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Because I’m sick of spam…read this and learn real Marketing…
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I’m going to give credit to The Capitol Clinic for inspiring me to write this. It’s information I wouldn’t have given up otherwise…even though I’m sick of spam…
This is for people who really are serious about making their career in music. If you ‘just wanna rock’ or ‘just want the fans to hear your music and love you’ or want to ‘get rich or die trying’ you may not want to read this…its not bullshit. This is for people who are willing to listen, do the smart work and EARN it-not for people who want things given to them.
First a story, by way of example…
I had just gotten done picking up a few things at Guitar Center and while I was checking out the guy at the counter turned to me and said-’Dude, what are you doing tonight?’ Before I got a chance to tell him how into my Girlfriend I was he said ‘My band is playing, you should come and check them out.’ I said ‘oh, ok, thanks-maybe I will’ and took the flyer just to get away form the awkward situation.
As I was walking back to my car, I saw a van stopped at the corner. It had some gigantic ad on it (which I immediately ignored-I hate being so blatantly advertised to…). A kid of about 17 stepped out and spotted me and shouted ‘Ay, you like Hip Hop?’ while he extended a CD in my direction. ‘Naw’ I replied (I haven’t like Hip Hop since Biggie was shot by Shuge‘s people). Just like before-he was just someone taking my time and trying to get my money. Sorry, No.
Once I got back to my car, I tossed my stuff in and saw through my passenger side window an older woman huddled up against a building with a cup in her hand. I walked over and gave her two bucks. She smiled and said ‘thank you.’
Why was she the only one who ‘made a sale?’ Because what she needed fit what I wanted (she needed money, I felt saddened by seeing a older person begging for change). I gave up money because of what I wanted to do, not what she wanted me to do-although the two aligned in the end and, not to make light of her situation, but she didn’t have to say or do anything to get the money.
______________________________
Here’s the reality of what I’m trying to say. NO ONE CARES THAT YOU WANT THEM TO BUY YOUR MUSIC. People buy/listen to music because it fits their moods, gives them the feeling they want, aligns them with their perceived identity, gets them laid, etc. You have to align what you’re doing with what they want-NOT what you want.
For example-One of the bands I enjoy is Tool. I also love Rick James and Massive Attack. I enjoy the creativity in the style and arrangement of the music. I like the sounds and the lyrics. None of those statement are about the bands. They are about me. Try it with a band/person who’s music you enjoy. YOU enjoy what they do-you don’t buy it because of them, you buy it because of you.
The biggest mistake I see people making in promoting their music is that they don’t align their needs with your wants.
So here’s where I’m coming from. I have my own service oriented business. I have been through a lot of models and, due to interaction with a lot of people who’ve made a LOT of money (one of my clients bought his Porche with a personal check), I’ve learned a lot about how these things work.
The Rules:
People are self motivated.
There are certain realities of creating products to sell. The primary one is not to confuse YOUR interest with your buyers interest. A close friend of mine once told me ‘no one ever does anything because of you.’ I can‘t think of a truer statement. The minute you’re telling someone that they should check out your music you are making a mistake. Give them a reason to check out your music. That generally will happen when you…
Pre-qualify your audience:
Although you may think everyone will like your music…IT’S JUST NOT TRUE. More than anything, its not useful for you to think that way. Let’s say you are a Hip Hop artist and you’re using the ’Too Short’ street sales approach like the kid I mentioned before (not advised, but whatever…). If you saw some Goth chick in a Korn shirt standing in front of you, she may like Hip Hop, she may not-but we all KNOW that is not half as optimal a situation of seeing a young black male wearing Echo gear in front of you-even if he says no-like I did. Of course, both may like your music, but obviously one is more likely to buy than the other. Depending on the circumstance, you may want to approach both, but creating situation where you have to up-sell (i.e. try to sell product in a difficult situation) is generally not a good call. That time could be spent talking to someone who may fit the situation and be a buyer. I would have advised that kid to place himself at a car stereo store or rims shop-likely where many of his fans would be-before just randomly going up to someone on the street. Had I been in an environment where I heard his music, there would be potential for me to buy (but I wouldn’t be at a rim shop…).
