Market and Manage your music online

I am still working on doing up my sites. Man, why does it take me so long?

Because looking good is a branding thing, which is super important for musicians - to look cool, basically - but it matters more that a site actually works. It moves fans, customers, whatever you want to call them, from interest, to action.

Remove the friction. What do you want them to do? Make it easy as possible for them to get there, just like farmers herding the livestock through the gates - if you’re a sheep, it’s pretty obvious going forward is the way to go, why think about it?

this is how you’ve got to see your site to make it work, getitng your fans from a to b - getting the outcome that’s within your means - rather than just another thing that people just come and look at and leave and never come back.

See if I’m going to spend money on making my websites look better - mainly because it sends the message that I must be doing something right because I can afford to have this stuff - well I want to get it right! But it’s not just about impressing people, it’s about conveying a message about your music and brand is about. Who it’s for.

So if I’m rehauling my blog theme what would I be thinking about including? It’s really a lot of the same principals as your website. The visitor arrives, they GET the vibe of the site, if they care, they want the goods. Where’s the music? Where’s the video?

If they don’t, well . . . they’re gone.

But I want the music player and the video right there, perhaps even in the header. Maybe for an artists blog you do need a huge header. The sign up is also important.

Remember I always talk about outcomes, what do you want to achieve when a visitor comes to your site?

- sign up to email to secure an ongoing communication channel
- downloads some music so they leave your site with a seed, with some of your music that can be shared, so that more people hear your music without you haveing to find them
- connect with you on a social media channel
- watch your video or listen to songs to further build experience
- be aware of the music and content you have for sale
- advertising
- links to more reading material, blogs, archive material should they want to research deeper content, if it’s available

That’s interesting. Don’t discount video as a great way to explain and show fans what to do and how they can help.

But what about aesthetically, what would you include and consider, so that it actually looks cooler?

- navigation menu
- video
- twitter/blog feeds?
- music player / download
- email sign up

I think these last two are particularly important because they should stand out. This fits with what I was saying earlier - your outcomes - you want to open the communication channel or at least plant some music on them before they leave.

So therefore the places where email sign ups and music appear should lead the eye. Think about how your design hits the eye, this is crucial.

A big impressive picture of the artist and how awesome they are is pretty important. Convey enough information so fans aren’t just left wondering what you’re all about. But then it doesn’t necessarily have to be of the artist, although it really should - it’s about the power and space a big strong image can create.

It makes me think, reusing and remixing old images to make up obscure pages should be a go. I love deconstructing and mashing up my own artifacts.

Loading your pictures and visual full of clout also helps you focus your vision on the websites outcomes, about what you’re doing and saying to fans.

The front of your website may be all about new fans - because only fans who are really into it are going to start digging deeper.

- Listen to the music, download free music, and buy official releases, access comprehensive

- See videos and photos that make me look really cool and awesome

- enter the archive for biographical information varying in their exhaustiveness - perhaps the front of the archive could give the visitor options - do they just want the basic rundown, the media version, an in depth historical overview, or the exhaustive blow by blow details of your journey to creative emergence? There’s advantages in communicating when you tailor the message for specific audiences in this way.

- read the rambling blog/journal for updates and random expositions of theory - how you want to use your blog is really up to you. Theory and philosophy is important to what I do as an artist so I style my blog as a sparring session for seeing what strange ideas stick

- contact / bookings - now this is important from a business point of view - making your propositions explicit. You’ll never get an offer to perform if you don’t make the effort to make people aware of your costs, conditions, and what kind of services you can offer. I plan on treating my bokking/contacts page as a sandpit also, where I can offer performing services.

So that’s just 5 basic links.

Sure I want my social media connections there, and links to my labels, radio show, and general music partners.

And then there’s the content - music, video, and you might add the twitter feed, and email sign up to that also.

Just like your music marketing campaign, a music website has to be carefully thought through, launched, and then tinkered with constantly as you retool it for the fans who you’re looking to target and reach out to.

The new fan wants to know what they’re getting, they want things to be clear and explained.

The established fan wants to find new material

The surfer or pilgrim just wants to access whatever item of interest led them to where they are, and that could be anything.

Do the real fans want to be presented with your video and email sign up, again and again?

Do the new fans understand the context of what they see without reference?

