As we head through this week leading up to Christmas, I want to share with you two new holiday music videos from a recent live performance.
In this first one, I sing my favorite rendition of "White Christmas" (from the Elvis Presley Christmas album) as Pooki gracefully does a hula dance. It's beautiful and funny all at the same time.
We keep the Hawaiian theme going with our version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" -- with musical help from my daughter Kelli and her friend Brianna.
These two new videos are different from our popular family holiday videos of the past. We still haven't been able to top this one from 2007:
Have a great holiday season, and whatever you do, have fun with your friends, fans and family. It's what makes life worth living!
Beyond telling people what you're eating for lunch and plugging tonight's gig, one effective way to use Twitter is to share useful and inspiring links with your followers. If you follow me on Twitter, you know that's exactly what I do several times a day -- every day.
For your tweeting convenience, here are ten quick blurbs and links to recent blog posts and podcasts of mine (that easily fit into the 140-character maximum). Just copy and paste as many as you want, whenever you want, into your Twitter account.
Of course, you can also post them on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, FriendFeed, and more too :-)
7 Ways to Destroy Your Music Career http://bit.ly/80PZX via @MrBuzzFactor
Great Podcast: "How to Create a Buying Frenzy" http://bit.ly/uqny3 RT @MrBuzzFactor
12 Keys to Building a Thriving Music Career http://bit.ly/4ys2PZ via @MrBuzzFactor
Made-To-Stick Music Marketing http://bit.ly/3TcL9L via @MrBuzzFactor
7 Simple But Effective Steps to Reaching Your Music Career Goals http://bit.ly/46qkDK RT @MrBuzzFactor
Podcast: "How to Get Motivated When You're in a Slump" http://bit.ly/8ZuQEl via @MrBuzzFactor
Great Question for Musicians: What Are You Pretending to NOT Know? http://bit.ly/68D4Hm via @MrBuzzFactor
FREE Sample of "55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet" at http://bit.ly/2jLpAy RT @MrBuzzFactor
Is Your Music 'Findable' Online? http://bit.ly/9RbUW via @MrBuzzFactor
5 Music Career Success Questions You Need to Answer http://bit.ly/3b4BDM via @MrBuzzFactor
Seriously. How are you deluding yourself ... and what is it costing you?
In the 1990s, back when I published a local music magazine in St. Louis, I remember feeling so frustrated at times. Especially when certain businesses wouldn't advertise in my publication or sponsor music events I put on.
"What's their problem?" I would whine. Didn't they see all the work I'd put in to create a great resource? Can't a guy with a good idea get a break in this town?
Of course, I really knew the answers.
In some situations, the business and the event simply weren't a good match. I may have wanted their participation, but from their perspective, they needed to allocate their limited marketing dollars to other things. There was a part of my brain that realized that, but I paid no attention to it.
In other situations, I simply hadn't put in the time to develop the relationships that other media people had. Therefore, I didn't get those ad dollars. I even told myself many times how I needed to get out and meet with more potential advertisers and sponsors. But I rarely acted on it. And as a result, I lost out on some business.
I knew what the problems (and the solutions) were. But I chose to ignore them, get frustrated, and chalk it up to other factors that were out of my control.
In other words, I was pretending to not know something ... when I actually knew it all along.
So, what are YOU pretending to not know?
For instance, you know ... people are easily distracted and that it can take a number of follow-up attempts before you get a response from somebody.
Yet ... you give up after one attempt to reach someone and complain about the lack of response.
You know ... what inspires you and your friends to support a new artist and buy their music.
Yet ... you act as if you have no idea how to promote your own music and connect with fans.
You know ... the importance of spending time practicing and writing new material.
Yet... you settle for mediocre performances and songs that "will do" when you put out new music.
You know ... how you like to be treated and communicated with when someone has something of value for you.
Yet... you pretend to have no clue about how to leave a voice mail message or send an email to someone who can help you.
I guarantee, you know way more than you give yourself credit for.
P.S. Get music marketing and career tips like these 3 or 4 times a months when you subscribe to my Buzz Factor Ezine. I've been publishing it since 1995. Thousands of indie artists and promoters from around the world get my latest ideas and resources nearly every week. Get yours too!