Figure out who your target audience is and focus on getting them, because, like in the Gladwell model that person will likely become a…
Connectors/Mavens: These are the hardcore people we all know who love things so much that they are willing to spend time/money on them. You can find them when you start looking at…
Adjacent services and industries: The more people who relate to the generalities of what you’re producing, the more you can find those audiences you want to find. For example, on my project, working with the legend himself, DJ Quest, I’m also doing pretty extreme (for Djing) MIDI experiments and using the mixer and Turn Tables to control some very cool synths. I also knew that many DJ’s and people who are fans of Turntablism also like graffiti. Graffiti fans tend to also like anime. So I marketed the Karas AMV featuring DJ Quest to DJ fans, anime fans and electronic music fans by looking to where they all congregate: You Tube. I also contacted many people who were the pre-qualified connectors and told them about it, knowing that they would tell others. It only makes sense to promote to all audiences and cross pollinate-Djs , people into synths, people into anime, and people into electronic music. Doing so has already gotten attention from companies who see the benefit in dealing with someone who is innovating-and they will help promote the project even more because of the way we are using their gear. It also generated over 1000 views in a little over a month. Understanding the opportunities like this happen when you understand the…
Context:
This is a big one for me. There is a time and place and way for everything. The minute you run up in someone’s face, or spam them, or leave an ad on the page your are breaking the flow of context. No one likes having someone walk up to them and try to get money from them. No one went to someone else’s page to have you advertise your product. It really isn’t any different than the person who walks up begging for change. Had the woman in the earlier story done what the two guys before her did I probably wouldn’t have given her money. Sad but true.
Now, you can create a context by PROPER PLACEMENT. Creative ideas and thoughtful positioning can help you stand out. Doing what the person next to you is doing is a great way not to stand out. You can start this process by thinking about all the things and industries that surround what you are trying to accomplish. When and where a people going to be receptive? Think about it-there’s many times where you see and hear about things and then checked them out (I just introduced some of you to Malcolm Gladwell , for example) that have nothing to do with you going into a music store or being online. If you are smart about what you do, you can creatively place you work in places where people will check them out and PASSIVELY sell to them…when was the last time you bought a movie soundtrack or a song because you heard it in a movie? That is exactly what I’m talking about.
Be smarter, Be more creative.
Before you tell me you’ve tried all this and it hasn’t worked (if you say that, then we both know you haven’t) or that I’m just bullshitting, think about what I’ve written. If you really don’t get it, or think that spam is the best approach, then I’ll go back to answering my emails from the fans and companies I’m already talking to. The secondary point of this article is to get those of you who haven’t thought about a marketing plan to think about one…I’m not the least bit interested in giving you a plan. I am interested in giving you the foundation for a plan. Which I did a few paragraph ago.
…If you have read this far, you have gotten to the true point of this article.
1) I gave it a title that caught your attention-I’m willing to bet you are an artist and not a fan (I placed it on a site with a subject matter where that would be the case). Welcome to pre-qualification.
2) I challenged you by stating in the beginning ‘if you don’t want to earn it, don’t read this.’ By doing this I either eliminated you or created context where you would be receptive to ideas. Welcome to pre-qualification.
3) I provided stories and evidence of what I was talking about. Welcome to pitching.
4) I briefly mentioned what I am doing , which some of you may check out-and eventually, may buy. Welcome to passive advertising.
5) I introduced you, potentially, to a new resource -which potentially made a sale for him, and/or gave you a sense that I knew what I was talking about. Welcome to retaining and building relationships with adjacent services. Some of you may look to me as a resource in my next blog.
6)…and agree, or disagree-I have presented myself as a Maven and marketed to you-all without saying ’check out my band…!’
…except for that last part. ;-)
…and what did I sell to you? The idea that ‘how’ you market matters as much as what you market. Which is what I was trying to sell to you. Not my band.
Hopefully, you get the point of what I’m trying to say. Thanks for reading…your comments are welcome.
J
This is for people who really are serious about making their career in music. If you ‘just wanna rock’ or ‘just want the fans to hear your music and love you’ or want to ‘get rich or die trying’ you may not want to read this…its not bullshit. This is for people who are willing to listen, do the smart work and EARN it-not for people who want things given to them.
First a story, by way of example…
I had just gotten done picking up a few things at Guitar Center and while I was checking out the guy at the counter turned to me and said-’Dude, what are you doing tonight?’ Before I got a chance to tell him how into my Girlfriend I was he said ‘My band is playing, you should come and check them out.’ I said ‘oh, ok, thanks-maybe I will’ and took the flyer just to get away form the awkward situation.
As I was walking back to my car, I saw a van stopped at the corner. It had some gigantic ad on it (which I immediately ignored-I hate being so blatantly advertised to…). A kid of about 17 stepped out and spotted me and shouted ‘Ay, you like Hip Hop?’ while he extended a CD in my direction. ‘Naw’ I replied (I haven’t like Hip Hop since Biggie was shot by Shuge‘s people). Just like before-he was just someone taking my time and trying to get my money. Sorry, No.
Once I got back to my car, I tossed my stuff in and saw through my passenger side window an older woman huddled up against a building with a cup in her hand. I walked over and gave her two bucks. She smiled and said ‘thank you.’
