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THE BUZZ FACTOR E-ZINE Music marketing tips, promotion ideas and more August 6, 2002 In This Issue: Using Food to Get Media Exposure How Gospel and Christian Music Are Soaring Wanna Create a Rock Star? Hit Fans at the Point of Purchase Will You Perform on Sept. 11? Read the previous issue here: www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/072802.html See the end of this message for Subscribe and Unsubscribe instructions. ============ Buzz Factor Sponsors ============ 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 NYRock.com: Music, News and Cyberbabble Current content includes an interview with Noel Gallagher of Oasis and reviews of J.J. Cale and Solomon Burke in concert. NY Rock also features services for indie musicians, such as cd reviews and free classifieds: http://nyrock.com WELCOME! As we approach the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks, I'm curious to know how indie musicians will handle Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002. It seems most major touring acts are avoiding concerts on that date. What about you? Will you perform a regular show? Do you plan to turn down performance offers for that date? Or will you be part of a tribute or memorial concert? Send a note to bob@thebuzzfactor.com and I'll share some of your thoughts in an upcoming issue. Hook Up with Local Retailers Major music retailers such as Virgin, Best Buy and Sam Goody are getting more involved in sponsoring live music events to promote their brands. Exposure at live concerts gets the retailers' names in front of living, breathing music enthusiasts -- the type of people most likely to shop at their stores. Can you take advantage of this trend on a local or regional level? If not with a big chain store, how about with a regional chain or local mom and pop shop? Offer to hang banners and distribute fliers or coupons at your gigs. In return, the retailer could either pay you cash or give you some prime display space in its store. Yet another creative idea to consider. Have a great week! -Bob P.S. Send Me Your Tips ... Get Free Exposure I'm on a mission to uncover tons of new music marketing tips. Between this e-zine, new titles I'm working on, my columns at GetSigned.com, etc., I need lots of creative ideas and examples to fuel these projects. I'll give you free exposure through my new articles and books if you send me a usable tidbit on how you got media exposure, attracted more fans, sold more CDs, etc. Send your best tips to bob@thebuzzfactor.com. THE BUZZ FACTOR BEST-SELLER LIST based on sales in June and July 2002 The Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook 197 Promotion Tips, Tricks & Resources for Indie Musicians Online Music PR Hot List How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet Poor Richard's Branding Yourself Online To receive a complete list of Buzz Factor titles and services by autoresponder, send a blank e-mail to: orderform@bob-baker.com. ============= Quotes of the Week ============= "A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a bit of advice from someone who has achieved a goal similar to yours is worth a thousand pictures." -Peter McWilliams "Computers are useless. They only give you answers." -Pablo Picasso ========== Bob's Buzz Tips of the Week ========== THE POWER OF FOOD Members of the act Twelve:12 (www.twelve12.org) found themselves doing a 20-minute interview on a rock radio station in their hometown ... all for simply bringing breakfast to the disc jockeys. "We stopped at a restaurant and ordered some omelets, bacon and biscuits to go, then brought them to a local station for the morning show hosts," says Eric Luedtke. "They talked to us on the air for 20 minutes about our music." Eric points out that this happened in Madison, Wisconsin. "So we're not talking a small town where anyone can get on the radio just for knitting a nice sweater," he says. THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR SPIRITUAL MUSIC In the midst of a slumping music industry, there's at least one genre that has something to rejoice about. According to the Christian Music Trade Association, sales of gospel and contemporary Christian music rose 18 percent in the first half of 2002 over the same six-month period in 2001. More than 23 million gospel/Christian albums were sold January through June of this year. If you create music in this category, make sure you're riding the wave. Here are some online resources that may help: Christian Music Trade Association www.cmta.com CCM Magazine www.ccmcom.com Google Directory - Christianity - Music Gospel Music Association www.gospelmusic.org Singing News - Southern Gospel Music Magazine www.singingnews.com Google Directory - Christianity - Music - Southern Gospel ========== Cool Music Stuff You Need ========== 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. 2nd annual Nashville New Music Conference October 9-13, 2002, in Nashville, TN Artist showcase submission deadline is Aug. 15. Head to www.2nmc.com for more info. FREE REPRINT RIGHTS Want to run some of Bob's music articles in your e-zine or on your Web site? You can! For details, visit ... www.bob-baker.com/buzz/articles.html for details. ========== Bob's Buzz Tips of the Week ========== HIT FANS AT THE POINT OF PURCHASE You may be able to get better retail exposure in some stores by providing point-of-purchase displays. These can be simple cardboard holders that sit on countertops. Spice them up by decorating them with your own artwork. The following companies produce point-of-purchase displays: Video and CD Counter Displays www.counterdisplay.com/16CD.htm Cactus Containers www.cactuscontainers.com Danmark Inc. www.danmarkokc.com BC Supplies www.boxesplus.com/popcol.html Excerpted from the "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook." For more resources and ideas like this, go here. SO YOU WANNA CREATE A ROCK STAR? This sounds interesting ... "It's not surprising that the music business -- where sometimes-volatile musicians who are passionate about their art have to work with big record companies that are passionate about their profits -- can be a rough-and-tumble industry. If you've ever been tempted to jump into the fray, you may want to pick up a copy of 'Rock Manager,' a new CD-ROM ... "The game boasts of letting players 'Push rock stars around' and 'use any means necessary to make the band climb the charts because anything goes in this strung-out world of swindle, lies and rock and roll." Read this entire article at www.msnbc.com/news/788747.asp ========== Cool Music Stuff You Need ========== 72 FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS Cool music from six dozen indie artists. DEVELOP VOCAL POWER, RANGE AND PROJECTION Become a better singer with these world-renowned tools. 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.) 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