Wow, it’s been too long since my last article… will try not to do that again…

Okay, I suppose I shouldn’t speak for all cellphone companies, but in past experience I’ve seen cellphone companies offer fantastic incentives to join their network.  They’re offering huge discounts on the handsets, at times even free, very attractive talk and data plans, etc.  We all know the catch is that they want you to sign a contract with them for years, and then sometimes it can be difficult to ever get out of the agreement, but that’s not the point of this article… the interesting thing is that all their best offers and incentives are saved only for people who haven’t ever given them any prior business.  It’s all about the new customer.  Once they’ve got you, it can feel at times like they don’t care about you anymore, or certainly not as much as someone new.  Suddenly, your hard-earned business that they really went out of the way to get from you doesn’t feel like it matters so much anymore.  You’re yesterday’s news.

Doesn’t feel very good does it?  Doesn’t engender any sort of loyalty, or make the customer feel appreciated very much at all.  I’ve heard many people rail against their cell-phone provider – I’m personally quite happy with mine at the moment, but it’s not really because they’re making me feel special or valued as a repeat customer… my satisfaction comes from a quality handset, and quality cellular service.  Meaning, they’re simply delivering the goods they promised, at a level of quality I am content with.  But I don’t feel any loyalty toward them, or feel that they’ve treated me in any way special at all, in exchange for my continued business.

I feel like bands can sometimes spend all their energy trying to entice new people to listen to their music, and once a person has bought your music. or come to a show, there’s sometimes very little effort put towards making that person feel appreciated or special, beyond the band putting on a good show.  (simply delivering the goods as promised.)

There can be lots of similarities between the cellphone company example, and a band… so I have to wonder what would happen if a band started to treat their existing customers as the most special ones, instead of future potential customers.  There could be repeat purchase incentives, special offers made only to your best customers, exclusive shows only for people who bought a certain expensive merch item,… the sky’s the limit really, when it comes to ideas.

What would you do (or even better… what ARE you doing) to make your current fans and customers feel special?

Okay, here’s a new thing I’m trying out… answering reader questions… I hope I can help.

One reader writes…

Ian,

I am trying to get into the music business with the ultimate goal of owning my own independent record label. I have been asked by a friend of mine to run their street team. What type of advice would you give to someone taking over a street team? They have amassed a large following in the local area, played several colleges and universities, receive airplay on the public radio station and recently sold out a 400 seat venue in our hometown. They are now ready to start branching out and increase their fanbase.

Running an artist’s street-team could be a great experience for you, especially if the artist has a local following, and presumably, some fans willing to get active and take part in their street-team, just waiting for someone to lead them.  It’s a great way to start learning about marketing and promoting music, and with many of the street-team activities these days shifting toward online activities, it can be a great way to start building relationships with important websites and key tastemakers around the world if you want.

Street teams these days are so much more than handing out flyers, and postering for gigs.  These days its rallying kids to write reviews of products on iTunes/Amazon/etc., launching facebook campaigns, creating user-generated videos, creating iMixes, stimulating conversation on social networks and messageboards, and more.  You can also create downloadable pdf posters that team-members can print-out themselves and distribute.  The types of missions you charge them with is only as limited as your imagination.

But, I would urge you to view this possibility (if you choose to accept it) as a serious way to gain business experience for yourself… it’s basically a management position.  You will learn how to deal with many different personalities, how to manage and direct support staff, how to motivate people, how to organize and launch campaigns, recruit staff, communicate effectively, and try your hand at marketing and promotion.  So treat it like a business.  Be organized, be reachable, be professional, be courteous, be respectful, be admirable, and above all else, be excited about your product.

And in closing, remember this… when taking on a significant role in an indie artist’s team, be sure this artist is one you believe in, because by promoting them, you’re attaching your name to them.  To the rest of the industry, and the world, that means you endorse what they are doing, and you will be judged on their quality and success.  Since you say you want to start your own music company one day, your reputation will always be of upmost importance, so make sure you believe wholeheartedly in the artists you choose to work with.

I hope that helps!

Thanks for writing, please keep reading, and keep sending me your emails!  I’ll try and do my best to answer them here in future articles.

Two approaches to promoting your band, both of which are not mutually exclusive.  Meaning, you should try to do them both as best you can.

