Music Marketing [dot] com

One Way to Get Something Done...

If you've been reading this blog or following me on Twitter for a while, you may know that I've been working on new book for the last year. I'm really close to being done, with maybe 10,000 words to go, but as I get closer, I find that I'm running into more resistance.

In short, it's getting harder and harder to write.

Have been working with a business coach for the last year and talked to him about this earlier today. His solution was something called a "punitive nudge."

So I've just written out several $250 checks to Westboro Baptist Church and sent them to him. If I miss a day of writing, he mails one.

And I'm not going to let that happen...

Which means the book will be available very soon.

More details:

1. The book will be called $100,000 Musician. It will show you what it takes to be one.
   
   
2. It will be available here, free of charge. Subscribe to the feed to make sure you don't miss it.
   
   
3. Within the next month, I will be looking for a select number of musicians to look over a pre-release copy and provide me with feedback on what needs to be added or expanded on. If you're interested getting a jump on everybody and helping me to make this book great, subscribe to the feed to make sure you see the announcement. 

11 Big Ideas by Derek Sivers of CD Baby

As I mentioned earlier this month, Derek Sivers has a new book on business called Anything You Want. I highly recommend it for any musician or entrepreneur.

Here are some of the big ideas it contains...

1. Business is not about money. It's about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.


2. Making a company is a great way to improve the world while improving yourself.


3. When you make a company, you make a utopia. It's where you design your perfect world.


4. Never do anything just for the money.


5. Don't pursue business just for your own gain. Only answer the calls for help.


6. Success comes from persistently improving and inventing, not from persistently promoting what's not working.


7. Your business plan is moot. You don't know what people really want until you start doing it.


8. Starting with no money is an advantage. You don't need money to start helping people.


9. You can't please everyone, so proudly exclude people.


10. Make yourself unncessary to the running of your business.


11. The real point of doing anything is to be happy, so do only what makes you happy.

And here is one of the stories in audio/video form...

Sound good? Get the book now!

2 Must-Read Books for Musicians

Two new books I think you should know about...

1. Guerrilla Music Marketing Online - 129 Free and Low-Cost Strategies to Promote and Sell Your Music on the Internet

This is the latest book by Bob Baker, the king of marketing music on a budget. It's full of great ideas on how to stretch your promotion dollar.

The book is laid out in five sections...

1. Laying the Foundation for Online Music Promotion
2. Creating a Highly Effective Artist Web Site 
3. Promoting Your Music Across the Internet 
4. Making the Most of Social Media and the Interactive Web 
5. Powerful Music-Specific Sites & Online Services You Need to Know About 

If you're looking to sell more music, get more people to your shows, and have a greater online presence, you absolutely should check this out. It's not a magic bullet, but a simple plan for you to follow that, if you do, will get you results in the form of more attention (and money) for your music.

2. Anything You Want

This is the new book by Derek Sivers of CD Baby fame and it's being released later this month on Seth Godin's "Domino Project" imprint with Amazon.

Here's a "secret spy photo" of some promotion material that I got from last week's BookExpo in NYC...

While it's not specifically about the music business, it is about creating the life you want, which is probably one of the reasons that you're a musician.

From the official product description...

"HIS STORY IS YOUR STORY. When anyone can start a business (when everyone is running their career like a business), it begs a question. This is your one chance at life, you can have anything you want, what is worth doing? Most people don't know why they're doing what they're doing. They imitate others, go with the flow, and follow paths without making their own. They spend decades in pursuit of something that someone convinced them they should want, without realizing that it won't make them happy. Anything You Want is a manifesto about living life, appreciating enough, and doing what matters. It's most of what fabled entrepreneur Derek Sivers learned in ten years of starting and growing a small business, compacted into something you can read in an hour and a half. A life worth living starts with knowing your personal philosophy of what makes you happy and what's worth doing. LET'S GET STARTED."

New Music Business Book - Coming 2/22

My new book on the music business, or more specifically, how musicians and bands can make more money in the music business, will be released on 2/22. I've decided to distribute it here, free of charge.

As you know, because you're experiencing it, the music business is changing at a very fast pace.  What was working a year ago isn't working now.  And what is working now probably won't work next year. Because of this, it's very important to stay on top of things.

What's happening right now is like a wave in the ocean.  You can ride it, going with its momentum, and have a lot of fun, or you can stand where you are, which is what many people in the music business are doing, and get clobbered.

