Music Marketing [dot] com

Music Marketing Podcast #7 - How to Find (and Keep) Your Ideal Fan

This episode of the Music Marketing [dot] com Podcast is a response to an email we received from musician Jack Speer. 

Is changing your music so that it appeals to a specific type of person selling out? 

How can you find an audience for your existing music?

In this episode, we talk about these things and more. You'll learn how to define who your ideal fan is and the best ways to keep in touch with fans so they'll continue to support you and your music.

Thanks to Jack for sending reaching out! If you have a music business question or something you'd like us to cover on a future episode, contact me via Twitter. 

You can listen below or subscribe via iTunes.

Want to Sell More Music? Forget the Music!

This video which quickly summarizes an important topic I've talked about for years. The topic is so important, and so neglected, that I have an entire section about it in my book, Six-Figure Musician.

There are two main takeaways for you in this video...

1. Your message isn't meant for everybody.

If we're honest with ourselves, we all know this. For example, if you play music similar to Slayer, 90-year-old grandmothers aren't your target audience.

Still, there is something within our egos that says to us, "But probably some of those 90-year-old grandmothers would like this."

And that's true, there probably are a few who would. Taking your limited music promotion resources (and we all have limited resources in this area)  to go after "a few" people doesn't make sense though.

You're much better off excluding the 90-year-olds and going straight for the people who are most likely to get what you're doing.

There is skill in marketing, but it's also a numbers game -- play the best odds. When you try to please everybody, you please nobody.

Go for those who will be enthusiastic about what you're doing and ignore everybody else. You don't need "everybody" to have a successful career in the music buisness. 

2. Reach people on their level, in a language they understand.

This is the big takeaway here and I think the above video shows it as well as anything I could write. To put it bluntly -- if you want to really connect, you have to speak to people on their level.

I once was managing street promotion for a band and sent posters to the local rep ahead of time. The show was in my region, at a venue I'd never been to, so I went to check on things and was amazed to see that the posters had been modified in a big way -- the acts on the bill had been put in small type to make room for "2-for-1 Kamikaze Drink Specials" and other "non-music" promotion.

As I've made very clear Six-Figure Musician as well as here, clubs are in the drink business, not the music business. Still, for the promoter to almost completely ignore the music was a shock. But she knew the club (and its patrons) much better than I did and she talked to them in their language, which is what got people in the door and, at the least, gave the band an opportunity to win them over.

As I've said before, "your fans don't think about music in the same way you do." For most, it's background noise. Because of this, they're likely to write it off.

You have an opportunity to win people over to your music, but it doesn't matter how good your performance, recordings, or whatever else is if people aren't on the receiving end of the experience. You must come down to where they are to build them up to where you are.

Is there a way other than music that will enable you to better connect with your fans? If so, do it. You music will be the "background noise" they associate with the experience.

How to Get 200% More People at Your Next Gig

New movie coming out June 7...

It has absolutely nothing to do with the music business, but one of the ways they're promoting it will help you double your show attendance...

Yesterday, I was at the self-checkout at Kroger. It usually prints out coupons for food it thinks you'll like, but instead, it printed this...

Brilliant.

Like you and your music, the biggest issue new movies face is that nobody knows about them. Sure, the trailer above is online, and it's available to anybody, but if you don't know it exists, it might as well not. 

The BOGO (Buy One, Get One) offer above, which you can modify and use for your live gigs, works because of this:

Almost nobody goes to a show alone.

There is no "one ticket" option here. If somebody wants to take advantage of the freebie, he has to buy a ticket and that means he ends up with two. A single person doesn't need two tickets to the same show, so he's very likely to start talking to his friends about attending the event with him.

This starts a discussion.

"Oh, you don't know about this movie? Check this trailer online, because it's hilarious..."

If you do a promotion like this for your band, the conversation will be more like:

"Oh, you don't know about this band? They are awesome! Here's a link to some music..."

What's that worth? Much more than the price of the free ticket you're giving away.

What is the price of a ticket anyway? For club shows, it's almost nothing, because club shows have a fixed cost. You can play to 100 people for about the same price as you can play to 50, so why not bring in as many people as possible?

The longtern payoff is much better than the shortterm of doubling attendance at a show though. You now are right in the middle of a shared experience between friends. If they have a good time on the initial outing, they'll be likely to repeat it -- and buy your music as well as other things you're selling, so they can take the experience with them.

Want more ideas like this? Read my book Six-Figure Musician - How to Sell More Music, Get More People to Your Shows, and Make More Money in the Music Business.

How I Finally Became Self Disciplined (and You Can Too!)