Go to this page and sign up now. Lots of useful, no-cost perks when you do. Details here.
Last week I posted this question on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites:
What's the #1 Thing That Keeps You From Reaching Your Music Goals?
I received a flood of great responses, most of which I posted here. I encourage you to look over the list and see how many of them you can relate to. But don't use the list to get comfortable and think, "I'm in good company when I don't reach my goals, so I should just relax."
Instead, use the list to realize that you are not alone when it comes to distractions, resistance, and excuses. People who succeed at greater levels don't have some secret code and aren't immune to the everyday obstacles we all encounter.
What they do have is a different mindset and a different approach compared to the masses that get lulled into accepting stagnation as a way of life.
Since this is such a widespread issue (and one I wrestle with myself), I wanted to share my version of the Cycle of Success -- a concept I first heard from Jack Canfield. It's a bare-bones outline of the simple steps you must take to accomplish worthy goals. It may appear simplistic at first glance. But I ask you ...
Honestly, how well do you embrace each of these steps ... and on which ones do you typically get hung up?
1) Decide
The first step to reaching any goal is to know where you're headed. The clearer the target, the more purposeful your actions will be. That's why the first step to accomplishment is to set a specific, measurable goal (or set of goals). "Be a successful musician" is a nice idea, but it's a fuzzy goal. A more concrete goal would be "Perform four live shows a month that generate $3,000 in total revenue" or "Sell $1,500 a month in live show CD/merchandise sales and $1,000 a month in digital downloads." Decide what you want and be crystal clear about what it is.
2) Plan
Once you know exactly what you want, the next step is to craft an action plan that will move you toward it. Take some time to brainstorm on paper. Make lists of the different types of activities you will need to engage in to reach the goal. Who will you need to contact, what do you need to learn, and what tools will help you get there? Work backwards from the goal and determine the specific steps you'll need to take.
3) Start
Now it's time to dive into the step that holds back most human beings: taking action! Look over your grand plan and ask yourself, "What's the very first thing I need to do in each category?" Focus only on those initial things and ... do them! Don't worry about the entire project or the immensity of your goal. Just do the very thing that needs to be done today: make a phone call, send an email, design a web page, repair your equipment, or sit down to write a new song (or finish one you started).
4) Continue
Taking those initial actions in the Start phase may actually come easy if you're exciting about the goal. Your enthusiasm is running high and you're eager to get busy. But what happens after a week or two, when other life demands grab center stage or when you don't make as much progress toward the goal as you had hoped? This step is another biggie that trips up many musicians. But people who succeed muscle through the distractions and "continue" taking action, even when they're short on time and energy. If your goal is truly important, you will find time to chip away at it and make progress -- on a consistent basis.
5) Evaluate
If you get this far, congratulations! You've accomplished more than the majority of creative people (as sad as that is to say). You have decided what you want, created an action plan, started taking action, and have continued to work toward it, despite many temptations to do otherwise. Now you must take a little time to measure the results of your efforts. Don't just stay busy for the sake of movement without knowing how effective your actions are. Are you moving closer to the goal, or further away? What has brought the best results? Now is the time to evaluate your progress.
6) Adjust
Once you look at the actions you've taken thus far and measure the results (as in number of live shows booked, number of new fans on your mailing list, amount of music and merch sold, etc.), you'll have a clearer picture of where you stand. Then look over your plan and tweak it. How you do that is super simple: Do more of what's working and less of what isn't working. Also, this is a good time to introduce a new goal or strategy that makes sense based on what you've learned from your actions so far.
7) Continue
Once again, consistent action and progress is key. So with your adjusted plan in hand, continue to move forward. Another trait that will help you in this phase is the ability to simultaneously see two contrasting perspectives: 1) Keep the big picture vision alive of where you are headed -- the specific and measurable goal you have set, and 2) Focus on the micro task at hand and realize where you actually are on the path. There will almost always be a wide gap between where you are and where you want to be. But don't let that disparity frustrate you. Instead, let it pull you toward the goal even more fervently.
