Is it all a bunch of crap? I am talking about all the ideas, concepts, strategies, tips, tricks, and techniques you read about everyday while trying desperately to get your music into the hands of your fans… you know music marketing. The thing that you HAVE to do to make a living in this music industry. Again, is it all BS? I mean come on, isn’t marketing really a better way of selling out?

I have struggled with this question my entire career. It feels bad, at least to me, pushing my own stuff on people. I mean they are going to like it or they are not. What can I do to MAKE someone like what I have let alone take hard earned money out of their pocket and give it to me…. and give it to me for something I would freely give away just so my art can be upon the world.

Folks, that is what makes you a true artist. Someone who creates from the heart what your soul NEEDS to get out. Selling out is changing what your heart tells you so you can make a dime. Selling out is promoting a product with your music you know is wrong just to make a quarter. And selling out is being someone you are not while pimping your music just so you can make a dollar.

Being an artist is creating your art, sharing it with the world and hoping someone, event if it is only one person in the billions out their, enjoys it and gets something from it as you have when releasing it from your soul. Music marketing is NOT selling out. The only way that – that one person out there – can find your music that may heal their broken heart, motivate them to get out of bed to face the day, or enhance their time at the lake with friends is if they know you and your music exists.

It took me years to understand that. It took my brother – the one who pushes me hardest to promote and market myself – hour upon hour of telling me to put name on something, get a picture with so-in-so, or build a website (when the 90′s came around…LOL) so another musician or artist would be aware of who I was and how I may be able to help them reach their goal. Because I always thought – WRONGLY – my actions, ideas, or music would talk for itself.

AND IN FACT IT DOES…. but if you are standing in an empty parking lot at 3am screaming at the top of your voice… “I am here! I have great music!” No one will hear you. There is no one there. You are alone. You have no audience. No matter how loud you scream, your music can not speak for you because there is no one to hear what it is saying to them.

Music Marketing is not selling out as long as you do not sell out. Yes, there are “smoke and mirror” campaigns that are BS, there are strategies that take you down the wrong path from what your heart and soul are telling you to do or what is right or wrong, and there are for sure little applications online that will trick twitter, myspace, facebook, and others into gaining you tons of BS “friends.” And these type music marketing activities are for sure selling out.

But real music marketing, real communication, real emotions, real friendships built around your music with like minded fans….. that is only letting people know about you, making friends, and reach further than your music can do alone. I am not saying social networking is selling out. It is not. in fact the words alone… SOCIAL – NETWORKING… it’s being social and it’s about networking. It’s not lying, exaggerating, using “smoke and mirrors,” or being someone you are not……

Music marketing is not BS….. it is sharing your soul with the world and attracting like minded souls to what your heart has to say. Be true to you, no one else -  one fan at a time, over time, and in a way you can stand and be proud of…. that is music marketing that works, that lasts, and that you can wake up everyday and do over and over again without feeling dirty!

Just my 2 cents on what makes me get up everyday and be able to “put my name on an idea!”

“Love the MUSIC in YOURSELF, not YOURSELF in the MUSIC!”
Peace,
Jai

If you want to find out how you can make potential fans aware of your music check out:
The Ultimate Awareness Campaign for Marketing Your Music the RIGHT way!

When social networking, you have to keep in mind the flow of events and what you are trying to accomplish. Here are a few rules of thumb to follow:

- All social networking sites  lead to the main site www.YOURDOMAIN.com. It’s not the other way around. You get more people on social networking sites than at the main site. What you are trying to do is get those people to go to the main site to get the core message. This means the main site contains the core message, information, or happenings and social networking sites present that core message in a personal way … that will connect with people on a friend level. Social networking sites should never be an exact copy of what is contained on the main site.

- Personal stories, tidbits, or other stories found online that contribute to the core message, information, or happenings of the core message found on the main site should be used to make connections on social networking sites – then, use teasers to get people who stumble upon the connection in the social networks to go to the main site to get the full story or information.

- Information between social networking sites should never be a duplicate of each other or the main site’s information. You need to make each site unique. Know your social networking site’s emotions, what the people of that site like, don’t like, and interact in a way that best suites them… not you.

- Main social sites or high activity sites should have a blog updated at least three times a week with personal, mission, and off the wall subject matter

- Minor social sites with little activity should have a new blog posted at least once a week

- Youtube is a social networking site and needs to have updates, blog posts, and comments added weekly

- Each social networking site has an “update status” or “what are you doing now” section or box. This should be updated at least once a day on all social networking sites. For the main, active, sites this should be updated twice a day.

- Social networking is about interaction. This means more than friend requests and comments. You must visit various “friends” profiles often and litter with comments, emails, interaction, and personal thoughts. Remember, we you are trying to make real friends… not just fans.

- Social sites are a great way to get fans/friends involved. Radio interviews, live shows, and other activities  should be announced as follows: create a blog post as soon as activity is confirmed and main site updated with core/complete details. One week prior to event a mass blast or all friend update should be sent to all friends within social network. Three days prior – create another blog talking a bit more detail about event and hype it up a bit by saying other fans are getting excited… blah blah blah. Two days prior – mid day – send a mass blast to all friends again reminding them of event – not a copy of the original blast. One day prior you need to send out three blasts throughout the day – morning-mid day- evening reminding friends of events. This time be sure to include contact, address, or other relevant information. Day of event send three more blasts before event and one blast after event is over requesting friends  thank the radio stations, venue owners, or others involved with the event – include email addy to make it easy on friends to take action. Day after event a new blog should be posted to all sites with links to core information on main site, pictures, video, or other media collected from event. This is also a good time to ask fans/friends to submit any pictures or videos they took at the event.

- Social networking is about getting friends/fans to take small action steps. You are training them to take action when asked. This can be as small and simple as emailing a radio station to thank them for hosting an interview. The goal is to get the people used to taking steps! When fans take steps you reward them by bragging in blogs. If a radio station sends you an email saying people emailed in to the show then by all means create a blog post and thank the fans for emailing. Tell them how it helped, why they need to continue, and how it helped reach success. This is a strong reward. You need fans to take small action steps throughout the campaign as it leads to the large action step of buying CDs and merchandise when it’s available.

Social networking is about action and activity. Main websites are about core information. You use social networking to lead people to the core site so they can take action on what is needed to help the music mission continue.

Peace,
Jai
“Love the MUSIC in Yourself, Not Yourself in the MUSIC!”