Does it work to make people who have signed up feel like they’re in a special club, are those who haven’t attracted to it by what they’re seeing on the site?

This is where long term, ultimately, your website maybe just a tool - a museum, a virtual graceland - where visitors can step inside your little world, as they pass through to the next attraction, you just want to get that email sign up or any lasting connection, that you can build on.

Is it really the newsletter that becomes more important if you’re trying to maintain a fanbase that is serious, and possibly more importantly makes opportunites to make money easy to create?

Whats the point of a magnificant newsletter as your end stop, if no one gets there?

Why have a great newsletter if you don’t have a great website? Why have a great website if you don’t have a great song or a great video?

{ 0 comments }

Need a sweet deal with CD replication and online music marketing? Email kurbpromo@gmail.com

I am back on the outsourcing vibe once again.

You know why? As I said I’ve almost all but given up consultancy because my cd replication business is doing so well - that’s why right now on this music marketing blog I’m really focusing on a couple of main thing:

- Doing a deal anywhere in the world on online marketing and CD replication (y’know, like doing 1000 cd’s and then working out how to sell them)

- Ways that exist for us to cut a deal so you make even more savings, mainly backhanders I get on certain deals.

This is how I’m working at the moment, if you get CD replication and/or some other stuff online through me, I get paid out, so it makes it worthwhile for me to offer you music marketing services, otherwise I can’t offer a good deal AND make enough money to make it worth it.

You get a cheap deal on CD’s marketing and other stuff, I still get paid.

Just being upfront!

But if you’re successful in the music business you’ll have to pass the same point as me. I make my money out of doing CD and DVD replication. It’s crazy for me to not take that money there, but y’know what happens? Look at this website, look at any of my websites! I don’t have time to do half the things I should do because I’m always working on a CD / DVD replication job, because the money is too good to turn down.

When your music is taking off, and you’ve got a tour planned, and you know you’re going to need follow up material as soon as that’s done - the real work of being a musician - can you really worry about doing blogs, and website updates, and social media, having a new dinky video every fortnight so the fans don’t forget about you . . .

But you have to do this stuff. I know I need to get this website and a bunch of my others looking decent, y’know looking like I take this seriously! Because “oh no, sorry my blog looks like shit because I’m too busy making CD’s” doesn’t really cut it, does it?

Especially if you’re a band, to be honest, now days, that’s what people look for to see if your legit.

Is your music legit? Your video on youtube? Your website? Your Twitter? Is it all legit, does it look like an artist that’s actually good, like people obviously think it’s good, because someone (you) have made an effort?

If it looks like you’re making an effort, fans go “Hey these guys might be around, they might be serious.” otherwise YOU’RE JUST ANOTHER SHITTY BAND WITH A SHITTY WEBSITE. The other angle worth mentioning is that you really do do it for the fans. You make your “secondary content” (the stuff you’re not trying to sell) about fans. It is for them, after all.

We have to get our websites looking good because a ratty looking site doesn’t signal to the prospective buyers that it is all on. That THIS is it.

So we need to outsource this stuff. There’s no point in me not spending the money, so it’s probably similar to you deciding you need some music marketing services to maintain audience focus online while you’re performing and/or writing music. Creating the content.

When it’s all taking off, you have to step up your game to go the distance. That’s not just a bunch of cliches. I’m doing great with CD replication now, but fixing stuff with my marketing - like the look of my websites - has to be done if I’m going to keep progressing.

Outsourcing is becoming the only option. I say that with trepidation because outsourcing is not a walk in the park. You can’t go too cheap, and you need to have a grip on what is possible.

So the picture here is that you must outsoruce at some stage. In fact, by the time a musician can afford to outsource online music promotiom, you’re already behind the game. This is the music industry now. Someone has got to pay to invest, and get the hype pumping, get he system in place.

That’s why I keep my prices low and try to work out these deals with cd replication and music marketing. Because then you can afford to start developing a plan a year in advance so when you’ve “penned” or “roped” enough fans they’ve got a nice little online play area where they can uhh, breed? Yeah maybe not, but you know what I mean.

You need blogs, social media, videos, newsletters - at least something every week to keep your fan farm plump and fed. It’s only later once those fans are juicy and fat that we can milk the cows and bring in the harvest.

Successful music fan farming with Farmer Matt!