This is a guest post (submit your guest post) by Laurel Staples, who blogs about how creative people can quit their dayjobs and go fulltime at TheDayIQuit.com.

This article will discuss three methods I have used to increase my self discipline with great success. These aren't the typical things you usually hear about when it comes to self development, but it's really worth giving them a try.

Each may sound a little weird, and do not really seem linked with one another, but these are methods I personally use. You will find the results speak for themselves.

Tip #1: Force Yourself Out of Bed Early

What you do in the early hours can carry momentum throughout the entire day. A sluggish start can mean a slow and lazy attitude for the rest of your waking hours. It can be a big boost to force yourself out of bed the moment you hear the alarm go off.

I'm sure you set the alarm clock at a certain time for a reason. It's also probable that you feel too tired to get up, and simply hit the snooze button, over and over again: "just 10 minutes more sleep, then I'll get up!" Unfortunately, those three times of hitting the snooze button have just caused you to get out of bed half an hour later than you wanted to.

You'll find that you have a lot more energy and vigor if you force yourself out of bed the moment you hear that alarm go off. Yep, it's difficult, but it's worth it.

It's mind against body. Once you force yourself out of bed (no matter how tired you feel), it's almost like you've won a battle. This attitude can remain throughout the day. It becomes easier to fight off laziness in other situations and tasks, resulting in a happier, more positive you.

Tip #2: Ignore Desire

There are some desires in the world that get us into trouble. These are usually things that you "feel" like doing, but really regret afterwards. They might be trivial, like spending money on something you can't afford, or buying things on credit you don't really need, or they may be terrible things, like cheating on your loved one.

All of these are "heat of the moment" temptations. They feel great at the time, and grant temporary pleasure, but the horror of regret afterwards can make it hard to live with yourself, and can cause guilt and shame.

Staying strong in these moments of temptation will really help with self discipline. Usually, if you can hold off your desire for the duration, you will generally feel well rewarded and will become a stronger, more confident human being.

Tip #3: The Daily Task List

When you have a list of tasks to do, it's always better to write them down. It removes the stress of overwhelm, and helps focus the mind. Instead of feeling bogged down and helpless, you have an itemized list that you can tick off one by one -- and boy does it feel good to cross those items off the list!

To make things more advanced, it's better to prioritize. Simply add a number (between 1 and 3) against each task, that indicates it's importance. Then, be sure to start those tasks first that have higher priority. It doesn't need to be any more complicated than that.

And for those tasks you couldn't do today? Just add the letter "T" to the task, so you'll add that to tomorrows list. Doing this removes the feeling that you've failed to complete all tasks. Adding it to tomorrows list can free your mind from worry, and leave you to relax a little in the evening.

The daily task list does sound obvious and simplistic, but it is a very powerful tool for self discipline. Writing tasks down removes a lot of stress from the mind. You'll no longer have that nagging feeling at the back of the mind that you've got too much to do. Instead, you'll have a neat, prioritized list. Another nice advantage is the feeling you get when you cross an item off the list. It is very motivating, and can spur you on to complete the whole list.

And there you have it. Use any or all of these methods to increase your self discipline. Try at least one of the tips above within the next 24 hours. You may well be surprised with the results!

Music Marketing Podcast #6 - How to Promote Yourself In 3 Easy Steps

This episode of the Music Marketing [dot] com Podcast is a followup to How To Promote Your New Album (Or Anything) In 7 Easy Steps and it will help you to watch the video on that page before listening.

This episode gives specific advice on simple techniques you can use to book more gigs, although the basic "formula" will work for anything you want to do -- sell albums, get people to shows, etc.

If you're looking to better understand music marketing and the psychology behind why some musicians get gigs and others don't, this episode is for you. You'll learn how to "talk the language" of your customer for the best results no matter what you're trying to do.

Other topics discussed:

• Nile Rodgers of Chic
• Daft Punk's album promotion strategy
• The marketing advantage of producers  

You can listen below or subscribe via iTunes.

Marketing Checklist for Musicians

This is a guest post (submit your guest post) by Brian Morris, writes for the PsPrint Design & Printing Blog.

If you're in a local band, or even a touring one, you know you have tons of other bands competing for the best gigs at night clubs, bars, weddings, and other events and venues. Many bands do little marketing, which presents an excellent opportunity for your band to employ proven marketing materials to give you the edge when it comes to booking.

The following serves as a marketing checklist for musicians.  If you develop a creative marketing strategy using the tools described below, you'll land more gigs.

Before we begin, let me say that I definitely understand that local bands often have limited budgets. Chances are, “musician” isn't your full-time job. And depending on your market, you probably don't get paid what you're worth when you play out. In my area, most local bands charge in the neighborhood of $500 for a four-hour set, which means each member (assuming it's a four-member band) makes around $125 per night.

