Uncanny Valley EP Promotion
Summary:
As a member of the pop-punk band Uncanny Valley, I utilized my skills in design, animation, and branding to promote the band’s debut EP, which helped push the band forward. We faced several challenges, including starting from essentially zero, with no existing fan base, no music released, and a minimal budget. However, by leveraging the different members’ skillsets and raising money through merchandise sales, we managed to overcome these challenges and achieve impressive results.
Check out some of the work I did for this project, and/or scroll below to view the full case study:
Overview of my contributions:
Social Media Management:
Our instagram page was managed collaboratively with planning and branding being my areas of focus.
Content Planning with Asana:
I created the strategy, calendar, and creative briefs for the band’s content. We used Asana to delegate tasks, stay organized, and increase productivity.
The screenshot above is an example of what our content calendar looked like for May 2022.
Animation:
I animated the videos above with Adobe After Effects, using a combination of assets created by myself, freelancers, and one of my fellow band members.
Graphic Design:
I designed the graphics above, using a range of products in the Adobe creative suite, with most work being done in photoshop. Some designs were more/less collaborative, including working with band members and using assets created by freelancers.
Case Study:
Introduction:
As a member of the pop-punk band Uncanny Valley, I utilized my skills in design, animation, social media management, and content strategy to promote the band’s debut EP, helping to push the band forward. We faced several challenges, including starting from essentially zero, with no existing fan base, no music released, and a minimal budget. However, by leveraging the different members’ skillsets and raising money through merchandise sales, we managed to overcome these challenges and achieve impressive results.
Goals:
The goal of promoting the EP was to build momentum and grow the band’s fan base with its debut release. Our primary objectives were to grow our following on Instagram, our of number streams and monthly listeners on Spotify, and our network in the St. Louis music scene.
Approach:
To promote the EP, we utilized a variety of approaches to increase our visibility and grow our fan base. After defining our targets, we started by creating a content calendar and planning our social media strategy using Asana. Our Instagram campaign on @uncannyvalleymo included regular updates, engaging with followers, and sharing behind-the-scenes content. We also used SubmitHub to promote our songs on relevant playlists and worked on networking and making friends at concerts. We created video content, including music videos, instrument playthroughs, and animated visualizers and lyric videos, and utilized our design skills to create eye-catching promotional graphics to share on social media. As we grew, we were able to use some of our design assets to create merchandise that we sold at our concerts. With these funds, we hired freelancers to create higher-level design and branding elements, bought media placements on @ghostkillerentertainment among other relevant niche channels, and increased our investments in playlist submission.
Challenges:
The biggest challenge we faced with promoting our EP was that we were starting from scratch. We had to find ways to stand out and capture people’s attention, while also staying true to our brand and message. Another challenge we faced was getting involved in a music scene that can feel exclusive and daunting for those outside of it.
How We Overcame the Challenges:
To overcome the challenges we faced, we had to utilize the skills of all band members. By leveraging our collective skills in design, animation, video creation, and branding, we were able to create promotional materials and effectively market our EP. We also found creative ways to raise funds for the campaign, such as designing and selling band t-shirts at concerts. Additionally, we made a concerted effort to immerse ourselves in the local music scene by attending shows, engaging with other musicians, and building relationships with those involved in the scene.
Project Timeline:
The timeline for promoting the EP was carefully planned to maximize the impact of each release. We decided to break up the EP into five separate singles, each with its own release date – five weeks apart from each other. This choice was made to keep the momentum going and generate sustained promotion over a longer period. By releasing singles over time, we were able to take advantage of the Spotify algorithm, which only allows one song to be submitted to release radar each 28 days. The approach allowed us to create a buzz around each single and build anticipation for each audio and video release. We strategically timed our live shows to coincide near the release date of each single, which helped to generate additional interest to our music. We also used the time between releases to work on growing our network, further increasing our reach and impact.
Outcomes:
The outcomes of our efforts to promote our debut EP were very successful. We were able to achieve a peak of over 2,000 monthly listeners and over 25,000 total streams as of March 2023, which is a significant accomplishment for a new band with no previous releases. Our efforts to grow our Instagram were not as effective, but we grew from near zero to over 450 followers in quite a short timeline. We were also fortunate enough to be featured on several platforms in the St. Louis music scene, including BeyondFM and 314Punk. We also were able to play multiple shows presented by 314Punk, which was a massive piece in networking with the movers and shakers in the St. Louis punk scene. One outcome I am extremely proud of is being featured on a podcast I’ve been listening to for years — the Empty Space Podcast — which operates in the band’s niche of mental-health focused pop-punk. All of these outcomes were the result of our dedication and hard work, and we are very proud of what we were able to achieve as a team.