So at the moment I am looking for new website designers, and new music video production staff because in the content driven online world, musicians and marketer need the content treadmill in action, this is what I’m putting together for artists so that it IS POSSIBLE to produce the required content on a budget, and keeping that buzz and hype alive.

I could do the web design and the music video production myself except I’m not very skilled at that, and I’m making more money out of cd replication. So I must outsource.

The online advertising I will continue to do myself because I have very good skills, there.

So you see I’m doing this both for myself and for the artists I work with because I recognise now that going super cheap is not always the best way. What I’m really focused on at the moment is keeping my products the same price but improving them immensely, looking for web designers and video production staff who are able to produce a higher quality of content because this is what artists need.

The best quality content and online marketing and branding interactions they can get for their money, they’re just not going to make it any other way, not if they spend too much, and not if they’ve got nothing at all!

I’m doing all this stuff for myself, my own music site now, so I know it! Outsourcing is no picnic, it’s hard to know what you can expect for your money, I already said not to go too cheap - you’ve got to end up with something that works, not soemthing hanging round loking half finished for 6 months - these are the issues I’m dealing with trying to find people who are really going to help my music and my clients.

That’s just the stuff that I need and I supposed to BE a music marketing guy! Add stuff I do all the time anyway - blogging, advertising, etc, you can see how much is involved and what your online campaign has to cover.

Imagine leaving out youtube. Imagine leaving out social media sites, not having a website, a blog, going without an ad campaign, all these things are not exclusive requirements but you’re not helping yourself by not having this stuff organised.

You can’t do it all yourself. I’m trying to come up with ways to make this work as cheaply as possible. The fact that it is a challenge to have reliable people who do great work for an affordable price is EXACTLY why it’s worth doing. Because most musiicans aren’t organised enough, they’re not backing themselves with real online organisation.

Real musicians with careers have got this stuff down - and it’s mainly because they’ve been around a few years and figured out what works for them. It’s different for every artist. This is all part of the process. I’d love to serve you a happy meal, but that’ll just leave you hungry half way to the next stop.

{ 0 comments }

If you have a credit card, I can give you a discount and make it $1000, for 500 CD’s delivered worldwide and 3 months marketing (what a deal!) but there are very special conditions.

Once you start becoming a bit successful you start to think . . . I’d rather not do that, actually. I’d rather not do the consultancy and coaching with bands and musicians because it requires a lot of my time and attention, and relying on outsourced contractors to complete certain components of the music marketing set up jobs quickly and within budget.

So this year I decided to go with the flow a bit more and try to stick with what I’m best at but eventually, my other businesses were growing and becoming more demanding.

I thought it would give me the opportunity to go back to my own music and creativity, and apply some of the lessons I’d learnt over the years, in fact, it would be a great advertisement for my business if people could see that I had my own music website that was successfully demonstrating all the principals i discuss here.

To me I had already recognised what a huge vacuum the break down of traditional record labels created in terms of capital - artists were going to have to back themselves more than ever. Maybe I was foolish to try and create the idea that $500 could buy you a marketing campaign because it’s similar to those arguments against free music - it sets a unhealthy precedent.

I am pretty familiar with how competition works and I think my efforts in music marketing represent a situation where I hadn’t learnt to provide a marketing service that was in demand from musicians at the right price. The product wasn’t ready. I could not charge $500 for that product because I wasn’t committed to delivering it.

So . . . back to the drawing board, which as I said, would be my music site.

I’m really good with advertising but I still didn’t have everything in place to present to targeted audience in a way that would pay off - that’s why the first months of your music marketing campaign are likely to be all about setting up a platform - your website, your newsletter, some decent relatable videos, some decent copywriting to get the propositions in motion, testing your ad campaign.

Like many artists I waiver between feeling creatively fulfilled and dynamic and doing something that has legitimacy through it’s viability.

Viability is more important the more you make profit is essential for you to stay in it, and keep building.

To me, revenue shows that what you’re doing has some meaning to people that they will pay for it, so even though I don’t regard my music as a money spinner, for my own benefit, I treat myself as my own test client. If it works for me, it’ll work for someone with more talent and less of their life absorbed in entrepreneur behaviour like myself.

But your fanbase is the key to your viability. If you can afford it you need to focus on strategic ways of getting yourself out there. My specialty is advertising, not publicity, but you need everything available. I do do some blog publicity but not the serious, expensive press publicity artists need to breakthrough.

