A band makes music. Fans listen to it. Give your music to as many people as possible and you will create more fans. Most independent and local bands give their CDs away for free as promotional items. If you want to try making money from CD sales, start off at a reasonable price and monitor your sales. If you only sell a few copies, or none at all, lower your price.
During your shows, ask people to sign up to get emails from the band. Send news and show announcements to let your fans know what your band will be doing next, but do not spam your mailing list with constant emails. Once every few months is plenty. If possible, send emails based on region. For example, if you have a show in Chicago, send an email only to those fans that live nearby. Your fans will appreciate the consideration.
A great way to raise your band's profile is to place your song in a movie or commercial. Getting a licensing deal may be difficult because there are so many bands out there, but you can increase your chances by recording your music well. Pay attention to how your favorite bands have recorded their music and do your best to achieve the same volume levels and tone.
Once you have recorded your music, submit it to as many of the online licensing databases as you can. They provide searchable music databases that allow producers to quickly preview and license songs for commercials and movies. Some charge fees, but most take a commission, so there is no upfront cost to you. Read the terms and understand your rights before signing anything. If your song is selected, promote it everywhere you can. If possible, ask for an onscreen credit for your band.
Traditionally, bands that wanted to self-promote their gigs put up posters all over town. Today you have better tools at your disposal. Use social-networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to announce gigs and stay in touch with your fans. The key to building a fan base is creating the feeling of a community. Seize every opportunity to interact with your fans, and create a forum for them to interact with one another. If you respect them and treat them like friends, they will support you and promote you to their friends.