Bonus Step: Repeat Steps 5 through 7. From here on out, your progress will be a series of evaluating your efforts, adjusting your goals and action plans, and getting busy pursuing them again.
There you have it: 7 Simple But Effective Steps to Reaching Your Music Career Goals.
Are you truly incorporating all of the steps? Where do you get hung up the most? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the Comments section below.
I posted this question on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites this week and got a flood of great responses.
Below you'll find a summary of the top reasons people cite for falling short of their goals and not making as much progress as they'd like.
Recognize any of them?
Lack of time
Lack of money
Lack of confidence
Self-sabotage
Not setting goals to begin with
Not planning well enough
Procrastination
Having too many goals
Not prioritizing my goals
Spreading myself too thin
Lame but convenient excuses
Popular trends not going my way
Not knowing where to start
My day job
Not putting what I know into action
The government and its stupid rules
Setting really BIG goals
Perfectionism
Fear of failure
Not knowing how to raise things to the next level
Clutter
Me, Myself, My own mind
Facebook
If I missed something, please add your own obstacle in the Comments section below. Also leave some extra thoughts on what holds you back, along with any tips you have to overcome these hurdles.
I'll post my own ways of conquering these personal demons in future blog posts, and may even turn this into an ebook some day.
Everybody wants to know the easy, proven steps to music success. Therefore, every expert offers tips and strategies to help you reach your goals -- including me.
Well, it's time to shake things up and serve a new audience -- which explains why this post takes a look at the dark side: How to ruin your music career in seven easy steps ...
1) Give Away Your Personal Power
The first step to destroying your music career is to realize that your destiny is in the hands of other people and circumstances beyond your control. Fully embrace the fact that you need to be in the right place at the right time to get your "lucky break" and be "discovered."
Industry people and music critics must deem you worthy of success for you to have value as a musician. Also, cling to the belief that all the answers are "out there" somewhere and you will be incredibly successful at failure.
2) Turn Marketing, Promotion and Sales Into a Huge Burden
Do you really wanna fall flat fast? Then start referring to marketing as a "necessary evil" quick. Realize that you don't have what it takes to "sell yourself" and reach more fans. In fact, there's probably a biological reason you hate promotion: you were born without the critical marketing gene that all those "gift of gab" people have. Therefore, you are destined to live a lifetime of hardship as you struggle with having to engage in the ugly chore of self-promotion.
3) Be Fearful of Being Perceived as a Greedy, Capitalist Pig
Paranoia will go a long way to helping you fall short of a thriving music career -- especially when it comes to earning money. Just know that every one of your fans is watching you and waiting to jump ship the second they smell any scent of capitalism. Therefore, if you make any sales pitches at all, they better be so low key as to be barely perceptible.
In fact, it would be best not to even make people aware that you have things for sale. Just wait till they come to you. If they're interested, they'll ask. And if you want to score extra points, when they do ask, tell them you left all your CDs and T-shirts at home.
4) Use a Lack of Time, Money and Connections as Your Biggest Excuse
Here's a surefire way to go down in flames. Have convenient scapegoats based on scarcity. Tell anyone who asks (as well as a lot of people who don't ask or care) how lousy your career is because of all the lack in your life. Frequently use phrases such as "There aren't enough hours in the day," "If I had that kind of money, I'd be a rock star too," and "It's not what you know, it's who you know." To spice things up, every now and then throw in an angry reference to "The man."
5) Market Yourself to the Faceless Masses Using Traditional Big Media
Why spend all that time dealing one on one with fans, when someday someone could just throw a bunch of money (you know, the funds you don't have enough of now) into a massive marketing campaign? Realize that it takes big bucks spent on radio promotion, retail placement, billboards, and paid display ads in national magazines to succeed. This mass media mindset is your ticket to success ... at hitting the fast track to failure.
Bonus tip: Never answer your email from fans, and rarely -- if ever -- log into your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter accounts. Better yet, don't even start these accounts.
6) Promote Yourself Sporadically and Only When It's Urgent
If you have a mailing list (and with sucky email delivery and open rates these days, why bother?), be sure the fans on your list don't hear from you very often. One of the best "road to ruin" marketing tactics is blasting your fans with urgent "come to my show" or "buy my new album now" messages when they haven't heard from you in months. Your ultimate goal is have fans read your promotions and go, "Who is this band again?"