But this is what I keep saying, if you’re going to sell a big image you need, your website is going to have to look the part, your social media nad your youtube need to look busy and to really sell it to people further up the ladder who make the decisions that effect your career, you need to nail down at least a few hundred fans who represent an estalished audience for whom this product works and is valuable.

If you’re on a budget for your music marketing campaign, you need an outfit like us to get this often arduous process underway so you’re ready sooner to start having fans, media, music industry becoming aware and involved.

How do you afford it? Well I do a packages starting from $1000 that include 500 CD’s. If you can get rid of those CD’s, then you won’t lose money and you’ll already have more people listening to your music on disc and online. If you have a credit card, I can give you a discount and make that $1000, for 500 CD’s and 3 months marketing (what a deal!) but there are very special conditions.

Email kurbpromo@gmail.com

{ 1 comment }

Hi I’m Matt from Kurb and this is a blog about online music promotion. The numbers are picking up around here again back getting 200 visits a day so let’s see how I go picking it up and running with it.

Don’t forget if you want to make a deal with cheap cd replication, music video production and online music marketing - packages include all that with a big secret discount option for $1-2k! - kurbpromo@gmail.com - get in touch.

So it’s a new approach to this blog and I’m talking about it and I’m saying well I need to connect with some kind of viability so the thing feels validated.

If you’re not making money, it’s hard to justify any activity that’s not central to what you do, that’s how I ended up back here because I write what I like about music promotion and people will read it and they will email me.

That’s what you want right, people reading your blog and getting in touch because they want to connect?

So what are you going to sell them?

I’m serious. Look at me now, the new vibe on this blog is “This is what I really think and if you want to hire me it’s at least $1000 because my other businesses are sweet.”

If some body emails ME, I’m going to try and get $1000 out of them! $1000!! And I’ll probably do it. How are you going to do it?

Well not straight away because I’ve been doing this almost 5 years now. But you get my drift right? If I email you all like “oh my god I can’t believe that song is about that and your crazy video with that puppet is like omg so funny . . .”

What do you do?

Think fast. What can you offer someone that’s worth $200? $100? $50? What’s going to make that person think they got a deal?

Well you gotta build up some love first it doesn’t sprout overnight. That’s the work involved, growing the fanbase one by one until one day, you make that video, you upload that song and BABOOM it takes off.

BECAUSE you worked with me, you’re prepared when 600 people sign up to your email ist n 24 hours because

But I think part of my service should be helping artists put together high value items that can be pushed to fans - I need some proper methodology for putting together these things - how much it will cost and

Value needs to come either from band labour or band brand otherwise your margins won’t work. See you know I’m business because I sniff this shit like a shark. If you’re not business minded you need someone like me around to crunch it.

Paying $20 for a t-shirt and selling it for $30 is no good, the profit margin is no good. You get some nice big glossy posters printed that you sign for $1 each they’re worth $5. Decent profit based around the musicians adding value. I’m just jamming here - remember this is the stuff you’re supposed to pay me for I’m not putting all my best ideas for selling packages here!

Giving them a CD is an obvious one especially since the main reason I’m doing all this so I can get artists into my packages with cd replication, the CD’s we supply are just as low cost and high quality as anywhere else, except I get paid which means I can help you in other areas - such as putting togther the contents of a high end $100 “true fan” package - that your other CD manufacturing options wouldn’t cover.

{ 1 comment }

Hi I’m Matt from Kurb and this is my blog about online music promotion.

By doing a special where I do your CD pressing and/or your music video and/or your online music marketing all in a package deal, then I can make enough money to make it worth my while to help you with your marketing while still keeping it affordable - $1000-2000 for the whole package.

Video production is where it’s at. Blogging is great because of the whole google SEO thing, but videos are powerful when they are done right why do you think the music industry relies on them?

Because an incredible music video can take a song stratospheric, and convey much deeper experience to the audience, but for those of you playing rock star at home, the uses are a little more humble, but no less significant, and practical in online promtion!

grannies and and grandad’s ring me all the time, once they see my video and see I’m a nice young man, that’s it they’re busting with trusting for me to do their cd pressing or dvd duplication job.

You should know by now you can do a lot more with video than ever before but unfortunately it is all a bit daunting. I’ve used video as best I can but to be honest it really takes a lot of motivation. Thats your cue to get the jump on all the other lazy punks who aren’t getting serious on youtube about what they’re doing.

