Bob Baker's "The Buzz Factor" Delivering music marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and more since 1995 - http://TheBuzzFactor.com/ April 9, 2003 - Vol. 9, Issue 9 In This Issue: - Developing a Fan-Focused PR Mindset - Making Global Music Connections - Top 10 Ways to Reach Your Goals __________________________________________________ See the end of this message for details on how to get on and off the Buzz Factor mailing list. __________________________________________________ WELCOME! Hope you're having a good week. As thought-provoking as it was to publish your passionate views on the Dixie Chicks and freedom of speech, I'm very interested in getting back to basics with this issue. You can get current news and war coverage from an infinite number of sources, so I won't further immerse you in those topics here (unless a new development warrants it). Read on and check out my philosophy on having a fan- focused PR mindset, subscribers' stories of making global music connections, tips on reaching your goals, my latest resources and recommendations. Don't lose sight of your music passions and the incredible gift you offer the world through your talents. May you enjoy all the peace and prosperity you can handle! -Bob __________________________________________________ => DEVELOP A FAN-FOCUSED PR MINDSET Being a successful self-promoting musician is a way of life and a manner of thinking that you must carry with you at all times. It's more than just a dream of some day being rich and famous. In fact, becoming rich and famous should not even be your primary goal. Your focus must be on creating great music and getting it into the ears of as many fans as possible. Fame and fortune are merely by- products of being a good self-promoter consistently over the long haul. Developing a fan-focused PR mindset means that your brain is always ready and eager to recognize exposure opportunities. And don't limit your search for ideas to the obvious music sources. Every thing, person and place you encounter is a potential publicity angle. From now on, view everything through the lens of "Is there anything here I can use to promote my music?" Most musicians wander through their careers with blinders on. The only circumstance they recognize and talk about is how difficult it can be to get exposure. Don't fall into this negative tunnel-vision trap. Instead, program your mind to seek out PR possibilities at every turn. Make it your mission to build a growing army of fans by any means necessary. Your goal is to reach a critical mass -- whereby fans of your musical genre hear about you repeatedly from multiple sources: on a radio talk show, during a TV news broadcast, in a music review column, on a best-selling sales chart online, in a specialized retail outlet and more. With a fan-focused PR mindset, I guarantee you'll find exposure opportunities popping up all around you. __________________________________________________ => SPREAD IT AROUND Forward this issue to your friends and music associates. Encourage them to subscribe. It's easy ... and it's free! __________________________________________________ => GLOBAL MUSIC CONNECTIONS In the last issue, I marveled at how the Internet allows us to connect so easily with fans the world over. I asked for some personal anecdotes. Drew (www.drewfans.com), an artist from Kansas City, MO, responded: "I have always been a fan of many European artists, and being a very ambitious pop rocker, my sound and image were never fully appreciated here in the Midwest (although I do make my living doing music full time in the area). Instead of whining about how people would really love my intense stage presence in Europe, more than in Kansas City, I took to the Internet. I went to several high-quality, fan-driven web sites (based in Europe) that catered to fans of major pop artists who were similar to my presentation and sound." Drew says that every time he found a site with lots of fan activity, he sent a personal e-mail and offered to send a free copy of his music to the webmaster. Eventually, some fans in the U.K. who were running a popular Robbie Williams site offered to design a web site for Drew for free. "I piggy backed on the thousands of hits they were already getting because of the marketing efforts of a major record label and started gaining my own fans in Europe. The correspondence eventually lead to a tour that took me through Ibiza (where I got into exclusive MTV parties and hung out with the likes of Johnny Depp), Barcelona, Geneva, Paris and London. In almost every country, I stayed free of charge with members of the web site fan list, received press from one of them who was a writer and I got radio play all over Switzerland. Do you think a pretty boy from Kansas City could have done all of this without the Internet?" Subscriber Wes (www.firstnightonearth.com) wrote: "I heard about CDStreet.com through your web site and signed up with them immediately based on your recommen- dation. Well, CDStreet.com partners with Cornerband.com, which partners with Kazaa. I paid the $34.99 fee to get one of our songs to pop up when someone searches for better- known artists (U2, Coldplay, Radiohead and Interpol). Well, I just got an email from a lady