Music Marketing [dot] com

Need More Web Traffic?

Just got back from Washington, DC, where I was hanging out with a bunch of search engine guys talking about web traffic.

There guys are so smart, you wouldn't believe it... in fact, just one of the tools they gave me was worth the entire trip.

And I'm going to share that with you guys...

This is a co-op program which will harness the power of THOUSANDS of sites and have them all link to you. It's quite amazing how it works.

And it's free... You simply have to put some code on your page.

You should check this out right away. If you don't understand the technical aspects, join up, get the code, and send it to your webmaster.

Your site will get traffic like crazy before you know it...

Get Information Here

The "T" in Tour Merchandise Stands For T-shirt

by Gigi Swanson

MusicDish Network Sponsor

When you think of tour merchandise you might envision major label artists playing large arenas and selling everything from tie-dye T -shirts, bumper stickers, embroidered baseball caps and in the case of the Rolling Stone's famed Voodoo Lounge tour‹a custom motorcycle.

But even if you are an independent artist you can run your business like the big acts by utilizing an added revenue stream source‹custom merchandise. As an artist/performer you are selling an experience and fans will buy a souvenir of that experience in the form of a CD, clothing, buttons, posters, etc. As music fans we have all come home with something more tangible than a ticket stub and it's usually something we can wear.

The custom wearables market has plenty to choose from, but let's focus on the long held wardrobe staple---the T-shirt. What better promotion is there than a walking billboard to advertise who you are and what you do. It's generally inexpensive to produce and if made with good-quality materials it can last a very long time. But better than that, there is a healthy margin of profit in the sales of wearables, which can at least offset or even cover your travel expenses.

You can package CDs with a T ­shirt for an "added value" sales incentive such as offering them "half off" with a CD purchase. You can use them as door prizes or as a thank you for the sound guy or the waitress at the clubs you play. The same applies for coffeehouse, church and house concert gigs. Even when you play for free you can earn money and build goodwill and name recognition.

Don't think selling T- shirts is for more visible and established acts. If you are playing out and selling CDs you can sell shirts. But before you jump in, here are a few pointers to make your promotional dollars work for you.

The most popular T- shirt is the basic crew neck. Not only is it low in cost, it's a style people are familiar with. As far as color options are concerned, the sky is the limit with the least expensive being the standard white, then the heathers/naturals, and then the darker colors. Besides the basic tee, you can branch out with different styles such as '70s retro ringer tees, baseball raglan tees and new styles made for women such as scoop necks, baby-doll tees, and the new layered looks.

I prefer 100% cotton heavyweight Tees in the 6.0 oz range for long term durability. Brands such as Gildan, Hanes, and Jerzees have been common favorites for years. Heavier fabric is knitted tighter which enables a better screen print, especially when using detail and four color process. Plus they are typically cut larger and hold up better with multiple washings. But you must think of the tastes of the end user and the image you are trying to promote. That's where fashion often comes in. Knowing your audience is key.

For example, one of my Rap group clients goes for the extra large size heavier weight tees, whereas a rock group client sells mostly light weight, smaller tight fitting "alternative" tees. They cost more but the look they achieve supports their brand image. Check out the on-line stores of different recording artists to get a sense of what fans are buying and to see what might work with your audience.

What makes your T-shirt sell isn't the style, its size or color but its logo design. Logo art needs to be readable and convey the image you want to promote, but keep in mind it should be something a person will want to wear.

When it comes to printing logos, you can opt for gel, sugar-glitter, suede, reflective, metallic, glow in the dark, and ink in one color and up to 12 colors.

Screen printing using one color ink in one position on the shirt is the most economical. You have to pay for an art screen with each color you use as well as for any extra handling of the shirt. That includes flipping it over to print on a different side. Some artwork may require added film screens to replicate more complicated designs. So keep it simple if you can. If you have to go with a certain "look" make sure you get a thorough quote before you proceed.

Your logo art needs to be in a graphic format generally saved as an eps file. Many imprinters charge an hourly rate to prepare art that isn't standard or isn't vector art for more complicated designs. Most printers carry standard Pantone Colors but also offer color-matching inks for an added charge.