7) Know That Everyone Owes You Something Simply Because You Exist
I've saved the best way to destroy your music career for last. Simply know that everyone will care as much about you and your music as you do. Understand that complete strangers will indeed listen to every note of your 70-minute concept album and read every word of your 10-page bio. Be sure to send long, in-depth emails and leave lengthy, rambling voice mail messages for the imbeciles who don't recognize your greatness. Also, be sure to insult anyone who doesn't get back to you within 10 minutes.
There you have it -- the top seven ways to ruin your music career.
So ... what are you waiting for? Now get out there and demote yourself!!!
Ready for the next generation of computer interactivity? Say hello to Augmented Reality! And start thinking about how you might some day use it to promote your music.
Not sure what it is? Don't worry. It's only recently become a hot buzz word (or phrase), even though the term has been around since about 1992.
Here's the most basic way to describe it: Augmented Reality (AR) involves the combination of real-world, real-time activity with computer-generated elements. It's the merging of the real and virtual worlds.
If you watch pro football on TV, you are probably familiar with the yellow first down line that appears across the playing field on your screen. The field and the players are real. The yellow line is artificially created to "augment" your perception of what is happening during the game.
John Mayer made news last week when he released the first AR music video. If you think this is like those JibJab or dancing elves videos where you insert your face into a motion picture, think again. With those, you take a still picture of yourself that was taken in the past and insert it into a video that can be shared with others.
That can be a lot of fun, but Augmented Reality takes it a step further by inserting people into videos in real time using only a webcam and a simple physical "marker."
To view this augmented reality, you must have the special Battle Studies icon. You can print this PDF (or open it on your mobile device).
Turn on your computer's sound and webcam and turn off any pop-up blockers.
Wait for the flash player to load (if prompted, authorize access to your webcam).
Make sure the icon on your screen and the image you are holding are completely lined up (and don't move the icon until you see John).
Enjoy the experience of augmented reality!
I haven't tried it myself yet, but apparently the live video captured through your webcam becomes part of Mayer's music video -- in real time. (Here's a video that shows a similar process.) Talk about interactive!
Honestly, I'm not sure yet how you go about creating an AR video on an indie budget, or even who offers this service yet. But I wanted to at least bring this technology to your attention.
I was all set to enjoy a mellow Sunday night at home, when Pooki got a call last night. It was her son, Matt, letting her know that Mike Doughty was about to play at the Duck Room.
Doughty was the creative force behind the band Soul Coughing (signed to Warner Bros) in the 1990s. In 2004, he became a touring solo act and soon started releasing albums on Dave Matthews' ATO label.
We've become big fans of his gravelly, low-pitched, half-sung, half-spoken vocal style -- therefore, the mellow Sunday night plans quickly went out the window. And I'm glad they did.
It was an intimate show with perhaps a couple hundred people comfortably squeezed into the Duck Room basement bar. Doughty and his long-time touring partner Andrew Livingston put on a good, stripped-down show.
But here's the thing I really thought was cool -- something I've never seen a performing musician do before ...
Mike Doughty is a smart guy with quick wit who knows how to banter with a crowd. But instead of simply winging it or relying on well-worn stories, he asks for questions from the audience.
But most of these questions aren't shouted out. He asks people to write them down on slips of paper he provides and to throw them into a jar on the stage. Every two or three songs, Doughty and Livingston take turns reading a short stack of questions and answering them rapid fire.
The Q&A segments were very insighful and entertaining -- and made for a lot of funny moments. What a great way to personalize each live show (and he has a lot of them on this current tour with nearly one every night in a different city).
Dozens of questions were read and answered last night. How to you think the fans who submitted them felt about playing a small part in the show? You can bet they told their friends about it and are now more likely to spread Doughty's music to even more people.
Another smart thing he does is record each live show and make it available that night on CDs for anyone who wants to go home with it.
That's how you involve your fans and make music personal -- as it should be!
Everybody these days wants to create buzz. They want to grab people's attention on a large scale. And they want to do it sooner rather than later.