Why was she the only one who ‘made a sale?’ Because what she needed fit what I wanted (she needed money, I felt saddened by seeing a older person begging for change). I gave up money because of what I wanted to do, not what she wanted me to do-although the two aligned in the end and, not to make light of her situation, but she didn’t have to say or do anything to get the money.
______________________________
Here’s the reality of what I’m trying to say. NO ONE CARES THAT YOU WANT THEM TO BUY YOUR MUSIC. People buy/listen to music because it fits their moods, gives them the feeling they want, aligns them with their perceived identity, gets them laid, etc. You have to align what you’re doing with what they want-NOT what you want.
For example-One of the bands I enjoy is Tool. I also love Rick James and Massive Attack. I enjoy the creativity in the style and arrangement of the music. I like the sounds and the lyrics. None of those statement are about the bands. They are about me. Try it with a band/person who’s music you enjoy. YOU enjoy what they do-you don’t buy it because of them, you buy it because of you.
The biggest mistake I see people making in promoting their music is that they don’t align their needs with your wants.
So here’s where I’m coming from. I have my own service oriented business. I have been through a lot of models and, due to interaction with a lot of people who’ve made a LOT of money (one of my clients bought his Porche with a personal check), I’ve learned a lot about how these things work.
The Rules:
People are self motivated.
There are certain realities of creating products to sell. The primary one is not to confuse YOUR interest with your buyers interest. A close friend of mine once told me ‘no one ever does anything because of you.’ I can‘t think of a truer statement. The minute you’re telling someone that they should check out your music you are making a mistake. Give them a reason to check out your music. That generally will happen when you…
Pre-qualify your audience:
Although you may think everyone will like your music…IT’S JUST NOT TRUE. More than anything, its not useful for you to think that way. Let’s say you are a Hip Hop artist and you’re using the ’Too Short’ street sales approach like the kid I mentioned before (not advised, but whatever…). If you saw some Goth chick in a Korn shirt standing in front of you, she may like Hip Hop, she may not-but we all KNOW that is not half as optimal a situation of seeing a young black male wearing Echo gear in front of you-even if he says no-like I did. Of course, both may like your music, but obviously one is more likely to buy than the other. Depending on the circumstance, you may want to approach both, but creating situation where you have to up-sell (i.e. try to sell product in a difficult situation) is generally not a good call. That time could be spent talking to someone who may fit the situation and be a buyer. I would have advised that kid to place himself at a car stereo store or rims shop-likely where many of his fans would be-before just randomly going up to someone on the street. Had I been in an environment where I heard his music, there would be potential for me to buy (but I wouldn’t be at a rim shop…).
Figure out who your target audience is and focus on getting them, because, like in the Gladwell model that person will likely become a…
Connectors/Mavens: These are the hardcore people we all know who love things so much that they are willing to spend time/money on them. You can find them when you start looking at…
Adjacent services and industries: The more people who relate to the generalities of what you’re producing, the more you can find those audiences you want to find. For example, on my project, working with the legend himself, DJ Quest, I’m also doing pretty extreme (for Djing) MIDI experiments and using the mixer and Turn Tables to control some very cool synths. I also knew that many DJ’s and people who are fans of Turntablism also like graffiti. Graffiti fans tend to also like anime. So I marketed the Karas AMV featuring DJ Quest to DJ fans, anime fans and electronic music fans by looking to where they all congregate: You Tube. I also contacted many people who were the pre-qualified connectors and told them about it, knowing that they would tell others. It only makes sense to promote to all audiences and cross pollinate-Djs , people into synths, people into anime, and people into electronic music. Doing so has already gotten attention from companies who see the benefit in dealing with someone who is innovating-and they will help promote the project even more because of the way we are using their gear. It also generated over 1000 views in a little over a month. Understanding the opportunities like this happen when you understand the…
Context:
This is a big one for me. There is a time and place and way for everything. The minute you run up in someone’s face, or spam them, or leave an ad on the page your are breaking the flow of context. No one likes having someone walk up to them and try to get money from them. No one went to someone else’s page to have you advertise your product. It really isn’t any different than the person who walks up begging for change. Had the woman in the earlier story done what the two guys before her did I probably wouldn’t have given her money. Sad but true.
Now, you can create a context by PROPER PLACEMENT. Creative ideas and thoughtful positioning can help you stand out. Doing what the person next to you is doing is a great way not to stand out. You can start this process by thinking about all the things and industries that surround what you are trying to accomplish. When and where a people going to be receptive? Think about it-there’s many times where you see and hear about things and then checked them out (I just introduced some of you to Malcolm Gladwell , for example) that have nothing to do with you going into a music store or being online. If you are smart about what you do, you can creatively place you work in places where people will check them out and PASSIVELY sell to them…when was the last time you bought a movie soundtrack or a song because you heard it in a movie? That is exactly what I’m talking about.
