Success Leaves Clues

Success Leaves Clues
by Carla Lynne Hall

Excerpted from The DIY Guide to the Music Biz

So you want to be a rock star? Or perhaps you want to sell 5,000 copies of your CD? Or maybe you just want to pack the house for your next gig. “How do I do that?” you ask. In this life, there are no guarantees, but one way to become closer to your goals is to study how other successful musicians and performers got where they are. I’m not just talking about Behind the Music, although those shows are an education of their own. I mean studying the techniques that others have used to become successful.

In Anthony Robbins groundbreaking book Unlimited Power, he writes, “Success leaves clues. It means that if I see anyone in this world producing a result I desire, I can produce the same results if I’m willing to pay the price of time and effort. If you want to achieve success, all you need to do is find a way to model those who have already succeeded.”

This is a brilliant concept. Even if you tried, there is no way that you could really be a clone of anyone else. However, you can still learn skills from the best if you’re willing to put in the time. Be original, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

We live in a wonderful time where information is as close as our fingertips, thanks to the Internet. A visit to the Google search engine can lead you to new ideas to take you closer to your dreams of success. Reality shows such as American Idol and Making the Band give you a private (although biased) peek into the world of the platinum-plated music industry. If you’ve decided that you want to reach the top, then you have to do your research before you get there.

The Kama Sutra of Music Marketing ~ Guest Blog by Bob Baker

No series about The Recession Proof Musician would be complete without hearing from Mr. Buzz Factor himself, Bob Baker. I’ve been reading Bob’s writing for over 10 years now, when I first started learning how to market my music. Over the years, Bob has provided ideas and strategies that have helped me (and other musicians) think differently about marketing and promoting music, and I’m grateful for his online presence. Thanks Bob, for everything!

The Kama Sutra of Music Marketing
by Bob Baker

Reprinted from Bob Baker’s Indie Music Promotion Blog

When was the last time you thought about music promotion and making love at the same time? Been a while? Well, by the time you finish reading this column, you may do it more often. (Thinking about the combination, that is. How often you “do it” is up to you 🙂

This whole idea started when I ran across an article by Desiree Gullan called “The Kama Sutra of Marketing.” (In case you don’t know, the Kuma Sutra is an ancient Indian text widely considered to be the first manual on love and human sexuality.)

It reminded me of an analogy I’ve often used: Marketing is a lot like dating.

But most self-promoting musicians don’t think of it that way. And because of that, they struggle to get noticed, connect with fans, and make more money.

So, here are some valuable lessons from the Kama Sutra you can apply to your music marketing efforts:

1) Don’t settle for anyone – search for your music fan soul mates

You’ve heard the jokes. “He’s not Mr. Right, but he’s Mr. Right Now.” When dating, especially if people feel desperate, they settle. Instead of finding the right match, they pursue relationships that have little long-term potential. “Well, it’s better than being alone,” they say.

Do you do the same with your music promotion? Are you out to catch the interest of anyone who will listen? Or are you more discerning? The best way to proceed with a music career is to first decide who your ideal fan is. Who is your music-related soul mate?

How old are they? Do they tend to be male or female? Where do they hang out online and off? Where do they shop? What magazines, blogs and web sites do they read?

Get a handle on who you want to attract. Then focus on reaching only those types of people.

2) Get to know your fans first

What do you do on a first date with someone you really think has potential? Do you talk endlessly about yourself and how great you are? Or do you listen a lot and have a two-way dialogue?

Sadly, most people feel the need to impress others with how cool they are. So they launch into a laundry list of everything they’ve accomplished in their lives. Unfortunately, this approach leaves the other person feeling more neglected than impressed.

It’s the same with music promotion. It’s not all about you and your needs. Get to know your audience and what their interests and concerns are. Listen more than you talk. Share some of yourself and your story as you get to know them better. Give your fans a chance to know, like and trust you.

3) Don’t forget foreplay

Okay. You’re excited. You met someone new who really likes you. You anticipate the potential pleasure you will both experience together so much, you can taste it. It’s time to move in for the grand finale, right?

Wait! Hold your horses, Casanova Carl (or Valerie Vixen). Ease into the blessed event. Warm each other up first.

From a marketing standpoint, that means you don’t have to be so quick to ask for the sale. Wine and dine your fans (figuratively) before you flash your “Buy Now” button. Tease them a little with samples and insights into your songs. Leave them wanting more!

Consumers generally need to be exposed to something they enjoy 7 to 10 times before they get out their wallet or credit card to make a purchase. So expect and allow for this delayed gratification as you promote yourself.

4) Be a great lover

When the time comes to consummate the relationship, make sure you deliver the best goods you can. Make it a joyful and stimulating experience for all concerned — one your fans will remember (and maybe even tell many others about) for years to come.

That means you must create an unforgettable experience (be it a CD, music download or live show) filled with benefits that make each fan feel good. Make yours the best music in your genre. Thrill your fan partners so much, they’ll want to recreate the experience again and again.

That’s your goal as a self-promoting musician: Create moments your fans will want to duplicate over and over – all the while telling their friends about you and the great time they had.

5) Contact them and ask for another date

Finally, don’t leave your fans hanging after your first meaningful encounter. Get back in touch soon to thank them and let them know how much you enjoyed the experience.

This means you must follow up after the sale. Why? Because, if it was good for both of you, you want the relationship to continue. You want to interact more and enjoy more positive experiences (including music and merchandise sales) together.

Therefore, you must put a huge emphasis on building and using a fan mailing list. Capture the name and email address of everyone who has a positive experience with your music. Then input those details into a database and send messages to your fan list on a regular basis.

See, there is a connection between the Kama Sutra and music marketing.

So, from now on, when you’re engaged in music promotion activities, I encourage you to think about dating and making love.

But vice versa … you might think twice about that one 🙂

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Check out Bob’s free report, How to Recession Proof Your Music Career

Bob Baker is the author of “Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook,” “Unleash the Artist Within” and “Branding Yourself Online.” He also publishes TheBuzzFactor.com, a web site, blog and e-zine that deliver free music marketing tips and self-promotion ideas to musicians of all kinds. Visit TheBuzzFactor.com for more details.

Bob has been a panelist at SXSW and the Nashville New Music Conference. He’s been featured in Music Connection, VIBE, American Songwriter, Canadian Musician and Electronic Musician magazines, among others.

In more recent years, Bob has cranked out several new books, reports and audio programs, including MySpace Music Marketing, and Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition, Unleash the Artist Within, and Branding Yourself Online

In addition to writing and presenting workshops, today Bob enjoys life with his girlfriend, Pooki, and his daughter, Kelli-Rae. He serves as president of the St. Louis Publishers Association, and continues to write and perform music as much as time allows. Curious about what Bob’s music sounds like? Take a listen to his old band, Roomful of Jimmys.

Read This Blog!

I’m in hustle mode, just like everyone else, and while surfing the blogosphere, I ran across a blog from Chuck Westbrook, who’s doing his part to end the problem of great blogs with few readers.

And what is Chuck’s “Big Idea”?:

1. Gather some nice bloggers who believe in helping good content rise. The more the merrier. This becomes our group for the project.

With scores of bloggers focused on a particular blog, the author should see many nice things happen over those two weeks, especially if the blog really is a hidden gem. This includes discussions, traffic, constructive criticism, encouragement, and connecting to some of the bloggers in the group. That author then joins the group and we move along and do it again.

I like this idea! If you would like to add your blog to Chuck’s list, visit his blog for more info, and sign up for his RSS feed.

See you at the top!