How many T shirts should you buy? The real price breakpoints in the industry start at 144 units, but that amount isn't practical for everyone. You can find reasonable shirts at the 72-unit range or even less if you plan it right. Funds still short? I know of some bands that purchased co-op shirts with another band or with a sponsor such as a local nightclub. They basically sold space on the shirt to share or subsidize the cost and helped promote their partners at the same time.

If you can get your shirts for under $5 and sell them in the $10-15 range you will see a quick return on your investment. When I taught music business classes, I used to illustrate the power of selling tour merchandise to my students this way: A typical major label recording artist might make a little over $1 off the sale of a CD . He would have to sell five CDs or more to make the same margin off the sale of one basic T- shirt. That's why some of the major labels have affiliated merchandise companies as an added revenue stream for themselves.

Tour or gig merchandise can be incorporated in your overall marketing plan. It fits right in with preparing press kits, driving traffic to your website, getting people in the door and selling CDs. The right product will promote you long after the gig.

Keep an eye out for future articles on more promotional products. Trucker hats anyone?

Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2005 - Republished with Permission

Marketing to Kids

1. Do what's good for your audience without lecturing.

The Wiggles don't resort to After School Special messages. You want to know about the value of a healthy diet? Have some fruit salad! Exercise? Let's get up and "Romp Bomp a Stomp," or dance and play, with Dorothy! Let's do the pirate dance with Captain Feathersword and run after the Wiggles in their big red car. The songs do what songs, dance and theater were designed to do originally: pass on knowledge. They do this in a fun, clever, colorful, eye-catching way. The three Wiggles (Murray, Jeff and Greg) that have ECE (Early Childhood Education) degrees, and children of their own, know kids can understand what's beneficial for them without being spoon-fed. And Jeff... well, sleepy Jeff shows everyone the value of a good nap.

2. Find a way to include everybody and you'll reap the rewards.

Jeff, who doesn't hold an ECE degree, was shy about getting involved with kids, according to a Knight-Ridder article, "If you have small kids, get ready to Wiggle" by Rod Harmon. Greg, Anthony and Murray devised Jeff's constant sleeping and the running gag of asking the kids who participate in the videos and TV show to shout "Wake up, Jeff!" This has become so popular that there is actually a Wiggles video, "Wake Up, Jeff!" From the first Wiggles video to the current videos, you can see Jeff become more and more involved with the children, singing, dancing and playing, although he is quieter than the other three. Kids are always attracted to someone who's slightly different, and Jeff stands out even when dancing with a big green dinosaur eating roses and a purple dancing octopus. The other three Wiggles seem to encourage his uniqueness. From all the videos, CDs, and Jeff dolls they're selling, the approach works! When Wiggles doubles tour America, Jeff will be mobbed by kids too young to go nuts over Justin Timberlake.

3) Keep it live and stay in contact.

The Wiggles could get away with doing DVDs, TV shows and albums for their adoring fans the rest of their lives. But all of them are used to interacting. Murray, Greg and Anthony expected to be teachers. Jeff and Anthony played to crowds as members of the Cockroaches. They include real-life children, including members of their own families (as you see in the credits of their videos and DVDs), in their videos and talk to them. In one scene of "Hoop Dee Doo! It's a Wiggly Party," several children make emu skirts while one of the Wiggles talks to them. Undoubtedly, the Wiggles' live shows are no different, including the versions in Asia that will feature local native speakers as Wiggles clones ("The Wide World of Wiggles," Feb. 6, Newsweek Web exclusive). Even Dorothy has her own dance party on tour. Whether you send a giant green dinosaur with a floppy white hat or show up yourself, don't underestimate the value of making contact and getting involved. It's fun to run and jump around with kids, too (no wonder Anthony, who's always eating, stays thin!)

4) Don't follow the crowd or the market.