Keep in mind that a good band marketing strategy will earn you more than it costs. The marketing tools listed below will help you: a) land more gigs; and b) increase your status, which means you can land more high-paying gigs. When your band is in high demand, your band can charge top dollar for your services, possibly making more money and working less than you are now.

If you're on a limited budget, I recommend pooling a month's worth of gig fees and applying them toward a selection of the following band marketing materials.

Business Cards - When you meet with booking managers, a business card makes you appear more professional – and they want to work with professionals.

Brochures - Brochures offer more information about your brand, what types of music you perform, accolades or testimonials you've received, pricing, equipment, photos, and links to your website.

Flyers and Posters - Promote upcoming gigs with flyers and posters. Often, you can get venues to pitch in on these – or even cover the entire printing fee in return for distribution.

Stickers - Stickers are cheap to print, they help you get the word out anywhere you can stick them, and your fans will love them. Toss 'em from the stage during your next show.

Vinyl Banners - Hang a vinyl banner from the stage wherever you play to let everyone know what your band's name is. Include your website URL or a phone number so others can contact you for gigs.

CD/DVD Covers and Inserts - Print these to place in CD or DVD cases for audio and video you sell or hand out at performances.

Press Kits - Press kits contain business cards, flyers, posters, stickers, news clippings, press releases, CDs, DVDs and anything else you want to include, all in a pocket folder. Admittedly, pocket folder printing can represent a large investment; if you can't afford custom printed pocket folders, get a bunch of school folders and place your sticker on the front. Give press kits to local radio stations, newspapers, entertainment magazines, bloggers, and television stations to promote your band.

Website - Put up a website or use a third-party service that has a URL you can direct traffic to. Work your website, including a blog, songs, videos, a calendar, and more.

Social Media - Social media is a great way to promote your band; use Facebook and Twitter daily, if possible.

Using these tools will help you to communicate your message with fans and music industry people alike. This will lead to more gigs, more recognition, and more sales of both your products and services.

Here are two "bonus" strategies I also recommend for increasing your visibility and income:

Volunteer and Network - Volunteer your band for benefits to help get the word out. Volunteer at other charitable events, and take advantage of the opportunity to network. Many hires are made based on who you know.

Frequent the places you want to play - Nothing will get you a higher recommendation than being a patron of the venues you want to play in. Make friends with the bartender, and you can get a quick connection to the person who does the booking.

Now get out there and make something happen!

How to Get Your Music Listened To (via Email)

As you'll know if you've read my book, Six-Figure Musician, I am constantly analyzing product packaging, stage banter, email copy, and other marketing material for great examples of what works.

Today, I got an email from a guy on my mailing list that's not only a good example of what works when it comes to getting attention, but also shows the #1 way I know to make sure you have a successful career in the music business.

Hey David!

Riley Soward here.  I'm really interested in going into the music
business, and I watched your videos back in the day and I'm currently
half way through your book about making six figures as a musician!
While I have no musical talent, I'm hoping to make my best friend,
Zach Gospe, into a successful professional musician by being his
manager.

So my buddy, Zach Gospe, who is sixteen years old, just recorded an EP
with five songs. The quality is quite high, and we used pro-tools, so
when I saw this email I figured I'd send you the music.

This guy is still under the radar, but he's been blowing up on
Facebook at our high school and he's gaining popularity.  In the first
two days–even though his music was online for free–we sold 40 copies
of his CD to kids at our school.  He's quite talented, and it would
mean so much to me and to Zach if you checked out a couple of his
songs on his soundcloud.  You could be the guy who "discovers" Zach
Gospe!

Anyways, I really appreciate your time and everything you have done
for the music business.  The link to his soundcloud is below, you can
download all the songs for free if you want.  All five songs on his EP
are original songs by Zach Gospe.

https://soundcloud.com/zach-gospe

I've ranked the songs for you so if you only have time for a few
songs, you know which ones to listen to:

1) On The Wall
2) Miles From Midnight
3) I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
4) State I'm In
5) Follow Me Awake

Thank you so much, and I really hope to hear from you soon!!

Best wishes--
Riley Soward

P.S. We made some pretty cool looking CD's and CD cases, so if you
want a hard copy, I'll send you one for free.  Just let me know!

Why it works:

1. Riley is familiar with my work. This message was sent as a response to something I emailed him (via my mailing list) and he mentions also having seen videos of me.
   
   You wouldn't believe how many emails I get which basically say, "Tell me what you can do for me." Unless you're going to somebody who is selling you a service, chances are a request like that will get ignored. Do your research ahead of time.
   
