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THE BUZZ FACTOR E-ZINE Music marketing tips, promotion ideas and more June 3, 2002 In This Issue: Luring Fans to Your Web Site Are You a Reverse Shoplifter? Using Quizzes, Top 10 Lists and Q&As Read the previous issue here: www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/052102.html See the end of this message for Subscribe and Unsubscribe instructions. ============ Buzz Factor Sponsor ============ Three reasons OASIS CD DUPLICATION should top your list for CD manufacturing: * Free Radio Promotion, oasisCD.com/sampler * Free National Distribution, oasisCD.com/distribution * Patent-pending Eco-packaging, oasisCD.com/packaging Reach Stessie at sc@oasisCD.com, 888-296-2747 or oasisCD.com WELCOME! The interview is nearly three years old, but I enjoyed TheCelebrityCafe.com's interview with David Nevue, a pianist, composer and author of How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet. Here's an excerpt in which David talks about promoting a "big idea" on the Internet to effectively market a "smaller idea." "Most people use the Internet as an interactive Yellow Pages. As such, you have to market yourself where people go, and you have to present a package to them that they will be interested in. As an unknown musician, you haven't got a chance in the world if you just stick your web page up on the Net and expect results. You have to target your audience and give them something they want ... "I have four solo piano CDs. My audience [consists of] piano music lovers. I have to consider what piano music lovers might be interested in. Whatever that 'big idea' is, that's the idea I have to cater to. Once I bring in traffic interested in that 'big idea,' THEN I market my music to them. You market the 'big idea' first, the music later. You have to get the people to come to your site before you can do anything else." Great concept. Find out more by reading the entire interview at thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/david_nevue.html Take a closer look at David's book here: rainmusic.com/htpma/buzz.htm -Bob P.S. Be sure to read the cool ideas in my "Think Outside of the Music Box" sections below. =========== Recommended Resources =========== SELL MORE CDs & MERCHANDISE! Get serious about accepting credit cards online and at gigs. It's fast, easy and reliable. The Buzz Factor uses this service. So should you. "I ordered Bob's Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook and his Branding Yourself Online book. Both titles are great. Inspired by his creative ideas, I'm coming up with tons of brainstorms and game plans to boost my music career. The knowledge is priceless. I look forward to doing more business with Bob in the future." -Michael Gostovich GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING POWER COURSE www.bob-baker.com/buzz/gpc.html ============= Quotes of the Week ============= "I've always told the musicians in my band to play what they know and then play above that. Because then anything can happen, and that's where great art and music happens."  -Miles Davis "Learning music by reading about it is like making love by mail."  -Luciano Pavarotti ========== Bob's Buzz Tip of the Week ========== THINK OUTSIDE OF THE MUSIC BOX The phrase "think outside the box" may be overused, but it does sum up a primary theme that runs throughout my articles and books. You must look beyond the obvious when promoting yourself as an independent musician. One of the things I've long advocated is looking to other industries for fresh ideas. One profession that offers lots of marketing angles is book publishing. Having been involved in both the book trade and the music biz, I see many parallels between these two industries. Both have big conglomerates that dominate most of the blockbuster best sellers. Both industries have smaller, independent companies that cater to niche markets. And both have eager individuals who go against the traditional grain, put out their own product and go the do-it-yourself route. Therefore, there's a lot that musicians can learn from creative authors and publishers. Which is why my mental wheels were cranking a few days ago as I flipped through a copy of Jump Start Your Book Sales by Tom and Marilyn Ross (a book they published via their own small company, by the way). Here are a couple of the notable ideas I found within the book: Author Greg Godek uses a trick called "reverse shoplifting." He takes a copy of his book to bookstores that don't carry it. Greg then leaves his copy on the shelf face out in the appropriate section. When a customer tries to purchase it, the computer doesn't recognize the title and causes the staff to investigate (which makes bookstore employees instantly aware of the title). Might you do the same thing with your CD? Many authors and publishers print