Most American non-Disney non-Nick Jr non-PBS kids' shows seem designed as 22-minute commercials for action figures or dolls, as well as ways to keep kids passively entertained. The traditional wisdom has been: Kids will be bored if there's no slam-bang action and there will be no way to make money out of doing something that's good for them. The Wiggles have proved this false. Kids dance and sing along with Jeff, Murray, Greg, Anthony, and friends, rather than sitting eating the sugary food du jour and mindlessly watching some freaky green monster get zapped only to reappear in the next episode. With an epidemic of diabetes mellitus and obesity in American kids, the Wiggles' approach is not only positive, but continues to breed success for the multicolored four.

The Wiggles themselves doubted there would be an audience for helping children learn through music and dance. A booking agent told them there would be no money in it, but they stuck to their guns, and became wildly popular in Australia. The United States was next and they now are the second highest-rated show on Playhouse Disney, with sold-out tours this summer---they have even to add second and third shows in many cities.

5) Getting international or multicultural isn't that hard.

The Wiggles don't need a multicultural sensitivity training class. After all, when your friends are a singing dog, a rose-eating dinosaur and an octopus with an underwater band, you don't have a problem with diversity. They regularly include Australian, Irish, Spanish, and other songs in their act. The franchise is expanding to Asia. If you think that this TV show doesn't sound like a likely hit in Japan, you've never seen "Pokemon" or anime, or the old classic "Ultraman."

6) Stay true to your roots.

There's no doubt that Murray, Jeff, Greg and Anthony are Australian (again, four American guys would not do what they do), although Dorothy sounds a bit more British. Songs such as "Willaby Wallaby Woo" speak to their down-under heritage, and you don't see them suddenly moving into a mansion in Malibu, pretending they're wealthy Hollywood Yanks with no family or kids.

7) Your family life only enhances your work and your passion.

Three of the Wiggles are married, Jeff apparently being too sleepy to settle down, although before Anthony married he was voted Australia's most eligible bachelor. These mates have built their career around children, and as noted in point 3, regularly include their own families in their videos. The family that eats fruit salad and romp-bomp-a-stomps together, stays together. If you give joy to millions of kids, it can't help having a lasting positive effect on your family.

Does all this inspire you to Wiggle, to get up and dance? You probably will if you have kids. But let it inspire you to follow your passion in your work, your family, and your life. Learn from those four career consultants, Greg, Murray, Jeff, and Anthony. And hey, eat some fruit salad. You need your health, mate.

Movie reviewer/screenwriter Kristin Johnson composes personalized poems, speeches, toasts, vows, and family memories. Visit www.poemsforyou.com to order your personalized memories.

Help Wanted

Wasn't going to mention it here, but put a post on Berklee College of Music's job board and have been getting tons of emails and calls, so I might as well...

I need an administrative person to run my office.

Think you might want to work for me? Know this...

I'm not easy to work for. If you're used to working a job and just collecting a check for showing up, don't bother applying. I pay people for results.

In the past, I've taken a chance on folks who didn't perform. Those people were fired.

Because of this, I want to get you on part-time so we can see if we work well together. If it works out, I'll bring you on full-time. And if not, you'll be gone.

Read more about what I'm looking for and then take a look at Joe Taylor's Internship No-No's.

I shouldn't have to tell you this, but you'll have a better chance of working for me if you understand my philosophy on business. You may find it helpful to get one of my books (see the right hand column of this site). Like audio books? My new title is currently being given away free of charge.

More Traffic to Your Web Site - Part 2

Spent my day in a Washington, DC conference room hanging out with a group of search engine super nerds. And I've got something good for you...

You definitely owe it to yourself to look into the Digital Point Link Co-Op because this thing is AMAZING! It leverages your traffic and will get you HUNDREDS of links from various sites within the network. This is totally free, by the way.

And for those of you who missed my earlier mention, there is a great course called Traffic Secrets that I've found really helpful. In fact, I liked it so much that you'll see my testimonial on the site!

Meeting Customer Expectations

As I was in the airport today waiting for my flight, I was next to a gate for Southwest. For those that don't know, Southwest doesn't issue reserved seats like most airlines. Instead, ticket-holders are issued one of three boarding groups, each of which lines up before the flight. It's very similar to general admission seating at concerts.

