Artist Branding & Positioning | Implementing Your Positioning

On one of the previous podcasts we talked about defining yourself, your branding and positioning as an artist. But after all that work's been put into planning, you might be thinking, what now? How do I implement this new positioning and start branding myself in a more consistent and authentic way? Before we get into the implementation part, some of you may be thinking that consistency is a lot of work, it's not particularly creative, what if I just want to express myself freely as an artist etc. But consistency in branding is one of the foundations of being an artist. If the positioning research was the blueprint, consistency in implementation is the foundation.

About Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC)

There is a principle in marketing called integrated marketing communications. It is built on the aim of creating a synergistic effect, which can only be created when all communications on various outputs are all putting out the same message. When this happens, we are said to get a greater result than all the messages that were going out separately and not in coordination.

The link between IMC to branding

This applies to branding too. If you're putting out different, and sometimes conflicting messages about your branding, you're cannibalising your own attempts to make any progress. Whereas if all your communication efforts be they through social media, press, to colleagues are all consistent or complementary, that is when all efforts come together to create the most value for you and your brand.

Executing your Positioning

We can classify positioning efforts vaguely as either ‘tangible’ or ‘abstract’.

Tangible : Written or visual communications present on platforms such as social media or your website. Essentially, mediums on which representations of you already exist and can be easily edited in black and white terms.

Abstract: Any channel you brand yourself with which is not easily editable, but still ‘updateable’. E.g. Onstage persona, song choice during gigs, the way you respond to fans or interviews, look and feel of future social media posts

Executing your tangible positioning

1. Articulate your positioning in an artist bio of yourself through copy and photos
2. Make a list of all platforms your artist content is available on and do an audit of things that may have to be changed
3. Update your positioning!

Executing your abstract positioning

• Start brainstorming pertinent parts of your positioning to be updated
• Make mental notes or an action plan of how you plan on getting there
• A habit takes 21 days to change. Think about how to push this task forward in 21 days!

E.g. If one point for executing your abstract positioning is:

Adopting a consistent colour palette across social media, action points could be:

• Creating a colour guide
• Use an app to plan out IG feed before photos are posted
• Creating a custom filter on photos

Last bit of advice:

KEEP AT IT! While it might not feel like what you signed up for as an artist, but keep at it, and it’ll become second nature to you. And the fact that these simple steps are second nature to you will become your competitive edge.

Links and Resources:

• Subscribe to our mailing list for access to this episode’s cheat sheets!
• Subscribe to our Patreon ‘Level Up’ Tier for forthcoming ‘Level Up’ cheat sheets and materials

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