Should DJs Advertise?

A growing question among DJs in an ever more competitive DJ market is 'should DJs advertise to get more DJ gigs?'

If you want to have a successful career as a DJ, you need to increase your popularity with some form of marketing and get more work. Potential clients, promoters, and fans can be reached by advertising your services either with free methods or using paid advertising.

Is it a good idea for DJs to advertise to get more DJ jobs? We hope to answer this question in our guide on the pros and cons of advertising for DJs and how to market yourself as a DJ.

Increasing your visibility as a DJ in the market place can be achieved through advertising. DJs can use a variety of advertising methods, including social media, website advertising, and traditional methods like flyers and posters to help them build a DJ brand. Advertising is one of the best ways to build up a bigger audience, gain more notoriety, promote yourself as a DJ and ultimately make more money with the additional DJ booking opportunities.

The proliferation of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok has made online advertising accessible to DJs with relative ease. Within a few clicks you can pay to promote yourself the the masses, but just because you can advertise yourself as a DJ, should you do it?

If you're asking yourself 'Should I advertise as a DJ?' the quick answer is yes. However, the next question is should you pay to advertise as a DJ?

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Here in this guide we explore the topic of advertising and different promotional strategies for DJs. It's then up to you to judge if paying for advertising is the right option for you to build your presence as a DJ and ultimately get more fans and bookings.

It's worth also mentioning that anyone can advertise themselves as a DJ and you can choose your own advertising budget. Just be sure not to go crazy with your budget and make sure you follow the advice in this blog about how to advertise yourself as a DJ or producer.

Before you start advertising as a DJ...

Before you start advertising you should make sure that what you're trying to sell is right for your audience.

Do you know how to DJ properly? Have you spent time learning the craft of DJing and are ready for live performances? Have you created a DJ brand and do you stand out as a DJ with a USP?

If you've not answered these questions then you should first of all address the fundamentals.

There's no point spending time and money advertising yourself as a DJ and promoting your DJ services if your product isn't right. You need to stand out as a DJ so make sure your skills and branding are already on point.

Click here if you would like to learn how to DJ or improve your DJ skills

Advertising Goals for DJs

There are many ways that a DJ can advertise to help them attract more fans, followers and clients. It's important to use the advertising strategies that suit you budget restraints and goals. Here are some common advertising goals for DJs to use.

1. Advertise to get more followers

One of most important asset for any artist, DJ or producer is a large audience of fans and followers. Advertising yourself as a DJ can help you attract more fans who would be interested in you as an artist.

2. Advertise to get more engagement

Once you have an audience you have to battle to keep them engaged with your content otherwise you might end up with hundreds of fans but little interaction. Paying for boosted posts or adverts can help a DJ increase the visibility of their content and thus improve engagement. Especially when the adverts are well targeted.

3. Advertise to show off you DJ skills

The saying goes 'If you've got it - flaunt it' and nothing is more true with DJ skills. If you have exceptional DJ skills make sure you capitalise on them by creating videos and content to show off how good you are. Showing how advanced your DJ skills are with videos on social media and YouTube is a great way to establish authority and create demand for your DJ services. James Hype and EZ are great examples of this strategy.

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4. Advertise to increase the visibility of your DJ brand or USP

If you have an appealing DJ brand that attracts attention you can increase visibility with advertising. If you have a USP it's even better (Unique Selling Point). A USP can be many things including an original look, popular releases or if you're simply doing some different to the rest of DJs out there.

5. Advertise to attract more clients and booking agents

Promoters and booking agents have a huge amount of choice. There are thousands of DJs and sometimes it seems difficult to stand out from the crowd. One strategy is just to have wider visibility. If you're visible to the right people more often you'll be one of the names they instantly recall when thinking about booking a DJ.

Advertising Methods for DJs

There are many ways a DJ can advertise themselves and their work including free and paid options. Here are some DJ promotion ideas and options to help you market your DJ business. Often DJs will employ multiple strategies to create their own DJ advertising campaign using social media advertising and traditional methods.

1. Social Media Advertising

The main way to reach an audience is via social media, after all most people are glued to their phones for many hours every day. Popular channels include Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can explore all of these platforms for posting both free content and paid-for advertising.

2. Website Advertising

A professional DJ website is an excellent way for DJs to promote their services, especially for wedding DJs. A website can link to all your other online platforms and also showcase your photos, videos, testimonials, mixes and content in one central hub. You can get free traffic to your website by utilising a good SEO strategy and increase traffic with pay-per-click search engine advertising.

3. Networking & Business Cards

DJs can use networking events to meet other industry professionals, build relationships, and possibly get booked for gig. DJs can connect with other DJs and clients on online networking platforms as well as real life events like seminars, events and conferences. Make sure you have a business card to hand!

4. Email Marketing

DJs can use email marketing to reach out to potential clients and keep their existing clients informed about upcoming events and new releases. They can use email newsletters to share their latest tracks, post updates about their performances, and promote their services. You can host an email sign-up form on your DJ website to capture email addresses of your fans. Many DJs also use a mobile phone texts that work in much the same way as emails but they have a higher cost.

5. Traditional Advertising

DJs can use traditional advertising methods such as flyers, posters, and print ads to promote their services. This can be more wasteful and costly but effective in some situations especially when everyone else is focusing on online marketing!

6. Brand Collaborations

If you want to increase your audience size one of the most effective strategies is a brand collaboration. Collaborations are nothing new to DJs and producers, a remix is effectively a collaboration. See where you can collaborate with other DJs and pollinate your audiences for mutual gain.

7. Press

Free advertising is the best form of advertising! Getting some column inches, interviews, press articles, reviews or appearing a guest on radio and tv are essential for big DJs. Create a good DJ biography, press photos and press release to send to media outlets.

In conclusion, there are a number of ways DJs can increase their visibility and get more work. DJs can use a combination of these methods to create a comprehensive advertising strategy. DJs can achieve success in the industry and their career goals by effectively promoting their services and building a strong brand.

Pros and Cons of Advertising for DJs

It's important to consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of this approach before you start investing your time and money in advertising. Make sure that you set yourself a clear budget and if you don't have money to lose you should think about what types of advertising you can do for free.

Advertising for DJs has benefits.

DJs can increase their exposure to potential clients and fans through advertising.

DJs can use advertising to build a brand and stand out from their competitors.

DJs can attract larger events and festivals by advertising.

DJs can reduce the need to search for new clients by using advertising to create a consistent flow of gigs.

There are repercussions of advertising for DJs.

DJs may not see a return on their investment due to the cost of advertising.

It can be difficult to stand out and grab the attention of potential clients with so many DJs advertising their services.

DJs may feel that advertising goes against the integrity of the industry, which is all about music and performance.

Poorly executed advertising campaigns can hurt a DJs reputation and make it harder to find clients in the future.

Is it appropriate for DJs to advertise? Will it make you look desperate?

Conclusion

DJs goals and budget are what determine whether or not to advertise. It is possible to increase visibility and build a brand through advertising if you play your cards right.

If you are just starting out, you might want to focus on networking within the industry, making real-life connections that might last your entire DJ career. If you want to increase your exposure and get more work, you need to work with a professional marketing agency.

DJs should think about the benefits and drawbacks before spending money on advertising. If DJs find a balance between advertising and other marketing strategies, they can increase their chances of success.

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