Put cheap videos up on youtube that are just slightly better than the average amateur demo, then slap 10,000 fake views on it, and suddenly everyone who does visit thinks that you’re music is actually something that’s a thing on youtube.

People are sheep honestly, we need to tell people that it’s ok to like your music, understand?

I want to do video because I know how powerful it is, but it’s that content issue again - if you’re going to all the effort of putting together an online video, you want to make sure it’s decent! You wouldn’t believe how long my videos took me to make - days! It is really a bit of a task.

I think having a videographer close to a musician is essential, it’s almost like an MC and a DJ. It’s all about the MC really, but how will the crowd really feel it if the DJ isn’t there to take it home?

Videos are so powerful you really need to pick and chose how you use them if you’re like me and are struggling to step up your video game. It’s about motivating people to take a certain action, to me, welcome and intro videos are jut as important as the video for your single, so do something with it!

I’m at the stage of my business where I want to invest into my brand and my outcome strategy is selling cd replication and music marketing packages, perhaps maybe a few music videos as I say, because right now I’m working on how to rattle off fairly dynamic and original music videos for $200-$500, I want to be working away so soon people will be like . . . you did THAT for $500?

So off I go trying to do funny videos. It’s a little bit calculating, you make the video entertaining, funny, etc, but you push your thing. I’ll be pushing the package with the CD’s of course, and stressing that I can get cheap deals on CD’s and DVD’s that I will sweeten up with my awesome music marketing services so you get a good deal and I get paid. Everybody happy!

You see what I’m doing? I’m using “funny” videos, something people will want to see for humour only, to highlight my CD DVD stuff because that’s where I get paid. I know my CD DVD business is THE business, so now I just need to draw attention to it however I can.

So another good point - awesome video but crappy songs isn’t really a starter if you’re trying to use video to draw attention to your music is it? But it’s never to early for a band to start using video, mainly you have to get over your self, but come on remember you’re a performer, an artist!

If your video is remarkable, if it’s funny and likable, and a lot of people end up watching it because it spreads, but only a tiny fraction of those people will want to get cd’s done with me, or come and buy your album or sign up to your email list, but because you did something that people liked enough to share, and you managed to wedge your message in there inoffensively just like an old school ad man.

But everywhere you want fans to do something, you have a chance to use video to say . . . hey . . seriously, if you have videos all over your site and people watch them, after awhile they get familiar and comfortable with you. This is the power of quality content, blogging just can’t do this, it doesn’t have that power or reach.

Once you earn trust with people, then they will buy stuff off you. They will no longer care so much about getting the best deal.

If people laugh and think your videos are wild, then there’s a better chance they’ll remember you. But we’ve been over this. How do you make better videos? Well I’m trying, when I have something to show you I’ll talk you through it. Then I’ll do another.

That’s me, I want to be making good money in a few years talking with bands about the videos they want to do and putting it all together for them, so you can make sure ALL your songs are on youtube where fans can soak their brains in your vibe and get fanned up and ready to part with some cash!

You need to have a video for every song, even if it’s nothing special because youtube is alive. Youtube is still king of the video sites so you need to be in there, in the game.

The way I see it, just go out and film yourself, then send the footage to my team, and then we’ll get some concepts going and we can build something up that looks like somebody thought hard about it, and you’re telling the world you’re serious enough to have this kind of content, not just a still picture.

I’m trying to see if I can’t deliver a video worth watching for $500.

{ 0 comments }

Matt Turner does promotions in music etc. specializes in DVD / CD reproduction, video production and general online music marketing and management

Deals including 500 CD’s, a music video and 3 months online promotion start for as little as $1000 with our discount programme.

So I’m back on the music marketing management blog but with a new approach.

I’m focusing on writing in a way that I enjoy, with more expression, but I also want to be more effective. Sounds like a bit of a dream. What, you mean enjoying yourself while effectively making money? That’s the idea. I think that’s why we got into this business, right?

Before on my blog here I was constantly explaining about websites and SEO and advertising and using bots and affiliate marketing and it was all just a bunch of confusing nonsense when really what you need to worry about is firstly that you’ve got a great vibe, a great product, and THEN that you have someone who is smart like me to do your marketing and worry about that stuff.