And as I was waiting for my flight, I watched maybe 200 people standing in line, each hoping to above being sandwiched between two 6'7" fat guys and behind a screaming kid.

I was on a Southwest flight yesterday...and I was one of those people. And it sucked...

Today, I was flying US Airways. I got to the gate, which had about three agents, each of which were trying to get the people to their flights via several automated check-in systems. Not a great process for those who don't like automation, but it worked great for me.

Got to the gate and noticed the same agents who were working the ticket booth were also working that area. I knew US Airways was in bad financial shape, but found this interesting.

How can an airline like Southwest be making hand-over-fist money while almost every other airline is going broke? Ticket holders line up like cattle waiting to be slaughtered, the leg room is non-existent, and you're lucky if you get peanuts as your in-flight meal.

Even the full-service, "here's a hot towel, sir" guys can't compete. Why?

You could argue that people are cheap and want to save money, but there is something more than that. I'd argue that it's because Southwest does a good value of managing customer expectations.

When you fly Southwest, you know you're going to have to line up like cattle, you know the flight crew will crack jokes, and you know you're going to be short on legroom. And when you know, you can deal with those things.

US Airways though, while there was no problem for me today, tries to position itself as a more "classy" operation. And people expect more. So when flights are delayed or some other problem comes along, people get pissed.

This is something to think about when dealing with club owners, fans, and anybody else you come in contact with. People are fine with delays on the new album, a rhythm section that can't keep time, and just about anything you can dish at them, but you have to let them know what to expect.

It's For You...

As if mobile phones weren't annoying before, we've now got Real Ringtones and everybody has something more annoying than the next person. And when one goes off, it enough to make you want to go over to the guy and smash his face in.

But as a musician, you should be happy. This is huge business. And not only can you make good money from ringtones, they're also a great viral marketing tool.

History of the Bar Code

Thought this was a really interesting story. I think it does a good job of showing the lengths that people who have a good idea will go to in order to make it happen.

It begins in 1932 as an ambitious project conducted by a small group of students headed by Wallace Flint at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. The project proposed that customers select desired merchandise from a catalog by removing corresponding punched cards from the catalog. These punched cards were then handed to a checker who placed the cards into a reader. The system then pulled the merchandise automatically from the storeroom and delivered it to the checkout counter. A complete customer bill was produced and inventory records were updated.

Modern bar code began in 1948. Bernard Silver, a graduate student at Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia, overheard the president of a local food chain asking one of the deans to undertake research to develop a system to automatically read product information during checkout. Silver told his friend Norman Joseph Woodland about the food chain president's request. Woodland was a twenty seven year old graduate student and teacher at Drexel. The problem fascinated Woodland and he began to work on the problem.

More Bar Code History

Want More People to Buy Your CD?

Almost every act I do work for is looking to increase the number of people who sign up for their mailing list. And those who aren't are looking to increase the number of albums they sell.

Here is an easy way to do it...

I want you to take a look at this video. I think the whole thing is maybe a minute (probably less), so defintely make sure you get to the end of it because that is what I want you to see.

One of the MOST POWERFUL things you can do in marketing is to tell your prospect EXACTLY what you want them to do. Believe it or not, the people coming to your site cannot read your mind. Because of this, you need to explain to them what you want.

Do you want them to sign up for your list?

Do you want them to buy your album?

Do you want them to come to your show?

Amanda, the woman in the video, wants you to sign up for her mailing list, so watch how she does it.

You would do the same thing!!

And if you want more people to go to CD Baby and buy your CD, you can get them to do that also. Whatever you want!

These guys are selling a service which lets you do this with a webcam. You can try it out for $1. Or you can do the same thing on your own, if you have the right tools.

Regardless of what you do, make sure you get video up on your site to take advantage of every visitor that is coming to your site.

Amazon Offers Free Downloads

Amazon has free music downloads, updating with different songs every 6 hours.

Free Downloads from Amazon.com