Therefore, everyone wants to know the secret steps they can take to ensure their marketing idea sticks -- that it gains traction and reaches the people who need to hear it the most.
A good lesson on this topic comes from musician Paul Hipp. Check out his YouTube music video called "We're Number 37" -- which, as of this writing, has nearly a half million views.
It's a rockin' original song that tackles the current health care reform debate in the US with a decidedly liberal slant. And it's been seen by a LOT of people.
You may think you know where I'm going with this, but I guarantee there's an unexpected twist coming. So stay with me here ...
If I were to ask you why this song has been watched by so many people, you'd probably say because it's a decent tune about a timely issue. Plus, it features some clever editing and funny moments throughout -- which makes it more likely to be enjoyed and passed on by those who watch it.
Correct! You can't go wrong with songs about current events, especially when they are done in a creative way that elicits a reaction from people who are exposed to it.
But here's the thing ...
This is not the only music video Paul Hipp has posted. He has several others, most of which also deal with current events from a liberal perspective. And those have respectable numbers -- from 1,000 to 18,000 views each. But they pale in comparison to the half million views that "We're Number 37" has earned.
Here are three lessons we can learn from this:
1) You have to throw a LOT of stuff out there to find something that sticks. Sure, some people hit on something big right out of the starting gate, but that's rare. The usual pattern with artists who create popular viral videos (or songs, blog posts, ideas, etc) is a history of trial and error.
The more active you are in creating a volume of content to share with your audience, the greater your odds of producing something that will spread on a larger scale. So stay busy creating new stuff!
2) Regular output hones your craft. "We're Number 37" is Paul Hipp's 18th and newest video. Look through his previous clips and you can see an evolution. His most popular video is his best one, because he learned by creating all the ones that came before it.
Learn as you promote yourself. Consider it a living, breathing classroom.
3) Being bold and specific helps. "We're Number 37" is not a generic rockabilly song. It's about health care reform -- a polarizing topic being hotly debated these days -- and Paul makes it clear where he stands on the issue.
Don't be afraid to take a stand or directly appeal to a specific slice of the population with your art.
Another quick example comes from Maria Andros, who has posted 47 YouTube videos on social media marketing and other topics. Most of her videos have between 50 and 25,000 views each. Not bad.
Yep. It seems everyone is using and promoting Twitter these days. And for good reason. It's the easiest social networking tool to set up and use on a regular basis.
In addition to actors, authors, and politicians ... a LOT of musicians are using Twitter to stay in touch with their fans. Here's a list of the 12 most popular music people on Twitter, based on the current rankings at Twitterholic.
I can hear you now ... "You call some of these people 'musicians'?" I'm simply reporting the rankings of Twitter people known for their music-related activities here. I make no judgements as to the value of what they offer.
As you can see from the list, old school pop stars are in abundance. They still have the biggest platforms.
You may not get to a million followers on Twitter, but ... you CAN take a look at how these celebrities are using the service and learn from them -- both what to do and what NOT to do.
So take a peek at the various Twitter streams below and see what ideas you can borrow and use to connect with your fans -- regardless of how many of them there are right now.
It's a category of consumer that Penn refers to as "New Info Shoppers."
From the book:
"A whopping 92% of respondents said they had more confidence in information they seek out online than anything coming from a salesclerk or other source. They believe the information they find, not the information that is spoon-fed to them ..."
Consider that again: Smart consumers these days trust what they find -- or discover -- on their own first and foremost!
Another passage from Microtrends:
"An astonishing 70% of Americans now say they consult product reviews or consumer ratings before they make their buying decisions."
Admit it, you often do this yourself before spending money on a product or service. Which begs the question ...
How 'Findable' Are You Online?
When someone searches for your band name, your song or album titles, or your genre ... what do they discover?
Here are just some of the ways savvy customers find the info they're looking for today:
Finally, what steps can you take today to improve the odds that you'll be found and revealed in a positive light via the online avenues listed above?
Your mission: Go forth and make yourself and your music findable!
-Bob
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Internet Music Marketing Crash Course CD
Are you confused about Internet promotion? Not sure where to start? You'll have a clear vision and a solid game plan once you digest this amazing collection of resources. Find out more ...