The first, Be Where Everyone Is… is all about knowing your target fans, and making sure that you are active in those places, both online and in the offline space.  Being active where your potential fans already spend their time – the bars, websites, blogs, concerts, radio stations, specialty record shops, etc.  Make sure you are spending your time there wisely.  Don’t think selfishly when you are spending time where everyone is, that’s the kiss of death.  Thinking selfishly would mean you’re going to where everyone is, and shouting about what you want to talk about, not what everyone else wants.  That mentality leads to unproductive behaviour like shoving flyers in hands, postering, posting uninteresting shameless promotional messages online, shouting about your myspace, etc.  When you are in the space where everyone else is, think instead about how you can add value to what’s already there – if that’s having meaningful conversations, sharing news that the others will care about, helping out others within the community, putting on free shows, asking questions, appropriately giving away some of your music etc.  I say appropriately… don’t force it at people who aren’t interested… just make it available, then go about doing all the other things that can add value to the community you’re in, and every once in a while remind people it’s there.  (not more than once a week.)  You’ve got to stand out in the crowd, but not by being the one who shouts loudest… do it by being someone who adds lots of value to the community.

The second one, Be Where Everyone Isn’t… doesn’t mean playing to an empty room.  It is more about creative thinking, and since you’re a musician, hopefully you’re really good at thinking creatively.  This one is is about finding unique places to put yourselves and your music, where people aren’t expecting to come into contact with it.  Now, this is useless if it doesn’t match with your target audience, for example if you’re in a heavy metal band it’s probably not worth performing live on a flatbed truck outside the Wine & Cheese Show… while you might get a few wine-lovers who love their metal, the fact is it’s not efficient, even though it’s unique and unexpected.  But if you were in a jazz-band, that might be a great thing for you to do.  Try finding other communities other than music-based ones that are likely to enjoy your music, but aren’t currently engaged in talking about music…. Major record labels have entire departments to this, and they call it lifestyle marketing.  Again, if you’re that metal band, itching to play on a flatbed trailer, try playing outside the Tattoo Convention instead of the Wine & Cheese one.  It’s all about thinking about your fans, or potential fans, considering where else they might go when they’re not actively seeking music, and being there too.  So if you’d appeal to an affluent business crowd, maybe it’s busking at the airport, or engaging people online on travel messageboards… On a larger scale, this is why corporate brands associate themselves with certain musicians… the Vans Warped Tour, Blackberry and U2 / John Mayer, etc.  That’s the ultimate, and it can result in gobs of money changing hands, but that’s not the point here… the point is all about association and getting in front of new potential fans.  Now, you could just sit there and say “but I can’t get a tour sponsorship”… or you could say… okay, bands like mine get sponsored by Vans, so maybe I should try getting my music played in local skateboard shops, or alternative shoe-stores.  I can’t tell you every example, because there’s so many opportunities out there…. but I am challenging you to try and find these unique but suitable places to engage your potential fans.

Have fun, get out there, add value to your communities, and put more music out into the world in unexpected places.  Sounds like a good plan to me.

If you have done something that adds value to your community, or if you’ve done something unique to promote your music, let us know what it is in the comments below!

This is not what I mean.

Sounds a little violent, and the origins of the phrase quite possibly are… but taken in the context of a band performing live… it’s one hell of a mantra.

Not only does it clearly state that you have to perform exceptionally well – that’s where the kicking ass part comes in – but it indicates a follow up action – the taking of names.  This part should be taken quite literally… make sure that every time you go out and perform, aside from giving it your absolute all each and every time, that your primary focus is on making contact with as many people who liked your music as possible, and that you’re ensuring they don’t leave without you having some way to develop an ongoing relationship with them.  Take Names.  Collect email addresses and contact info – especially anyone who actually wants to buy a piece of merch or a CD.  If those people are willing to give you their hard earned money, why wouldn’t you want to keep in contact with them?  They’re likely to want to give you more money at a later date.

You should be driving people to your merch booth, and to give you their contact info at every opportunity you can.  Especially from the stage, but also on your website, all your social network platforms, in every interview you do, any advertising that’s done on your behalf, and anywhere else you can think of… all of it should direct people to give you their contact info, so that you have their permission to communicate with them.

