The Buzz Factor (See You in Chicago on June 2)
Bob Baker's "The Buzz Factor"
Delivering music marketing tips, self-promotion ideas
and more since 1995 - http://TheBuzzFactor.com/
May 21, 2003 - Vol. 9, Issue 15
In This Issue:
- Meet Me in Chicago on June 2
- Create Something Worth Raving About
- How One Artist Created a Musical Brand
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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
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WELCOME!
Last week I asked ... and Buzz Factor subscribers responded.
I'll be in Chicago June 1-3 and I was hoping to get some
suggestions on places where I might present a workshop while
I'm there. Thanks to Chicago photographer Paul Natkin
(www.natkin.net), I've already got one event booked ...
It just so happens that Chicago Harmony and Truth (CHAT),
an organization dedicated to helping and showcasing Chicago
musicians, holds meetings the first Monday of every month.
And they've invited me to be there in June. Here are the
details ...
When: Monday, June 2, starting at 7:30 pm
Where: Gunther Murphy's, 1638 W. Belmont, Chicago, IL
What: A one-hour workshop titled "Guerrilla Music Marketing:
10 Steps to Widespread Exposure, Sales and Success as an
Independent Artist"
Cost: Nada. Even though there's a fee to become a member
of CHAT, nonmembers are welcome to attend one meeting at
no charge
Call Gunther Murphy's at (773) 472-5139, ext. 1
Visit CHAT on the web at http://www.chatmusic.com/
If you're in the area, I hope you can make it. I'd love to
meet you. I'm still sifting through the other suggestions
in hopes of appearing somewhere on Sunday, too. I'll keep
you posted.
=> CREATE SOMETHING WORTH RAVING ABOUT
New to the Buzz Factor Premium Content section is a no-cost
download of Seth Godin's new book, "99 Cows." It's filled
with nearly a hundred examples of people and businesses that
market themselves by being remarkable. For details, head to
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/zine/pc.html
Godin's premise is one that rings true for me: It's less
risky to be risky. It's not safe to play it safe. Ninety
percent of creative offerings are boring, safe and average.
To succeed, you need to create something remarkable. To
Godin, that doesn't just mean something interesting, weird
or wacky. Remarkable means something "worth recommending"
-- which is what achieving "the buzz factor" is all about.
But you don't have to create something that everyone would
recommend. That's nearly impossible, and most people who
try to appeal to everyone end up with "boring, safe and average."
No, it's plenty to be worth recommending to a select community
of people who get what you're about and are enthused enough
to share you with others.
Chew on that for a while, and check out the piece below on
how one artist improved fan response by getting clear about
identity.
Cheers!
-Bob
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SPREAD IT AROUND
Forward this issue to your friends and music associates.
Encourage them to subscribe. It's easy ... and it's free!
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=> THE BENEFITS OF HAVING A MUSICAL BRAND
AND DISTINCT FOCUS
A note I received from Leah Carson (www.carsonmania.com)
last week can teach us all a lesson on why it's good to get
clear about your identity. Here's part of the e-mail:
"I want to thank you for helping guide my identity as an
artist. Once I started reading your book, 'Branding Yourself
Online,' I saw the light! My web site used to be a sprawling
hodgepodge with no clear identity. But now I've:
- Chosen a niche (comedy songs)
- Fine-tuned the site
- Spun off my unrelated thriller, "The Sons of Lazarus," onto
its own site
- Come up with a slogan: When ordinary mania just won't do,
insist on Carsonmania
- Honed my guiding principle: songwriting, satire and
silliness
- Developed an e-zine called Carsonmania EarMail to promote
my tunes
"Thanks for all the good marketing angles and the inspiration
to carry them out."
But I didn't want to leave things there, so I asked Leah to
provide a few more details:
"Fans respond best to my songs on topics that really move me.
Some of these are political ("Ditzy Chicks") while others are
idiosyncratic and/or goofy ("Elvis Lives in Cudahy"). These
are the tunes people remember, recommend to
others and write to me about. It's ironic that the more I
focus on what rings true for me, the more my audience grows.
"Also, since finding my niche, I'm able to present myself
more confidently. This is a big improvement over my previous
stammering 'Well, it's kinda this and a little of that'
approach. People seem much more interested. I see it in their
eyes and hear it in their voices.
"Finally, my web site traffic has spiked recently, and my
message-board postings may be one reason why. Some of my
songs satirize current events, so I post messages at relevant
online bulletin boards. After writing 'Less of Moore,' for
example, I posted at two sites where visitors debate the
merits of filmmaker Michael Moore. A soft-sell approach works
well in these cases; I respond to the ongoing topic thread
and give the URL of my web site, where people can hear the
song in streaming audio."
Thanks, Leah, for relating your marketing evolution. To find
out more about the "Branding Yourself Online" book, head to
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/byo.html
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=> WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT ...
"I just purchased the 'Online Music PR Hot List' and free
bonus reports, and I want to say thank you for a tremendous
offering. I'm familiar with some of the listings but I'm
extremely surprised to see so much that I'm not familiar with.
Within the first minute I joined the group to send articles
to more than 2,200 members. If I wasn't leaving for a music
festival tomorrow morning, I wouldn't be able to leave the
house with all this."
-Stephen Conroy, Onzou Records, www.onzou.com
More info: http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/music_pr.htm
"Applying many of Bob's ideas, and without any wholesaling
or distribution, I sold more than 20,000 CDs and cassettes
of my music over the last five years. And with his
suggestions, I increased my fan base by 35% in just one year.
Pretty good for a non-performing artist who does all studio
work. Bob is the master of music marketing!"
-Kris Lee-Scott, Hanai Music, www.hanaimusic.com
More info: http://bob-baker.com/buzz/music_marketing.htm
"Your 'E-zine Music Marketing' special report has given me
countless ways to expand and multiply the exposure I need
for my music and merchandise. Since I have no marketing or
business background, your information is serving as a
guideline for me to build my audience. The report is easy
to read and understand, and practical to use. You are doing
a great service for musicians who are serious about
generating income from their music."
-Jenny Leigh, singer-songwriter, www.jennyleighonline.com
More info: http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/quiz.html
=========== Cool Music Stuff You Need ===========
UNLEASH THE ARTIST WITHIN
Four Weeks to Transforming Your Creative Talents Into More
Recognition, More Profit and More Fun
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/unleash.html
KILLER PRESS KITS: The 29 Most Important Elements
in Creating Sizzling Music Publicity Materials
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/presskits.html
GROW YOUR BAND'S AUDIENCE
Six Steps to Success for Independent Musicians
http://www.bob-baker.com/buzz/grow.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
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"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."
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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
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