   
2. He has a musician friend who is only 16 years old. Not quite the novelty of a 9-year-old who plays drums, but still something that stands out enough to grab my attention. Beyond that, it reminds of when I was 16 and trying to make it in the music business, which for me, makes me more likely to write back and try to help him.
   
   Obviously, not everybody is going to be 16, but there is something about you (or your artist) that will let you connect equally well. Again, do research ahead of time, as this might help give you a clue that will help you to establish a better connection.
   
   
3. He makes it about me.
   
   Sure, Riley is wanting my attention for his artist, but he gives me a good reason to make that happen, which is that I can be the one who "discovers" and gets credit bringing Zach to the world.
   
   
4. He shows appreciation.
   
   Riley, instead of making the email all about him or his artist, brings it back to me by thanking me for "everything."
   
   
5. He makes it easy.
   
   I like Soundcloud. I think it's a great way to listen to music, since all I need to do is click on a link and play it through my web browser. But in the event that doesn't work for me, Riley offers to send a CD. That may seem like a small thing, but most musicians don't want the extra work and never offer the option.
   
   Beyond that, because there are several songs on the page, he ranks the songs he wants me to hear. This is good idea, but also something that I feel I can improve on...
   
   The rank is fine and you'll be successful with an email like this, but if you have a similar situation yourself, I'd suggest replacing the "ranking" with something like this...
   
   "Listen to 'On The Wall' for his best song."
   
   One song. That's it.

Why? Because the fewer options you give people, the more likely they are to go in the direction you want. Too many choices confuse people.

When it comes to songs, there are several on the same Soundcloud page, so I can obviously check them out, but only giving me one suggestion to start with really emphasizes where he wants me to go. It also greatly increases the odds that I'll get the page in the first place, since it's less of a time commitment after I click on the link.

When I started in the music business, before CD burners were common and we sent music samples on tape, I'd put one song on a cassette. If somebody liked it, they'd call for me and ask for more. Rather than  send another package, I'd tell them, "I have two more songs are on Side B."

Although we no longer use cassettes to send out music, you'll benefit from "one song per cassette" thinking. For example, giving somebody a link to a single Soundcloud song (like this "On the Wall" link), rather than the "library" link listed above, and trusting that if they want more, they'll know how to click on the username and see what other songs are available.

One more thing, which is about the way Riley is breaking into the music business in general. He's getting in with a guy on the ground level, jumping in, and learning as he goes. As his artist grows, he is also growing. And the artist, Zach Gospe, is smart too, because while his manager might not be the most experienced, he has something you can't buy -- passion.

How to Promote Your New Album (or Anything) in 7 Easy Steps

Daft Punk has a new album, Random Access Memories, coming next month. The promotion around it is brilliant. I've already written about it once.

Check out the following video from their "Collaborators" series. This is an interview with Nile Rodgers of Chic as well as an A-List producer, who was involved with the album.

I love this video because it's a great example of a basic sales outline you can use to sell anything -- gigs, albums, merch, or whatever.

Here is why it works... I'll break down the steps and give examples of how they're used in the video.

1. The Problem is Established - The world is in turmoil. What are we going to do?

2. Establish Credibility - Don't know who I am? Check out the Gold and Platinum records... And listen to this Diana Ross song I wrote. You probably danced your ass off to it back in the 80s.

3. The Problem I Mentioned Earlier Has a Solution - At least it had a solution... We know what "great artists" would do in this situation. 

4. Agitate the Problem - Remember when music was cool? Yeah, that was a long time ago. Too bad there aren't any of those "great artists" around these days... You're missing out, so let me tell you about how it used to be.

5. Establish Credibility Again - Music was tough back in the day. I got good fast and became such a badass, I was able to work around any problems.

6. Pass Along That Credibility - Daft Punk is as good as I am. And as good as the great musicians I've worked with -- David Bowie, Duran Duran, Bernard Edwards, etc. 

7. Offer the Solution - Daft Punk is going to solve the problem I mentioned earlier with their new album. Music has been saved. You're no longer missing out.

This basic outline can be used to sell anything. It especially works here because the message about Daft Punk is coming from a third party with mega-credibility. That is optional though -- you can do this on your own.

For best results, remember this... Whatever the problem, you are always the solution!

4 Tips to Get More Done

This is a guest post (submit your guest post) by Laurel Staples, who blogs about how creative people can quit their dayjobs and go fulltime at TheDayIQuit.com.

If you can never seem to get anything done, or are always snowed under with too much to do, then this article is for you. The following tips and techniques will aid you in completing those tasks -- be they trivial items, or life changing projects, enabling you to get back on top of things.