Be smarter, Be more creative.
Before you tell me you’ve tried all this and it hasn’t worked (if you say that, then we both know you haven’t) or that I’m just bullshitting, think about what I’ve written. If you really don’t get it, or think that spam is the best approach, then I’ll go back to answering my emails from the fans and companies I’m already talking to. The secondary point of this article is to get those of you who haven’t thought about a marketing plan to think about one…I’m not the least bit interested in giving you a plan. I am interested in giving you the foundation for a plan. Which I did a few paragraph ago.
…If you have read this far, you have gotten to the true point of this article.
1) I gave it a title that caught your attention-I’m willing to bet you are an artist and not a fan (I placed it on a site with a subject matter where that would be the case). Welcome to pre-qualification.
2) I challenged you by stating in the beginning ‘if you don’t want to earn it, don’t read this.’ By doing this I either eliminated you or created context where you would be receptive to ideas. Welcome to pre-qualification.
3) I provided stories and evidence of what I was talking about. Welcome to pitching.
4) I briefly mentioned what I am doing , which some of you may check out-and eventually, may buy. Welcome to passive advertising.
5) I introduced you, potentially, to a new resource -which potentially made a sale for him, and/or gave you a sense that I knew what I was talking about. Welcome to retaining and building relationships with adjacent services. Some of you may look to me as a resource in my next blog.
6)…and agree, or disagree-I have presented myself as a Maven and marketed to you-all without saying ’check out my band…!’
…except for that last part. ;-)
…and what did I sell to you? The idea that ‘how’ you market matters as much as what you market. Which is what I was trying to sell to you. Not my band.
Hopefully, you get the point of what I’m trying to say. Thanks for reading…your comments are welcome.
J
Comments
BINGO
Steve
Why the f***, or no I don't care: Why the fuck do artists believe that messages like that will attract anyone???
THE3RDSTREETBUTCHER-I really like some of the points you made. Glad to hear that Mr Clarke is giving back.
Jostel Hason-some good points at the beginning of your comment I want to address-
The thing I find frustrating is that many people don't want to EARN it. I'm all for dreams, I'm just not for BS. I've talked to many of the kids around the SF Bay and (let's just say I'm associated with some people who've had some success so I get a lot of 'how do I make it' questions) and when I talk to them about what they need to do to make their business successful it quickly goes from 'how do I do it?' to 'I just wanna RAWK!'
Much of whatever business savvy or ignorance I have comes from meeting people and LISTENING the answer to the question I asked or the advice they give-not dismissing it. I've gotten a tremendous amount of help because people saw my efforts, because I thought about what I was doing, because I read books on the subject, because I followed up with someone instead of bullshitting.
Now to be clear-I'm not accusing YOU of bullshitting, but today there is more available information than EVER about how to sell-and shit, a lot of it is free. I put links in this blog that will save many a ton of time and trouble I had to go through. All it takes is a little effort.
...and it annoys the crap out of me that people don't try. Luck, as the saying goes, is timing and preparation. Few people really do fall down the stairs to success. Most of the time one succeeds by making good choices and learning from mistakes.
In the end, my whole reason for pre-qualifying the reader was because I want to help people who want to enjoy the reality as oppose to chase the dream. So, for those who'll get it, I'm happy. For those who say they want it and won't spend time learning how it all works cause they want the 'money and the girls' (that is a direct dis to Kid Rock), well, fuck 'em.
Thanks,
J
Your thoughts all lead in the right direction.
To all serious independent artists who would like an
expanded view of how to approach the music industry,
please click on this link -
http://cdbaby.net/tips
The comments on the Blog started to get off topic so I made the executive decision to delete the emerging flaming.
I would love to hear some good comments and idea-I did write this to challenge, hopefully, help people. Let's all keep it in that direction...
Thanks-
J
The first days after I discovered Fuzz I listened to some hundred artists. Finally I found Mackintosh Braun. One of the reasons why I chose to check them out was their pic. I do like their pics and although it's about music, the first impression of an artists here on Fuzz is visual. (I did listen to a lot of artists because I liked their profile pics)
In their case, I loved their music at once and left them a comment. They followed up with a profile comment on my page and asked my to scrobble their music on Last.Fm, too + they did befriend me on Last.Fm.
Currently they do offer their debut album for free on Last.Fm. And I do have an idea why :-)
I did recommend them to other users + groups there.
And since they offered the free downloads I scrobbled their music more often than usual. Cause I love to support them and I do love their music (I actually did listen, not only play their songs)