Bob Baker's THE BUZZ FACTORDelivering music marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and more since 1996 - www.TheBuzzFactor.comOctober 22, 2002 - Vol. 7, Issue 29
IN THIS ISSUE:
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In the same way that you value and reward your fans, I appreciate the thousands of good people who subscribe to the Buzz Factor e-zine. And I want to make subscribing to and reading this newsletter worthwhile. That's why I just created a subscribers-only Premium Content section of my web site.
You can visit it now at One of the first things I included was an archive of every Buzz Factor issue published this year. Whether you missed them the first time around or just want to go back and refresh, you'll find 2002 back issues here. Also available on the Premium Content page is the handout from the workshop I gave last week in Nashville. The handout, called "27 Things Every Musician Should Know About Self-Promotion," only contains bullet points, so you don't get the full meaning behind each point. But it should provide some helpful concepts to ponder, even if you didn't attend. In the coming weeks I hope to explore some of those bullet points in greater detail. If you have an interest in getting and keeping more fans (and you should), those tips will give you a new perspective on how you promote yourself. I'll be adding a lot more to the Buzz Factor Premium Content section soon, so stay tuned. 2NMC Was a Blast! Speaking of Nashville, I had a great time attending the 2nd annual Nashville New Music Conference. Hats off to David Hooper, Jenni Leads and the rest of the 2NMC staff for putting on a valuable music event. I had a chance to meet and hang out with a lot of cool people that weekend, including Brad Koester, Glenn Gomez and Paul Landry from CD Street, Scott McCormick from Disc Makers, Music Connection magazine publisher Eric Bettelli, CD Baby founder Derek Sivers, Stessie and the gang from Oasis CD, and Ritch Esra from the Music Business Registry. I also enjoyed getting to know publisher/photographer Raeanne Rubenstein, publicist Michelle Herrington and artists such as Chad V, Jason and Melanie Van Orden of Desmo, Max and Teresa Vague and Beau Wadsworth of Rude Street Peters. Also, it was great to finally meet fellow authors David Nevue ("How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet"), David Wimble ("Indie Contact Bible") and Moses Avalon ("Confessions of a Record Producer"). As for the rest of this issue, be sure to read "The Importance of Having a Specific Musical Identity," an advance excerpt from a new book I'm slowly working on. You'll find it below. Let me end with a question ... What can you do this week to attract more fans and get more exposure for your music? Write down your answers and get busy doing it! Cheers! -Bob
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"You are your own raw material. When you know what you consist of and what you want to make of it, then you can invent yourself." -Warren B. Bennis "Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your common sense." -Buddha
THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A SPECIFIC MUSICAL IDENTITY Not long ago I wrote a book called "Branding Yourself Online." The book isn't specifically about the music business, but the principles I spell out in it can and should be applied to your music marketing efforts. The basic thrust of the book is that people can become brand names in the same way that companies and products can. Some of the best examples of individuals who have branded themselves include Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern. Most likely, the mere mention of each name conjures up a specific identity in your mind. Love them or hate them, you know immediately who they are, what they do and the unique way that they do it. So how can you apply this principle to yourself and your music? As you may have guessed, telling people that you're a singer-songwriter or that you play in a rock and roll band won't help you promote yourself effectively. A million musicians can say that. You need to be more specific in order to occupy a unique space in people's minds. Saying you play "rockabilly songs for car lovers" or "accordion music for gardeners," as pigeonholed as those phrases may seem, does a better job of giving you a well-defined identity. To help you discover your musical niche, do some soul searching and examine who you are as a person and a musician. Answer these questions: What motivates you? What themes come up in your songs most often? What impression of you do fans get when they hear your recordings or see you perform? Look over your answers and determine if there's a common trait that runs through them. If not, you must choose a specific aspect of your many characteristics and commit to making that the focus of your brand image. You can't be all things to all people. I highly encourage you to pick one characteristic of your musical persona and exaggerate it -- then use that angle as your primary identity. Remember, your goal is to have music fans mentally link your name to the brand identity you choose. Once established, brand identities are hard to change, so make sure the identity you choose is the best one for you. Note: Attract more fans online ... and get a 30% discount. Through a special arrangement with the publisher, for a limited time I'm able to offer my "Branding Yourself Online" book at a deep discount. As I explained during my workshop in Nashville, to attract more fans you have to be incredibly clear about who you are as an artist and spell out the benefit you offer fans. This thick, 350-page paperback book shows you how to do just that on the Internet.
Find out more about the book and the discount at
GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING POWER COURSE
TAKE THIS MUSIC MARKETING QUIZ
SELL MORE CDs & MERCHANDISE!
72 FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS
MAKE MONEY AS A BUZZ FACTOR AFFILIATE
How to Promote Your Music on the Internet
Indie Music Contact Bible
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REPRINT PERMISSION "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."
(c) 2002 by Bob Baker - All Rights Reserved
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