There are also three key things that many bands neglect to do when encouraging people to give them their contact info, so make sure you do them – the first is to be very clear with how often you will be communicating with them (bi-weekly or monthly is probably best… not too often, not too little).  The second is to be very clear about why people should give you permission to contact them…. tell them what type of things they can expect to read in the communications… band news, the latest info on tour dates, witty insights, poetry… you’ll know what type of things your listeners would find interesting… make sure they know what they’d be signing up for, and make sure it would be interesting to your listeners.  The third thing that bands often don’t think about, is to offer incentives in exchange for the contact info and permission… this could take many forms – some could be ongoing incentives, others could be immediate incentives – do subscribers get to read news first, before other folks?  Do they get discounts on purchases?  Do they get exclusive offers, sneak previews of new music, first chance at advance tickets to shows, etc?  Do they get a free download in exchange for signing up?  A tchotchke? Automatic guestlist to the next show in their city?  Lots of ideas are out there, and you’ll know what would appeal to your listeners.  The important thing is that you’re thinking about all this stuff, and acting on it.  That’s why the subject heading of this post is so important, because it summarizes in four words, what I’ve explained in five-hundred and fifty-two words.  That makes it easier to remember, so now there’s really no excuse at all…

Kick ass.  Take names.

Would someone please think of the environment?

Indie bands, why not do your part to help save the Earth… you could stop making fancy elaborate press packages to mail out to unsuspecting record labels, agents, managers, etc.  They don’t need a printed two-pocket folder emblazoned with your band logo, or paper copies of all your lyrics, biography or printouts of all your online press.  They also don’t need copies of your CD, stickers, swag, or hard copies of your band photos.

If you must send something out to these people, (and my real recommendation is to spend your time connecting with fans instead) send an introductory personal email (or phone call) requesting permission to send a follow up email that would contain a link to a place online where your music can be heard.

Myspace pages are still very useful for this, as you can put everything in there that would be in a press kit, but it’s all digital.  There’s no large email attachments needed (don’t send mp3 attachments as most companies have strict email filesize limits and music files end up clogging inboxes), plus the folks can see how many friends you have (don’t fake it, let it grow organically), how many plays you’re getting (don’t use boosters, they don’t fool anyone), and get an overall feel for what you’re all about.

All without killing a single tree.

I was recently watching a fascinating documentary called “Connected: The Power Of Six Degrees”  that focuses on a growing field of science called Network Theory.  It’s origins stem from the celebrity-game “Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon” that challenges people to connect two seemingly random actors through the movies they’ve been in and via their co-stars.  The documentary focuses on how the world is much smaller and more connected than we ever thought it was.  They even perform an experiment on the doc, where 40 random people around the world are given the task of getting a package delivered to a specific Harvard University Professor, the caveat being you can only send the package to someone you know, who you think can help you get the package closer to the target recipient.  Then that person has to send it on to someone they know, and repeat the process until the package arrives at the intended person.  In the documentary, four of the 40 packages mailed, actually end up arriving at the Harvard professor’s office, including one that originated from a random woman living in a small village in Africa.  The documentary delves into how network theory can potentially help the world accomplish such widespread goals as combat terrorism, prevent viral pandemics, cure cancer, and more.  It’s a really fascinating documentary and I highly recommend everyone watch it any way possible.

Relating the topic of the documentary to the subject matter of this blog, it’s easy to see how the network theory principles outlined and demonstrated in the documentary can be applied to music marketing.  The package experiment truly proves that by spreading something organically, step-by-step throughout your network, it is very possible to reach a great number of people.  By travelling along a bridge that exists between you and your contact, then hopping onto a bridge that exists between them and their next contact, and continuing that process repeatedly, along these pre-existing bridges, it seems that it’s possible to reach almost anyone and everyone in the world.  Given that, it would seem that focusing on the network to which you’re already connected (friends, family, co-workers and fans), and creating something they then feel compelled to share with each of their networks is a very effective method of spreading your message.  It would seem to be far more efficient to strengthen and utilize the network connections that already exist, than to try and build new network connections where ones didn’t already exist.

It may seem obvious, but why not try spending your energy creating something remarkable that your current network truly wants to spread, and then help motivate them to do so?