not use. Give them links to your social media, articles written about you in other online publications, streaming sites, and your website. Don’t try to tell them your whole life story. They don’t want to hear how you started from the bottom and how got to where you are now. Be professional and straight to the point as they are most likely getting a massive number of pitches in their inbox every day. They don’t have time to read your memoir.

Overall, getting into online publications takes a little bit of guts and a whole lot of determination. Make sure you have a story worth telling and let the editors decide if they want to share your story with their readers. It’s pretty much a numbers game, so the more you pitch, the higher the chances that you will see your story being told in reputable online publications such as Billboard, Rolling Stone, and Music Industry Weekly.