It might not be me because I used to be very cheap and patient, now I’m not as cheap nor as patient so if I’m not really enjoying something or making good money out of it I’m not that interested.

You still need smart marketing online because if you’re on a budget it’s really the only game you have a chance of winning, because every other strategy is going to cost you six figures that you don’t have. Even if you want to get signed to a label, they probably won’t touch you until you get half way there on your own steam.

So read and learn, because you may not be ready to hire me - so let’s just be honest about the situation. If you haven’t really thought through how you’re going to break through then you don’t have the wind behind you in terms of making it online.

I was thinking that I needed a way to get myself out there a bit more and step it up myself, and so I had to come back to this blog because mixing business with pleasure is what I do best. I’m not ready to start throwing money around because I’m still perfecting what I’m doing.

The content war I spoke means crappy content is just not of any use. Anything that is second rate is no good. It may fill a gap temporarily but the competitor with the better content, the better offer, the highest value, is going to win out in the end.

You can’t just muck around or you’ll be locked out.

You gotta do something that people care about! Too many artists are self absorbed they don’t get that the world doesn’t get them! That’s cool, but giving me money won’t fix that problem if you’re not connecting. It’s not about selling out, it’s about being able to get people’s attention. That is the value in music now. As I said, the rest is up to someone like me to make it into business.

So if you don’t have fans going crazy don’t talk to me about making money. Because where’s your vibe at with the fans? Well then you’re going to have to spend money and work hard to get it happening because no fans means no one spending money, no business. Doing music business takes a big investment in backing yourself.

Often with my clients we start now because if in a year or two your music is ready, when your fan base is built then your business is ready. You’re funding your own development. I can do the whole mentor thing if you like but you got to pay me. It’s hard for me to get excited if I’m not making at least $50p/hour.

So I guess if I charge $50p/hour I should know how to work your problems out with a flow chart goal sheet? Gosh. I’m turning into a coach, please, no.

I’m taking this blog in a new direction, it was clean before, I tried to think about my audience but it got boring because it’s like this.

cheap music websites, cheap online music videos, cheap advertising campaigns, cheap publicity, cheap social media management blah blah, I been doing this for years now and what does it really matter if your idea is half cooked? You need to get something going on that you know people respond to and then you need to work out how you’re going to pay me to try and work out how and when you could make some money.

My ideas meant I could make some money. It’s what I’m good at. Can we make some money out of your ideas or not? Are you ready or not? Are you clear about where the money is coming from, when and how - is this a real idea or do you need to talk to someone like me about how long you’ll wait and how much you’ll have to spend before you see it come back?

I wanted to do my own thing, do my artist blog, but it didn’t really work, what I was doing there didn’t connect with people like the music marketing I talk about here, it didn’t feel valid.

If I blog here, people can pick up my knowledge, and become aware of some of the deals I’ve got going doing packages of cd replication / pressing and online music marketing. If I make some money well, excellent.

Again it’s that Derek Sivers thing - try and help people out, try and make yourself useful, insert yourself into the equation as the solution to peoples problems.

I’m hoping by talking honestly and being much more upfront about what’s going on here, people will work out that what I’m doing is worthwhile and I can be valuable.

How are you moving forward in your effort to provide real value, real quality content? Because if you can do that I’ll have no trouble getting you fans and no trouble getting those fans to part with their money but first you’ve got to get what you’re doing right to connect with people.

Think seriously, how are you going to connect with people, how are you going to give something really valuable so you can get a break?

I’m sorry but “because my songs are good” is just not enough!

That’s the new direction of my blog. Not just going on about details and how I’m so cheap, just to scracth a buck, but connecting with people so it’s known I can sort them out with CD reproduction, DVD’s Music Video production and yes even online music marketing and music management.

{ 0 comments }

WHAT’S THE NEW DEAL ON MUSIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT? WHAT’S CHANGED?

But if you need a run of CD pressing or DVD replication I can work out a sweet deal!

So why did I decide to change up this blog?

No one reads my artist blog, okay? I only talk about stupid nonsense there anyway and nobody ever goes there. People actually come to this site. Do they come to your site? Maybe you’re talking nonsense as well, instead of something people care about.

But maybe your site has a poor name, or has no decent links to it, or hardly any blog posts at all. You might be like me on my artists site. It was mainly rubbish, but still. A lot of hard work that didn’t really work out.