I don't know about you, but I love reading books, magazines and blogs. But I'm also a big fan of using audio for learning. If I'm driving, exercising or just wanting to get some inspiration before drifting off to sleep, listening to useful spoken word audio content rules in my book.
For a few years now I've been producing my free Artist Empowerment Radio Podcast. And lately I've been creating shorter episodes and posting them more regularly. I encourage you to listen, download or -- best yet -- subscribe to the podcast feed.
In fact, if you have iTunes open on your computer right now, click this link. It will take you right to the Artist Empowerment Radio page, where you can hit the Subscribe button and get every future episode automatically downloaded.
Here are the most recent podcast episodes and topics:
If you think this is going to be about search engine optimization or a Google AdWords campaign ... think again. Here are five things Google offers that you should consider using to connect with fans and promote your music:
1) Display your live show schedule with Google Calendar. Most people use this popular feature for personal appointments and scheduling. But you can also choose categories on your calendar to make public -- and even embed them on your web site ... AND make it easy for people to add your events to THEIR personal calendars. Visit this page for more details.
2) Help fans find your gig venues with Google Maps. This popular application is the next best thing to having a GPS system in your car. You can use it to find places you drive to, of course. But a really smart idea is to include Google Maps links to each venue you perform at, not just the club address.
Sure, fans can "map it" themselves. But why not save them a couple extra steps and provide a direct link? Learn more about Google Maps here.
Tip: Look up a venue address on Google Maps yourself first. Then click on "Link" just to the right of "Print" and "Send" to get the code.
3) Turn your web site into a social networking playground with Google Friend Connect. Make it easy for people to join your community of fans using the cool features of this Google tool. Read more about it and watch the video here.
4) Add your albums and merchandise to Google Product Search. It's kinda like Google's version of Ebay -- but there are no listing fees. Learn more on this page.
5) Power up your communications with Gmail. I've been using Gmail for more than four years and love it. Lots of features and gobs of storage space to archive years of email exchanges. You can filter and label messages, send canned responses, and so much more. Go here for more info.
Google has a lot more up its sleeve. In fact, a big one is coming later this month (more on that soon). In the meantime, investigate these five Google features and see how you can use them to promote your music better online.
Last Friday I published a new blog post on an all-too-familiar topic: the sheer workload that indie musicians must embrace to make a true impact with online marketing.
There's no shortage of ideas, web sites or tools you can use. That's not the problem. The most common frustration I hear relates to confusion over how to manage a limited amount of time, money and energy.
Where should you start? What should your priorities be? What steps can you take to make the best use of your time?
For years I've been cranking out truckloads of ideas, tips, suggestions, success stories, and more. But what's been missing is a road map. A blueprint. A step-by-step checklist that any musician can follow and implement right away.
That's why I've started outlining a new resource called "Internet Music Marketing Blueprint - The 28-Day Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Web 2.0 and Social Media Promotion to Turbo-Charge Your Music Career."
Yes, that's a mouthful. But it accurately describes what I want this resource to deliver -- a specific to-do list for online promotion.
I already know most of want I want to include in this detailed blueprint. But to make it the best marketing plan possible, I invite your suggestions.
So tell me ...
What specific Daily, Weekly and Monthly tasks do you think need to be included in a plan like this?
What routines and habits have you personally developed to be most effective with Web 2.0 and Social Media promotion?
What specific things would you like to see addressed in a comprehensive online marketing plan?
Please leave your feedback in the Comments section below, send me an email, or join my Guerrilla Music Marketing group on Facebook and post your comments in the discussion thread there.
I appreciate your input and will keep you posted as I develop this exciting new resource.
A Buzz Factor ezine subscriber and indie artist named Melodie sent me the following question. She gave me permission to answer it publicly here:
Here's a question I've had for a while, and it may be one many artists have.
How many web links/web sites does an artist need? I have my own web site with a link to iTunes, and I'm on MySpace. That's it. No Twitter, no Facebook, nothing else. I wouldn't check out more than two links for an artist. I don't have the time. I do think YouTube would be good because it has such a large audience.