You, yes you, are important to me.  You're the reason I've been able to do this since 1995.  And I care about your music business career and what it's headed...

I've got some "big ideas" for the music industry that I've developed from over 15 years of working with musicians, labels, and music business companies of all levels that I think will help you.  This new book will allow me to quickly and effectively get these ideas into your hands, so you can implement them right away.

I'll post more thoughts on this project over the next few days, including how you can get your ideas for the book to me, just to be sure I cover what you need to know.  For now, I hope you'll go to 2/22 on your calendar and make a note to visit me that day.

Old school?  Like to read "real" books?  Got you covered...

About a year ago, I released a general marketing book called Never Leave Money on the Table - How to Grow Any Business and Get Really Rich with 10 Simple Marketing Strategies that is full of "big ideas" to grow your business.  It's not specifically for the music industry, but it will will help your music business.

It's likely my new music business book will receive the same treatment eventually, but as I mentioned earlier, with things changing so rapidly, I want to get this information to you ASAP and feel distributing an electronic version via this web site is the best way to do that.

More soon...

How to Write a Hit Song (and Sell Anything)

As a marketing guy, I think it's really important to "keep tabs" on how the people I market to think and feel. If you want to sell something, you've got to understand the people you want to sell to and why they do what they do.

This is especially important for songwriters.  To write a song people will love and relate to, you've got to know your audience like you know yourself.  What are their biggest dreams?  What are their biggest fears?

This is why Taylor Swift is killing it right now.  She is her audience.

But what happens if you're not your audience?  For that, I suggest going where your audience goes, reading what they read, etc.

Hank Williams did this.  Merle Kilgore, perhaps best known as the writer of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", once said this about him...

"He would read True Romance comic books. My sister had True Romance comic books, and I'd say, `What do you read those sissy comic books for, Hank?' And he said, `Sissy, hell! Where do you think I get my ideas from? Listen to this line, `Why I can't I free your doubtful mind and melt your cold, cold heart.'"

And what happens when you lose touch?

Like it or not, as evolving people, we all do...eventually.  And as musicians, one of the worst things that can happen career-wise is for us to forget what it's like to be a fan of music.

As a musician, it can be difficult to think back to a time when you didn't play music, but wanted to.  Or maybe just thinking back to a time when music was something more to you than a way to make a living is tough. 

Does this sound like you?  If so, I highly recommend that you check out The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz.

This book will take you into the mind of a "superfan" who has a life centered around music-- exactly the kind of fan you want and should be reaching out to!

By the way, Yvonne Prinz is the owner of Amoeba Music, the world's largest independent record store.  So the knows a little something about music buyers...

I found out about this book from my friend Wendy, who is in the publishing business and has a blog dedicated to young adult fiction.  She did an interview with Yvonne Prinz, which I've linked below.

Get The Vinyl Princess on Amazon.com

How do you stay in touch with the needs of your fans?  Post thoughts below...

How to Put Together a Great Band

There is a Kroger in my neighborhood and every time I go in, there is a woman inside the front doors who says, "Hello, sir!  Do you need a cart?"

Every time, I say, "No, just a basket."

And she says, "They're to your left."

Then the person behind be walks in and has a similar experience.

The chick is so friendly, it's noticable...especially when it's not uncommon to have an "interaction" with somebody who is more or less the opposite of her, not caring whether you can find what you're looking for, if you're having an issue with the automatic checkout system, or anything else other than personal drama or whatever happened on cable television the night before.

I've often though, "The guy hiring this lady did his job."  Whoever is in charge there noticed her talent and friendly demeanor and put her in the perfect place.  She's both the first and last person people interact with when they visit the store.

You'd probably think the same thing and say to yourself, "I'm going to do that with the people I hire for my band," but how many times have you had problems with the people you hired for your band?  It's not as easy as great managers make it seem.

All too often, musicians are hired based on musical talent.  The person doing the hiring thinks, "I can train them to do everything else that we need, like booking shows, or selling merch, or maintaining our website."

And you can...but it's an uphill battle. 

People like the woman greeting people at Kroger aren't "trained."  They act the way they do because it's who they are. 

So how do you find them?

I highly recommend Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh for some good ideas about bringing in people who are naturally gifted and ready to go from day one.

If you're not already familar with who Tony Hsieh is, the quick and dirty is that he's the CEO of Zappos.com.  And if you're not familar with Zappos.com, you really owe it to yourself to check out what they're doing in terms of being a kick ass business.  They do about $1 billion/year in revenue, were recently aquired by Amazon, and customers are crazy about them.