and mail four-color postcards with their book's cover on one side and sales copy on the black-and-white address side. This works well for books, since the shape of most book covers is roughly the same shape as a postcard. So what about CD covers, which are square? Put your CD cover on the top section of the color side of the card. (By top, I mean when you hold the card sideways, so that it's taller than it is wide.) Then put one or two glowing review quotes right under it. A descriptive endorsement works much better than a dull, generic statement like "In stores June 29." Let people know why they should be excited about the release before you feed them other mundane details. Postcards are the best direct mail bargain going. They're relatively cheap to print and mail. They don't have to be opened to be seen. Postcards make an immediate impact, whether they're sent to fans, the media or industry people. (I've got more great ideas borrowed from the book publishing industry right after these notes ...) ========== Promote & Sell Your Music ========== 10 Great Places to Promote Your Music Online Ten online publicity sources excerpted from my Online Music PR Hot List. Use these writers, editors and webmasters to get wider exposure for your sounds. 197 PROMOTION TIPS FOR INDIE MUSICIANS Ideas, tricks and resources to help promote your music. ========== Bob's Buzz Tip of the Week ========== THINK OUTSIDE OF THE MUSIC BOX - Part 2 Here are three more brainstorms I culled from the book "Jump Start Your Book Sales" by Tom and Marilyn Ross: Many authors create a quiz or top 10 list based on information in their books. For instance, a guy who wrote a book on little-known tax deductions might put together a one-pager called "Ten Things the IRS Doesn't Want You to Know." He then uses this list to get write-ups in the press and uses it when he appears on radio shows. Couldn't musicians use this PR technique just as easily? A quiz or list could be based on an artist's genre, lyrics, CD theme, etc. Examples: "10 Things You Need to Know About Jazz" or "Test Your Jazz History Knowledge: Take This Quiz." The media eats up this kind of stuff -- and will give you a plug when they use it. Are you not getting enough media interviews? Then interview yourself and put together two or three Q&A pages to include in your press kit. Have some fun with this. Imagine your ideal interview. What questions would you be asked? What sort of fascinating answers would you provide to amaze and inspire readers? Write out those fantasy questions and answers. Just remember, don't ramble about everything under the sun. Stay focused on your musical identity and why people should care about you and your songs. Make your responses lively, interesting, and maybe even a little shocking and controversial. By including a Q&A in your press kit (or as a stand-alone item sent to the media), writers may very well use your quotes in their articles about you. Lesson: Look to other industries for fresh marketing ideas. Oh yeah, and always think outside of the box. DEVELOP VOCAL POWER, RANGE AND PROJECTION Become a better singer with these world-renowned tools. MAKE MONEY AS BUZZ FACTOR AFFILIATE Earn $10 a pop! Get paid twice a month! ============= More Cool Resources ============= Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_marketing.htm Indie Music Contact Bible www.bob-baker.com/buzz/icb.html How to Make $100,000 a Year in the Music Business www.bob-baker.com/buzz/100.html Internet Marketing Secrets Revealed www.bizweb2000.com/new/d8513 SPREAD IT AROUND Can you think of two or three indie music people who would benefit from Buzz Factor tips? Forward this issue to them. Encourage them to subscribe. It's easy ... and it's free! To STOP getting The Buzz Factor, send a blank e-mail to: TheBuzzFactor-unsubscribe@topica.email-publisher.com NOTE: You must send this message from the e-mail address you originally subscribed with. To START getting The Buzz Factor, send a blank e-mail to: TheBuzzFactor-subscribe@topica.email-publisher.com or fill out the subscription form at the top of this page. REPRINT PERMISSION Would you like to run some of the content from this issue on your web site or in your e-zine or print publication? You may do so for free as long as the following credit is added: "Reprinted from Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor, featuring free marketing and self-promotion ideas for songwriters, musicians and bands on a budget. Visit www.TheBuzzFactor.com for free details." (Note: This offer doesn't apply to my GetSigned.com columns. Those are exclusive articles.) Home  -  Free Articles  -  Ezine  -  Bob's Books  -  Other Books Free Stuff  -  PR Services  -  About Bob  -  Order Form THE BUZZ FACTOR is published by Bob Baker PO Box 43058, St. Louis, MO 63143 Phone: (314) 758-7578 - E-mail: info@thebuzzfactor.com