How soon is too soon to start marketing?

[ReignOfRatch]

I'd like personal and professional opinions, as well as links to articles, about when bands should start marketing themselves.

My bands current situation is that we used the name and old Facebook page of one members past band that only played local gigs a decade ago.
So we already have 600 followers that we could potentially begin to reach out to very easily.
We have a one song recorded and mastered. Its got great sound quality. It could potentially go on an EP but we currently plan to use it as a demo.
We have another song recorded and is about to be sent to the same producer for mastering.
And we have a third song written and ready to be re-recorded.
We haven't played any gigs and we don't have a full set list written yet, but we have 6 other songs that are 75% completed.
And we have only been playing together for less than 9 months.

We haven't started promoting ourselves because we didn't want to become old news while the potential fans waited for music releases.
The current plan is to have at least three professional quality demos, a full set list ready to play, and one music video recorded and ready to release before we release the first one. Then we plan to release another a few weeks later after and another a few weeks later. To build up momentum before we start trying to open for popular bands in our genre when they play near by.

So my questions are:
Does this seem like the best way to approach a music career? Should we keep waiting until we are gig ready and have most of our songs recorded before we start even posting? Are we over preparing? And besides just making good music, what methods of building anticipation and a fan base have worked best for you?

Thanks in advance!

 

[gln1955]

Just my .02, but using the name and FB page of a defunct 10-year old band is lame.

 

[PauFerro]

The current plan is to have at least three professional quality demos, a full set list ready to play, and one music video recorded and ready to release before we release the first one. Then we plan to release another a few weeks later after and another a few weeks later. To build up momentum before we start trying to open for popular bands in our genre when they play near by.

So my questions are:
Does this seem like the best way to approach a music career? Should we keep waiting until we are gig ready and have most of our songs recorded before we start even posting? Are we over preparing? And besides just making good music, what methods of building anticipation and a fan base have worked best for you?

Thanks in advance!

I think you are on the right track. But I wouldn't wait until you have a full set list before you book gigs -- unless your songwriting process is so slow. I am assuming your are an originals band, by the way.

The reason I say this is because that time from band inception to gig-readiness is way too long in most bands I've been in. I have started two bands in the last two months, and both had one rehearsal and then a gig One of the groups had a paid gig. Now, we are playing covers so that makes it easier. But creating momentum is critical to keeping the band interested. So, get your three representative tunes up there with decent quality, and then start selling the band two months out. Don't accept gigs that are too close in time that will make you unready.

In terms of building anticipation....I have a few ideas.

1. Get stickers made up with the date of some milestone or release date of the band on it, your logo, and your website or social media page. Stick em everywhere -- get people to wear them, but make them so they can peel off easy and not annoy people.

Red Dog beer did this years ago -- there were red dogs everywhere on bulletin boards visible from the street, and no one knew it was beer -- just a red dog. Everyone was asking -- what's this red dog stuff all about anyway??? Then they revealed what it meant after all the anticipation.

2. Make a good quality song free for download, and get email addresses and tell them when they can buy the full album or get another set of songs at a certain date.

 

[ReignOfRatch]

...
But creating momentum is critical to keeping the band interested. So, get your three representative tunes up there with decent quality, and then start selling the band two months out.
...

Two months out? That seems reasonable. We do write pretty slow. The music base comes really quickly, usually in a single jam sesh, but once we start adding lyrics half the songs music gets rewritten two or three times. And the lyrics usually take two or three sessions to complete. I'd say we are 4-6 months from that two months out release date.
Thanks that was exactly the type of opinion I was looking for.

...
1. Get stickers made up with the date of some milestone or release date of the band on it, your logo, and your website or social media page.
...

Awesome idea. We just had a professional logo made so I'll bring that up to the band!

 

[ReignOfRatch]

Just my .02, but using the name and FB page of a defunct 10-year old band is lame.

I though so too. But I was the last to join the band so I wasn't a part of the naming decision.

At least no one important remembers the original band anymore

 

[DirtDog]

If The Simpsons has taught us anything, it's that it's never too early to start marketing...

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

If you haven't already started, you are already late. You do have a point about the burn out, but that can be managed. Here is a suggestion for you.
Start the campaign very low key and mysterious. Just social media post like, "Have any of you heard of XXX?" Run with that for a couple of weeks. Then up it to, "XXX will be doing a concert soon. Does anyone know where?"
Just keep adding a little info each week or so until you can advertise an actual gig.
It's like Click Bait. Give just enough info to spark curiosity, but not enough to satisfy.