Wikipedia entry on Zappos.

Back to the book and Tony's hiring practices...

Employees of Zappos have to go through two interviews-- one for technical skills and another for "culture" fit.  In other words, the company wants people who are not only going to be able to do thing like operate a computer and phone (or whatever Zappos employees do); they want people who are going to be a good match for getting along with Zappos' employees and customers.

I advise you to hire with a similar process...and it's beyond "liking" the person.  We like people who are just like we are and that's not always the best match either.

Get the book for more details.

In addition to learning about building a great culture and hiring good people, this is also a great book for those who want inspiration for going after their dreams.  The things this guy had to do in order to make this company happen are nothing short or amazing.

This to me is the most fascinating part of the book and one I think most every musician will relate to.  There is a lot about Tony's personal struggles of taking Zappos from a "company" that started out purchasing shoes from local retail stores, just like the average person would do, as orders came in, to the "wholly owned subsidiary" of Amazon that it is today.

If you want a very inspiring story about a guy who believed in his "big idea" so much that he was willing to invest a ton of his own money, sell his house at a big loss to keep the lights on, buy out the board to put customers first, and do whatever it took to keep the company moving forward, this is a great read.  It's very personable and like hanging out with the guy; a nice break from most business books.

Want some of that attitude to rub off on you?  Get the book!

And now for some stories on the people you've hired for your band... Post them below!

New "Customer Service" Book by Micah Solomon of Oasis CD

Micah Solomon, best known as the founder of Oasis CD Manufacturing, has just released "Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five Star Customer Service Organization." This book was co-written by hospitality wizard Leonardo Inghilleri.

If you've ever manufactured CDs with Oasis, you know the customer service you get there.  What you may not know is that this is something that will help you to grow your music career.

Yes, bands and musicians need good customer service skills also.

Customer service skills have put companies like Nordstrom and Zappos.com on the map. This is a business strategy that can do the same for you and your music.

Since Micah is a friend of mine, I've got a special deal for you...

TODAY - if you order “Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit: The Secrets of Building a Five Star Customer Service Organization,” you’ll also receive $1000s of bonus gifts like podcasts, white papers, and online training to help you grow your music business. Topics include customer service, sales, marketing and professional development. Buy your copy today at www.micahsolomon.com/booklaunch.

The $18,000,000 Lemonade Stand

Just released a new book called Never Leave Money on the Table - How to Grow Any Business and Get Really Rich with 10 Simple Marketing Strategies. This isn't a book about music, it's a book about business.  More specifically, it's a book about how you can grow your business and make more money with it.  Same business, more money.

The book focuses on 10 principles and how you can use them to get more customers, generate more money, and do more of what you love.  If you're already doing these things, this book will show you to to do them better and more efficiently.

Scared of business?  Many musicians are...and those musicians are broke.

Don't worry!  I've got you covered.  I've broken everything down into something even a child could understand.  Ever run a lemonade stand?  If so, you're good...

Enterprise is alive and well in places you'd least expect and for most people, the "lemonade stand" is where it starts.  You can read a million and one books on small-business principles or how to start your own company, but these 10 basic concepts of running a successful business all trace back to the processes involved in setting up a child's lemonade stand.

It may sound simple, but it's a fact. People of all ages launch new enterprises each year and most fail, but some individuals succeed in the most extraordinary ways by executing basic business concepts well.

Take the case of 4-year-old cancer patient Alexandra Scott. While the average child may make anywhere from $5 to $50 selling lemonade on a hot day, Alexandra, or "Alex" to her friends and family, announced she was going to start a lemonade stand to help her doctors find a cure for cancer. She proceeded to raise more than $1 million for childhood cancer research. Her family, including her older brother, set up the first lemonade stand on their front lawn in July 2000.

Alex died in 2004 at the age of 8, but her lemonade stand didn't end with her death. Her family and supporters created Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation™, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, which has since raised more than $18 million.

There are countless other successful small-business owners who know that when the world hands you lemons, you can still make lemonade—or orange juice, in the case of John M. Fox. Even after the military cancelled a contract for 500,000 pounds of powdered orange juice in 1945, John put the power of marketing basics to work for him by going door-to-door with a cooler full of ice and orange juice concentrate, serving free product samples to housewives. Thanks to his efforts, today we can enjoy fresh juices from frozen concentrate because of it, and without them there wouldn't be a Minute Maid® brand today.

