February 26, 2002

In This Issue:

• Destroying the Music Media Myth
• The Most Important Thing You Can Ask of Your Fans
• Wanna Sell More CDs? -- It's All About Choices

Read the previous issue here:
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/021902.html

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WELCOME!

Question: Do you let your current fans and CD buyers help you inspire new ones? You should. And I'm not talking about sitting back and letting word of mouth work its magic. Instead, I'm suggesting you ask admirers who are already in the fold to give you glowing quotes you can use on your web pages and elsewhere.

Are you selling CDs through Amazon.com's Advantage program? Ask your fans to go to the mega-site and post a customer review. I started offering my "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" at Amazon about three months ago. Just last week, someone posted the following review:

"I've owned this book for a number of years and still refer to it often. It's packed with down-to-earth, easy-to-apply advice on how you can succeed in the music business. I recommend this book for anybody interesting in taking control of their music career."

You can bet I'll use these wonderful comments to help sell more books. Do the same with your fans when selling your CDs. Ask for their help ... and their raving reviews.

Wanted: Your Opinion

In fact, I'll practice what I preach and ask you: If you've read my Guerrilla Music Marketing book, please head to Amazon.com and post a review.

While we're at it, if you've devoured any of my titles over the years, please send an e-mail to Bob@thebuzzfactor.com and let me know how my resources have helped you. If I use your quote, I'll give you and your web site a plug.

Another question: Do you give your fans lots of options for ordering your CDs and merchandise? I'm in the process of updating my order form and many of the pages on my site to provide more choices for customers. People can now order Buzz Factor titles using a check, money order, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, InternetCash or PayPal. Are you giving your fans lots of choices?

Check out my new order form. Feel free to borrow the concept behind my presentation, if it works for you.

Pressing the Right Buttons

Also, if you use CD Street for e-commerce (like I do), they just started offering cool BUY buttons, which look better than the boxed order form of the past. To see what they look like in action, head to the bottom of this page.

With this issue, I'm taking a temporary break from the usual format to give you my thoughts on how the music media really works -- and where you fit in.

Have a great week!

-Bob

=========== Recommended Resources ===========

GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING HANDBOOK ...
More and more indie musicians are catching on to the great advice served up in this 148-page manual, featuring hundreds of ways to thrive and prosper with your music.

197 PROMOTION TIPS FOR INDIE MUSICIANS
An incredible, new collection of ideas, tricks and resources you can start using right now to promote your music.

SELL MORE CDs & MERCHANDISE ONLINE!
Accept credit cards. No setup fee. It's fast, easy and reliable. The Buzz Factor has been using this very service for years. You should too.

============= Quote of the Week =============

"I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass." -Maya Angelou

========== Bob's Buzz Tip of the Week ==========

DESTROYING THE MUSIC MEDIA MYTH

Many people think of the media as an impenetrable fortress. Folks who feel this way have the impression that to get covered in a newspaper, magazine or trade publication -- online or off -- you have to be part of a secret club or have some inside connection.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Most people who have a negative attitude toward the music press either have never dealt with the media, expected too much too soon when they did publicize themselves, or simply took the wrong approach when communicating with editors and writers.

Before the Internet became all the rage, there were already many thousands of music publications in existence -- everything from major magazines to mimeographed fanzines. The rapid expansion of cyberspace served to quadruple the number of media sources in existence.

Most established print publications now have an online presence and often feature distinct news stories that only appear on the Internet. Also, the low cost of entry has allowed a multitude of would-be music editors and writers to create their own online news outlets.

These countless publications each have audiences that are hungry for information related to the musical subject of the publication. Editors, writers, illustrators, photographers and designers -- many of whom are overworked and underpaid -- decide what information their audiences are most interested in and do their best to deliver it.

(continued after these notes ...)

============= Promote Your Music =============

THE ONLINE MUSIC PR HOT LIST - 101 places to submit press releases, get reviewed, uncover PR connections and promote your music on the Internet.

*BEST BOOK ON BRANDING ONLINE*
"I haven't made it past chapter 3 and I have already read a wealth of helpful information on branding your business name and branding tools ... a detailed, step-by-step guide to branding and marketing techniques you can use both online and offline." -Five-star customer review of Bob's "Branding Yourself Online" at Amazon.com. For more details, go to bob-baker.com/buzz/byo.html

DESTROYING THE MUSIC MEDIA MYTH
(continued)

In other words, media people have space to fill. They need quality content to keep readers happy. To write new reviews, articles and recommendations on a regular basis, they need a steady stream of ideas. The easier those ideas are to implement, the better their chances of being used.

It's estimated that more than 80 percent of what we read in print and online publications is "planted." No, that doesn't necessarily mean that stories are covered because of government conspiracies or because bigwigs slip money under the table (although you can certainly argue that major-label ad revenues have an effect on what's covered in the press).

News stories are frequently suggested by public relations firms, freelance publicists and everyday people who simply contact the media with interesting article ideas.

For 10 years, I published and served as managing editor of my own music magazine in St. Louis, MO. As much as I tried to get out and see bands perform live and stay up to date on developments in the music industry, I couldn't possibly be everywhere and know everything at all times. I often relied on the recommendations of others when making decisions on what bands and topics to cover.

Sometimes one of my writers would come to me with a story concept or a press kit from a new band would catch my eye; at other times, speaking with someone at a concert or on the phone would spark an idea.

I didn't manage my magazine from within an enclosed fortress and neither do most of the editors, writers, columnists and reviewers you contact. They need people just like you to give them ideas and information they can use to serve their audiences.

Read this complete article, which is a musically slanted version of an excerpt from my "Branding Yourself Online" book, at getsigned.com/bob33.html

============= More Cool Resources =============

How to Promote Your Music on the Internet
www.rainmusic.com/htpma/buzz.htm

Indie Music Contact Bible
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/icb.html

Creating Musical Wealth
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/cmw.html

How to Make $100,000 a Year in the Music Business
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/100.html

MusicMarketingBooks.com
www.musicmarketingbooks.com

FREE MP3 Audio Excerpts from Bob's Books
www.mp3.com/Bob-Baker

Ignite Your Creative Passion
www.bob-baker.com/buzz/ignite.html

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