But I love to blog because it advances my thinking. Did you know that most people don’t like reading rubbishy trash? I mean stuff that isn’t in any way interesting? The content wars have begun and they are brutal so unless you’re ready to top Avatar what are you trying to do?

Why should people care? They don’t. Maybe you need to have that moment where you realise, like I did. I was like . . . y’know I was blogging, but it was no good. I knew it was crap, but I didn’t care. It helps my SEO, and ultimately I keep selling more CD and DVD replication services, and also posters and stuff I also make money from so who’s to say my gonzo blogging was no good?

Content resulted in practical authority (google ranking) which led to value being translated as sales for cash dollars!

But no one was into my artist blog!

I spent at least an hour a day on it, and I get the same amount of visitors I would if I spend $10 on advertising. I working for less than $10 an hour to get people to my music website. But I didn’t really make an effort to make the blog any better. Just kept rambling, I progressed slowly, but no one was coming!

No one was emailing me or anything, there was a bit of ad money but no more than here.

I’m really good at online advertising by the way, but costs extra if you want me to explain. I hate it because I often spend more time explaining it to clients then doing it and so it takes up too much time. It’s really good though.

So why sit around blogging endlessly and just plodding along? I needed to step it up and I needed to get back to doing what was working.

This, here at the music marketing blog, was working. People come to the blog and email me about doing work, but man I write a whole lot of emails that go nowhere! Again, no time for it.

But since I’m good at internet marketing and I love music, I can blog some stuff about what I know and if you want to make a deal we can talk.

I don’t want to top avatar at the box office. All I need to do is prove my trustworthiness by offering my experience, and if some musicians feel they can trust me to do their CD’s, I can give them a cheap deal on both that and music marketing services. So if I am successful in finding resonance with the experience I express, my content can be translated to a transaction where musicians that work with me get as good a deal as the might expect on cd replication worldwide, so rather than having to beat Avatar just to get a few extra CD’s production deals, all I have to do is write a blog that artists like and trust because I’m being as honest as I can about it.

Compare it like this. Selling songs may be too hard work. It’s like selling advertising - it’s too small and it doesn’t matter it’s just a bonus. Your concern is the people who will really support you in ways you’ve identified as being a high value transaction - where you get the most cash because the fan thinks they’re getting the best deal.

It’s a lot of work trying to sell songs, and music marketing services are also hard work.

But if I sell you a deal where I manage your cd pressing, you - in this transaction as the “fan” - feel they’re getting a decent deal on cd pressing and my exclusive marketing support, you’ll be feeling like you got a deal, and because I making money on the cd pressing, doing your marketing is worth it.

But if you sell your fans a $97 limited edition pack bursting with all kinds of special things and exclusive stuff - you may only sell 1 song to 10,000 people and even that would take crazy work - especially on me doing marketing - but selling a unique $97 item to 100 fans for $9700 . . . which do you think is easier?

Maybe I need to be focused on how to create special items for limited collector’s edition releases.

Again - marketing and promotions - you have to pay me to think, ok???

I do a lot of printing as well I would say some nice high quality prints or a really nice booklet. A decent signed poster. The T-shirt. The usb stick with all the goodies . . . just a few ideas, it really depends on the culture of the music.

The point is - put yourself out there so you can draw in those select fans who will back you to the hilt, then design the exclusive collector’s product for them. This is why a newsletter is so important for keeping your core group of fans cohesive, sure use social media, but put your newsletter at the top of your chain of communication networks so you can keep those core fans close.

{ 0 comments }

Okay, I’ve been thinking, I’ve been off trying to get some of my other blogs - especially my own artist blog - to take off but they haven’t. I was stupid, I thought “All I need is like, 300 good posts like on my music marketing blog!”

I was wrong.

I don’t post here at all any more and yet this blog still gets more hits than others I post several times a week to. I don’t do so much music consultancy any more because another part of the business, cd and dvd duplication, took off, and I found a lot of the music marketing stuff was pretty stressful.

I think I talked about it here, trying to make the service affordable but good. I would have stuck with it but then cd dvd duplication happened, and using my marketing skills it was much easier to get the cd dvd stuff and printing all going for me and doing music marketing became a bit much.