But other than that, does an artist need to be on EVERY networking site? Aren't we more interested in selling units and promoting ourselves than being on every site?
Thanks for the question, Melodie.
Yes, it's the most common frustration I hear from artists and practically anyone who tries to promote themselves online. "How do I find the time? Why do I need to be on all these sites?"
Here's the thing ... You don't NEED to do anything. You don't have to be on the Internet at all. But obviously you have decided it's worth at least some of your time to create your own web site, build a MySpace music profile page, and get your songs on iTunes. That's great!
But why did you do those things in the first place?
I assume it's because you realized the value of being "reachable" on the Internet. You wanted people to be able to find you online, and you wanted to have places to send people when you communicated with them - destinations where they could hear your songs, buy your music, etc.
So ... why should you consider being on other sites too?
For the same reasons. To improve the likelihood that music fans will find you.
If you really want to make an impact with your music, you must be willing to take the action necessary to connect with the people most likely to love your music. You do that by reaching out and establishing a presence in the places where those types of people hang out online.
It's All About the P-word!
To improve your odds of connecting with fans, I contend that you need more than a couple of web sites and pages. You need a Web PRESENCE! Which means you need to show up in multiple places.
I understand why you won't visit more than one or two links provided by another artist. That's not the point of having multiple profiles. Your goal isn't to have them visit every place you exist online. The point is to give people options.
There are many millions of people who primarily use Facebook as their networking site of choice. Others are mostly Twitter people, while other groups prefer MySpace or LinkedIn or iLike. Meet people where they are!
Another Reason to Jump In
Social networking online is becoming a bigger and bigger part of how people discover new things and recommend stuff to their friends. So if you want to tap into that power, you just have to bite the bullet and make time as you can.
Reality: You don't have to do it ALL today, but you can start chipping away at it a little at a time. That's how I built my own Internet-based career over the past 14 years.
Finally, you asked, "Aren't we more interested in selling units and promoting ourselves than being on every site?"
I don't recommend you jump into social networking to "sell units," but I do strongly believe that a byproduct of expanding your online presence is greater awareness of your music, closer connections with fans, and increased sales. So I think they are one in the same.
It's up to each individual artist to decide how to invest their time. If you spent the time to create and record your songs, you might as well invest the time and energy to share them with as many people as possible.
Thanks again for the question. I hope these ideas will inspire others to consider their own time and energy priorities.
One of my earliest childhood music memories took place when I was 6 years old.
My mom took me out for a drive with friends one warm summer night in St. Louis. At one point, the car came to a stop and Mom asked me to stick my head out the window and listen.
I heard screams coming from several blocks away. But these weren't wails of agony. They were cheering screams of ecstatic enthusiasm -- from what must have been thousands of people.
And under the reverberating crowd noises I heard music. It was a song with an unusual melody that I had heard on the radio many times: "I'm in love with her and I feel fine ..."
Yes, it was The Beatles performing live in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, at Busch Stadium in 1966.
In recent weeks, the Beatles have re-entered my mental radar. My daughter Kelli (who turned 13 earlier this week) has become enamored with "Across the Universe," a creative movie musical based on Beatles songs. To encourage her appreciation for the music, I bought the two-CD soundtrack and we've been playing it around the house and in the car a lot.
Just last night, the lads from Liverpool popped up again when I read the new Rolling Stone magazine cover story on "Why the Beatles Broke Up." It's a sad tale of personal differences, control, insecurity, financial battles, and poor choices.
But one thing that remains clear is the powerful chemistry these four men had and the indelible impact they had on music and history.
Then, just this morning, I get an email from Beatle Bob. The subject line read ...
"It Was 43 Years Ago Today!"
He is in Nashville emceeing the Fab Four Festival. He used the email to point out that today -- August 21, 2009 -- is the 43rd anniversary of The Beatles only live performance in St. Louis.
Too weird.
Take some time today to think about your musical memories and influences. Who keeps popping up in your consciousness? Appreciate them and the gift they have given you.
And while you're at it, turn the table. What impact has YOUR music had on other people? Even if it's in a small way, how have your songs touched someone's life?