from Argentina who downloaded our song and loved it! She said that she just HAD to have our full-length CD. I told her the various ways that she could order our CD. She was so thankful that it was so easy to do. We were too!" To find out more about CD Street, head to http://www.cdstreet.com/signup/thebuzzfactor/ As these stories illustrate, it is indeed a global music marketplace. __________________________________________________ => THE LATEST FIVE-STAR AMAZON REVIEW "If they allowed ten stars, I'd give it ten. I bought Bob's 'Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook,' and in less than two months, I've done more to energize the mechanisms to promote my new CD, and previous three CDs, than I've done in the past four years combined. Bob Baker really got me going. "Using this book opened up the floodgates of ideas and inspiration. More than that, it crow-barred a self-convinced 'I hate promotion' guy out of his stubborn old habits and into enthusiasm -- which is no small feat!" -Dan Oakenhead, www.oakenhead.com Word of mouth and growing exposure continue to boost sales of the "Guerrilla" book every month. Find out what all the buzz is about (and how to get your own autographed copy) at http://bob-baker.com/buzz/music_marketing.htm __________________________________________________ => TOP 10 WAYS TO REACH YOUR GOALS Dr Philip E. Humbert believes that we all have dreams and goals. Yet, many of us make little or no progress toward achieving our most important goals. "It doesn't have to be that way!" he writes. "We all know people who soar from one project to another, achieving their goals and living the life they want. How do they do it?" In a new article on my http://PromoteYourCreativity.com web site, he lists his top 10 goal-setting tips. Here are two of them: 1. Clarity of purpose. For a dream to become a goal, it must be specific. While it's fun to dream about being rich, it takes courage and hard choices to decide exactly how much money you want and how you are going to earn it. Being "thin" is an image; losing 23 pounds by your birthday is a goal. In life, we probably can't have it all. You can lose 23 pounds, or you can have the cake and ice cream. Your choice. Be clear. 2. Commitment. There's a story from ancient Greece about a general who landed his troops on the beach, then burned his ships. He wanted each soldier to know there was no turning back, no retreat, no alternative to victory. Once your goal is clear, emotionally commit to achieving it. There are no alternatives. Read the other eight tips at http://www.bob-baker.com/qt/10goals.html __________________________________________________ => CATCH MY WINDRIFT I can't remember ever having plugged a songwriting contest in The Buzz Factor. But with this issue, that's changed as I recommend you look into the 2003 Windrift Music Song- writing Competition. The folks who run this seem to be on the ball, and a lot of reputable businesses (including Keyboard magazine, Galaris, Hitsquad, Music Biz Academy, Indie Contact Bible and yours truly) are contributing to the $35,000 in cash and prizes to be given away to many of the winners. For more info, visit http://www.windriftmusic.com/2003 __________________________________________________ => UNLEASH THE ARTIST WITHIN Four Weeks to Transforming Your Creative Talents Into More Recognition, More Profit and More Fun. Find out all about Bob's newest book at http://bob-baker.com/buzz/unleash.html =========== Cool Music Stuff You Need =========== Killer Press Kits: The 29 Most Important Elements in Creating Sizzling Music Publicity Materials http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/presskits.html Guerrilla Music Marketing Power Course http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/gpc.html For the go-getter who wants it all -- more than 600 pages of marketing ideas and self-promotion tips. Three powerful resources, one awesome discount! E-zine Music Marketing: Powerful Ways to Promote Your Music with a Fan E-mail Newsletter http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/quiz.html How to Attract Thousands of Fans Like Magnets Online http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/byo.html Earn Cash as a Buzz Factor Affiliate Make 40% on every copy sold through your affiliate link! http://www.bob-baker.com/af/BuzzAfil.html Get Your Own Domain Name for Only $15 a Year http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/url.html __________________________________________________ Current circulation: 8,597 subscribers To START getting The Buzz Factor, send an e-mail to subscribe@thebuzzfactor.com with the words "Subscribe Buzz" in the Subject line. Or visit http://TheBuzzFactor.com/ __________________________________________________ REPRINT PERMISSION Would you like to run some of the content from this issue on your web site or in your e-zine? You may do so for free as long as you add the following credit: "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 details." __________________________________________________ The Buzz Factor is published by Bob Baker PO Box 43058 - St. Louis, MO 63143 Phone: (314) 758-7578 - E-mail: bob@thebuzzfactor.com http://www.TheBuzzFactor.com/ (c) 2003 by Bob Baker - All Rights Reserved |