#1: The Task Sheet

If you don’t write things down, you probably won't do them. If you take the time to write a list of tasks that you need to complete, you’re far more likely to begin them. Simply jot down what needs doing, and start with the tasks that take priority.

A good system to use is the "Personal Kanban." This involves using three columns, and writing the tasks on colored sticky notes. The three columns are "backlog," "doing," and "done."

All sticky notes start in the backlog column. Once you start one or more tasks, the related sticky notes moves to the "doing" column. Once complete, the note moves to the "done" column.

#2: Eating the Elephant

This works well with tasks that you either hate doing, or when things seem too big to achieve and keep getting put off for another day.

You may have heard the question before: "How do I eat an elephant?" The answer is: "One bite at a time."

If you writing songs, but know it needs to be done, try breaking the task down into time segments. Instead of thinking, "Oh, I have to write a song," think "I’m going to write, but only for 11 minutes."

It’s much easier to to motivate yourself to do only 11 minutes of work. You’ll also find that you’re likely to carry on doing the task, even after the time has elapsed. It’s also quite surprising how much you can get done in 11 minutes!

Another way to tackle difficult projects is to figure out each activity that comprises the whole, and make each an individual task. For example, instead of working on a "song," break the task down into smaller elements:

1. Song title
2. Chord changes
3. Riff
4. Hook
5. Bridge

Even if you do only one of these tasks, progress has been made. 

#3: Rewards

Rewarding yourself for a completed task can be excellent motivation. If you're looking forward to something you enjoy, then the work does not seem so difficult or boring. How you reward yourself is entirely up to you. It can even be small items, like a nice cup of coffee, or a short break to watch something on TV. Or perhaps something bigger, like buying that item you’ve been wanting for a while.

Self discipline is important here. Make sure you don't grant yourself the reward until you have actually completed the task. Most times, the reward is much sweeter if you work hard for it.

#4: Your Energy Level

Your energy level and mood has a big impact on getting stuff done. If you’re in a bad mood, or feel tired and lethargic, you'll be a lot less likely to be motivated to do anything.

To quickly improve energy levels, exercise is a must. You don’t have to do anything too strenuous or committed. In fact, doing just 10 pushups or jogging in place for 60 seconds can work wonders, and can be done at practically any time. A morning workout routine that gets the blood pumping can give you a great start to the day.

On a long term basis, other things that dramatically affect your energy levels are sleep and diet. Remember how great you feel after a good nights sleep? It may be that you need to get to bed a little earlier each night to take advantage of this more often.

As for diet, too much processed or sugary foods will cause low energy levels. These types of food can give a slight boost to your energy at first, but you'll "crash" shortly afterward.

Have you ever noticed how tired you feel every day after lunch? Again, drastic changes are not needed -- just try not to go overboard on the sugary or starchy foods, and try to add more fruit, nuts, and veggies to your meals and snacks.

Using even one of the four techniques listed above will help you overcome procrastination, and finally get things done. You’ll be amazed at how the mood can lift once you’ve completed things that have been on the back of your mind for so long, sometimes without you realising!

Music Business Goal Planner (Get it Free)

On Episode #5 of the Music Marketing [dot] Podcast, musician Shannon Kennedy asked about finding a balance between working on music and doing the business tasks that need to be done to grow your career. 

Since then, she has posted her thoughts on Balancing the Business and Creative Aspects of Music as well as designed a free music business planner to help you get clear on your music business goals and start taking action.

In my book, Six-Figure Musician, I talk about the importance of getting clear on your goals. Without clarity, you could end up anywhere. Only when you know what you want can you go after it.

I love Shannon's music business goal planner because of its ability to help you break down large goals into small steps which are more easily managed. This won't take long, maybe an hour or two if you're not already clear on your goals, and will save you hundreds (if not thousands) of future hours by getting you focused.

Want to attain your goals in the quickest way possible? That's where very specific, consistent action comes in...

Get a spiral notebook and write down three "action steps" for each goal that you will take today. Then do the same thing tomorrow and every day.

For example, if one of your goals is "Play 100 gigs this year," every day, write down three action steps that will help you to do this. It will look something like this...

1. Call 3 booking guys and talk about gig opportunities.
2. Make contact with 3 bands about opening gigs.
3. Call 3 people (club owners, managers, bookers, fans) from past gigs to get testimonials for booking video.

NOTE: See Six-Figure Musician for more information about putting together a booking video and how it will help you to get more gigs.

Writing down three action steps for each of your goals on a daily basis will keep your focused on your goals and make the most of your time and energy with activities that are focused on results.

Do it!