But I can’t help it, sometimes it seems the only damn thing I’m good for is squeezing out a buck. I wanted to take the time to see if I could put together something a bit more solid, but honestly, I wanted to do more of my own stuff. Some people in life are a lot better at marketing than they are music. And the internet is a funny beast that’s why people hire guys like me.

This blog has a good name with good words in it. This blog has some good articles. This blog has been linked to naturally in plenty of places. This blog is now several years old. This blog is about something that is of general interest - it’s not about a specific style, and so these elements come together and it works. I’m just this guy who uses the internet to make money, and I can help musicians because I love music! So there you go, Derek Sivers new thing was talking all about focusing on helping.

I’m getting to a point where I’m okay. My businesses do alright. I’m not really about trying to get some cash so much anymore except . . . it just happens to be what I’m good at. I wish I was better at making incredible music but hey, there you have it. Work with what you’ve got.

Let me get real - more people are interested in this music marketing blog than are interested in my music, maybe you’ve got to make a decision about what you’re doing that people actually want to know about.

Before, I always used to try and be professional so this blog might be respected and I could milk that but it’s like, I don’t really feel I need to milk anything personally, but we will anyway because the blog is about trying to make some money in art here. So we can be transparent about it.

I’m going to blog about me and music and marketing and trying to make money, so I can sell you some CD’s or DVD’s or something you need . . . so I can make money.

So get this, I don’t really care if you want music marketing services unless you’re going to pay me well, but I’ll still write this blog anyway - BUT - if you get me to organise a deal with your CD pressing (or DVD’s) for you from asia (they will be as cheap if not cheap er than your local supplier) then I can make enough money to make it worthwhile to do your marketing as well, and of course I’ll help you with graphic design for your CD should you need it to or any of the online marketing stuff you want at the old cheap rates.

I’ve got some other stuff going on as well that I would never have mentioned on this blog before. Because this blog is really about me more now. I can sort out your CD pressing for a good price, I can help you with marketing if it’s worthwhile, and I know some stuff we can work out that allows a huge discount to kick in, a lot of people might not approve but it really doesn’t matter, I’m only trying to appeal to a handful of musicians who need my help.

Who read my blog and see my face and realise I’m here to do what I do and say what I say, and if it works, cut an honest deal.

So the tone may be a little different because I’m not here for some hard sell. But if I can blog more honestly, and that means more people around the world can trust me in cd dvd duplication and replication as well as music marketing, and some of my crazy stuff I do, then that’s all good and well.

A lot of people might not be into the new casual, more personal tone but well, it’s a more casual and personal thing now. I do want to push my brand out a bit. It’s about putting something on the line, because I only need to appeal to a select few who will trust me.

Are you picking up the lessons here? You need to be trustworthy to connect with people. You gain trust, people turn to you, you provide some kind of value in exchange for cash. That’s how musicians are making their money.

Derek SIvers talked about this too. You don’t need or want everyone to like you, the world can’t work like that anymore there’s too much out there. And if I write this blog and tell music and creative people a few ideas about the point of it, and how to get some cash happening and people see that I’ve got no interest in ripping people off they’ll think well . . . if I get Matt from Kurb to do my CD’s or DVD’s even though he’s in New Zealand, he’ll get them shipped to you anywhere in the world from asia and it will be just as cheap as anywhere else you could get it.

Except I’ll sort out your graphic design and probably let you in on a marketing deal even though . . . you see what I’m doing here? If I get to make some money on the cd pressing, then I’m happy to do some marketing as well - otherwise it’s a drag.

I’m just being honest - y’know the thing about marketing which makes it such a drag? You really have to tailor the marketing for you, your audience, your product, your deal. It’s a whole lot of work, that’s why I’m at this point where if I’m doing marketing for other people, I gotta charge for it.

But it’s got to be a good deal. So we’re feeling things out. To be honest, it probably wouldn’t matter what I wrote - people email me every week (not as much as they used to when I wrote the blog more often) with weird requests, I don’t think they even read the blog.

As I said, marketing and promotion on the internet is weird. You have to understand it and I’m real happy that I kind of do, enough anyway not be too worried about jabbering away here because I think there’s something better for my brand, this blog, and more to be said about making a big deal and finding out how that works out to cash.

{ 0 comments }

[From BandPromo.Me -- Kick ass band promotion for Indie bands and artists]
Add this graphic to your site.

{ 0 comments }