What positive memories will you and your music inspire in others?
I absolutely love the example that reader Will Duke used in a comment on my blog recently regarding the Ideal Fan vs Fringe Fan debate:
"It [this post] actually made me think of my local Smoothie King. I spend at least 150 dollars a month on 40 oz. Peanut Power Plus smoothies (which, by the way, you have to try -- peanut butter, honey, bananas, strawberries ...) I think I'm an ideal fan.
"But the owners of the Smoothie King wouldn't know if I was (since they don't keep track of who their customers are, much less the ones who are most loyal); I get the same punch cards everyone else does.
"For an artist, it's crucial to know who your fans are, and who your best fans are -- the ones who represent the highest returns (in revenue, in word-of-mouth, etc.).
"It's hard to measurably improve what you aren't already measuring."
Thanks, Will. So true.
I was going to edit out the comments above where he raved about the Peanut Power Plus smoothie. But I quickly decided to leave it in. Why? Because it demonstrates the power of an Ideal Fan.
Not only does Will spend a good chunk of change at the shop every month. But he also raves about it and inspires more customers to come on board.
And that's what YOUR ideal fans do too. But do you know who they are?
If you have identified them, what are you doing to send them some extra love?
Have you thanked them, or given them extra bonus material or special perks, or encouraged them to spread the word even more?
If not, you should be!
-Bob
New Indie Music Confidential Reports and Teleclasses
Want to sell more music, book more gigs, and create more of a buzz with your music?
Then this collection of indie music marketing resources is for you. Includes:
Enjoy this free sampler version of my classic guide to indie music marketing - featuring more than "201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a Budget."
As seen in the major motion picture The School of Rock ... and in VIBE, Music Connection, Electronic Musician, and American Songwriter magazines.
Seriously. How are you deluding yourself ... and what is it costing you?
You know ... what inspires you and your friends to support a new artist and buy their music.
Since this is such a widespread issue (and one I wrestle with myself), I wanted to share my version of the Cycle of Success -- a concept I first heard from Jack Canfield. It's a bare-bones outline of the simple steps you must take to accomplish worthy goals. It may appear simplistic at first glance. But I ask you ...
I posted this question on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites this week and got a flood of great responses.
Everybody wants to know the easy, proven steps to music success. Therefore, every expert offers tips and strategies to help you reach your goals -- including me.
Paranoia will go a long way to helping you fall short of a thriving music career -- especially when it comes to earning money. Just know that every one of your fans is watching you and waiting to jump ship the second they smell any scent of capitalism. Therefore, if you make any sales pitches at all, they better be so low key as to be barely perceptible.
Why spend all that time dealing one on one with fans, when someday someone could just throw a bunch of money (you know, the funds you don't have enough of now) into a massive marketing campaign? Realize that it takes big bucks spent on radio promotion, retail placement, billboards, and paid display ads in national magazines to succeed. This mass media mindset is your ticket to success ... at hitting the fast track to failure.
Doughty was the creative force behind the band 
1) 
7) 
Are you confused about Internet promotion? Not sure where to start? You'll have a clear vision and a solid game plan once you digest this amazing collection of resources. 
I don't know about you, but I love reading books, magazines and blogs. But I'm also a big fan of using audio for learning. If I'm driving, exercising or just wanting to get some inspiration before drifting off to sleep, listening to useful spoken word audio content rules in my book.
1) Display your live show schedule with Google Calendar. Most people use this popular feature for personal appointments and scheduling. But you can also choose categories on your calendar to make public -- and even embed them on your web site ... AND make it easy for people to add your events to THEIR personal calendars. Visit 
3) Turn your web site into a social networking playground with Google Friend Connect. Make it easy for people to join your community of fans using the cool features of this Google tool. Read more about it and watch the video 
Where should you start? What should your priorities be? What steps can you take to make the best use of your time?
Here's a question I've had for a while, and it may be one many artists have.
For the same reasons. To improve the likelihood that music fans will find you.
Social networking online is becoming a bigger and bigger part of how people discover new things and recommend stuff to their friends. So if you want to tap into that power, you just have to bite the bullet and make time as you can.
P.S. 