So what are these basic concepts that can lead to extraordinary success? It all comes down to 10 simple practices:

1. Give the People What They Want With a Great Marketing Strategy. Decide which product or service to sell, show it to them, convince them to buy it, and charge them for it.
   
   
2. Leverage Your Investments With Other Investments. Use what you have to get more of what you want or need to run your business.
   
   
3. Dominate the Herd. Nature is no fool. While there are plenty of followers, there are few leaders to avoid disrupting the direction of the herd. Leaders determine the direction the herd. Learn what it means to take the lead and succeed.
   
   
4. Farm Your Cash Cows. When one part of your business brings in more profits than any other part of your business, you have what is referred to as a "cash cow." The problem with cash cows is that you have to know when to feed them, when to milk them, and when to kill them in order to keep your business profitable.
   
   
5. Nix Perfection. Perfection leaves little room for innovation. The fact is, believing something is perfect kills innovation. Learn to love failure and embrace the opportunity for greater potential that imperfection brings.
   
   
6. Focus on Your Customers. No matter how good your lemonade, hot chocolate sells better than cold drinks in winter. Learn to listen to your customers so you can understand what they truly want from you, and not what you want to sell to them.
   
   
7. Plan Ahead. The only thing constant in life is change, so be prepared for it. Planning doesn't necessarily mean ordering supplies. It can also mean embracing the unexpected.
   
   
8. Instill a Sense of Ownership. Good managers and successful entrepreneurs know that people are more likely to support projects, decisions and businesses that they have a hand or a say-so in creating. It's that simple.
   
   
9. Duplicate Yourself. When a concept, business, product or service works, duplicate it. Hire additional people, automate, license or franchise—or you're still working just for wages.
   
   
10. Fuel Anticipation. Prime the market by building tension and participation in your markets. Anything yearned for has a higher value when it's finally obtained.

These 10 basic "Lemonade Principles" go beyond simple lemons, water, sugar, a table, some paper cups and a sign that reads: "Lemonade – 50 cents a glass." Yet, for many small businesses, especially musicians and songwriters, that's exactly how they see themselves—a product, a price and a place to hang their sign. But it's not that easy. To be successful at selling lemonade, or anything else for that matter, you've got to know, understand and follow these 10 basic principles.

Want more? Get the book at Amazon.com for under $10.

Banned Books and the Music Business

We're in the middle of "Banned Book Week" and this quote just came across my desk...

"Don't join the book burners.  Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed.  Don't be afraid to go to your library and read every book..." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

This got me thinking about the music business and how some of the "powers that be" are handling the issue of new technology.  Rather than look at the good it can do, they see the problems-- file sharing, piracy, etc.

You don't have to agree with something to learn from it.  And denying it's a problem will only delay your ability to turn that problem into an opportunity.

For every "problem" file sharing has caused, there have been multiple opportunities...

Let's take a look at basic distribution to press outlets, for example...

How much did it used to cost to get somebody a quality copy of your music?  How long did it take?  How many trees, pieces of plastic, and people were involved to make it happen?

File sharing changed the way the game is played and made distribution better.  For example, let's say I'm doing a last minute interview for Music Business Radio and need to get some broadcast quality music and more info on the act I'm talking to be prepared for it... 

Current technology will let that happen within minutes...not hours or even days.  And this opens up a lot of opportunity to do things, where there might not have been time before.

And taking that same concept of a "digital copy" that can be sent anywhere, almost instantly, think about how you connect with fans.  In the old days, you'd have to go through a writer, who would have to deal with an editor, who would have to deal with a printing deadline, and then work with the postal service to get your message to your fans.  Not only would it take a while, you'd also have the limitations of space, with only so much paper and ink available to you.

These days, it's not a problem.  You can set up a web page, or go on Twitter, or do any number of things which will get your message out, as you intend it, almost instantly.  And since it's in a digital format, you don't have the "lack of space" issues you once had.  Just keep typing until you run out of things to say...

Or post an audio clip, so people can hear what you're saying and really get a sense for the emotion behind it.  Or maybe video is more your style...

And think of how much less this new method costs?

Bottom line is that there is good in everything.  Focus on the opportunities and make the technology work for you.  Learn about it, even the "bad" stuff like file sharing, so you can use it to your advantage.  If you don't you're going to be left behind by somebody who is.

How are you using technology to advance your music business career?  Post thoughts below...