Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor

UPDATE: The MySpace Music Marketing book I was researching is now published. Check out my new web site, www.MySpaceMusicMarketing.com, for details.


Here's a way I might be able to give you some exposure. I'm working on a new special report called "MySpace Music Marketing: How to Promote & Sell Your Music on the World's Biggest Networking Web Site." And I'm seeking your best advice on gaining wider exposure and sales using MySpace.

So, if you've had some MySpace success and have some concrete tips to offer, please send an email to bob@thebuzzfactor.com -- copy and paste the items below and fill them in. I'll use the best tips in my upcoming report.

Here's what I need from you ...

• Your name:
  
  
• The name of your band or company:
  
  
• Your MySpace URL:
  
  
• What are your general thoughts about using MySpace as a promotion tool?
  
  
• Give me your best three (or more) MySpace marketing tips. The more specific the better. What are the most effective things you've done to reach fans, etc., on the site?
  
  
• What are the biggest drawbacks about promoting yourself on MySpace?
  
  
• Any other thoughts you didn't cover above?

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. Look for this new report to be published soon.

-Bob

One of the cool things about my new book, Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition, is that at the end of each chapter I include three action steps -- things the reader can do immediately to implement the concepts in each of the 32 sections.

Here are the three action steps from a chapter called "The Three-Step Music Success Formula" that I think you'll find useful, even without reading what came before it.

• Write a clear description of who you are. Now that you've absorbed the ideas in this chapter, let me ask you: Who are you? And along with it, what adjectives would you use to describe your state of being? Are you optimistic and upbeat? Or depressed and frustrated? Are you successful and always evolving? Or stagnant and struggling?
  
  However you define your lot in life, realize that you are putting a label on yourself. Focus on any label long enough and it becomes your reality. (Note: We're not talking about a record label here. This is about your self-image.) The good news is, you get to choose the label that describes you. So why not purposely pick an empowering one? Brush aside mental states of lack and struggle, and replace them with attitudes of growth, excitement and learning.
  
  
• Understand that success can happen only in the present moment. No matter how hard you might try, it's impossible to "should have been successful" at an earlier time in your life. That time unfolded naturally the way that it did and is now gone. Likewise, you can plan for and expect a bright future, but you cannot be successful at a date in time that hasn't arrived yet.
  
  That leaves you with only a single way to BE a success: Right here, right now. If you truly get this concept, it could change your life, along with the way you define yourself.
  
  
• List your top being and feeling priorities. Remember, what you do with your music and what you acquire along the way are simply steps to the real payoff: How those things make you feel and who you become in the process. To get the most out of your career and your life, it will help to know what emotions and states of being are most important to you.
  
  Do you want to be happy, creatively fulfilled or passionate? Or does confident, content or respected ring truer for you? Perhaps three or four of these words hold equal meaning, or maybe five others not even on the list. Dig deep and ponder what values and feelings are most important to you. Once you zero in on the states of being closest to your core, make sure all of your music career activities bring you into alignment with them.

For more info on the new Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition, pay a visit to bob-baker.com/buzz/encore-music.html

-Bob

Looking for a book bargain? I just put several copies of various books on sale at Amazon -- some of them rare and hard to find.

My first book was published in 1993. It was called 101 Ways to Make Money in the Music Business and has been out of print for many years. I just uncovered a few hidden copies in my office. Grab one while they last at this link. I'll be happy to autograph it too :-)

I also have some slightly older versions of the Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook (with some scuff marks) available at deep discounts. This version was updated in late 2003 and has 95% of the same content as the newest version, which was updated in 2005. Snag one for only $11.95 here.

I also have a great deal on copies of Gilli Moon's I Am a Professional Artist. Check that out here.

-Bob

Want to boost your music sales? Then get a quick crash course on marketing at Bob Bly's free articles page.

Bly a master copywriter and the author of more than 50 books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Direct Marketing and The Copywriter's Handbook.

Some of my favorite Bly articles include:

The Fundamentals of Persuasive Writing

How to Write Catalog Copy That Sells

On Target Advertising - Ads That Sell

Practical Techniques for Producing Profitable Ideas

Read 'em and reap the benefits!

-Bob

I've been plunking around on the Internet for about 12 years now. My girlfriend recently pointed out that if you do a Google search on "bob baker" music marketing, you come up with more than 34,000 pages of results. Wow. Even I'm amazed at what can happen when you doggedly pursue a personal passion for years on end.

In the early days, I had no idea where my efforts would lead. It was often frustrating, but somewhere inside I was aware of an inner candle flame -- a vision of the life and circumstances I wanted to create. That inner vision, combined with real-world feedback from and interaction with the marketplace, led to where I am today: a music lover who makes a living as an author and publisher.

Three questions for you:

• What inner vision do you have of yourself?
  
  
• Can you sense your own internal candle flame?
  
  
• Are you aware of its presence, or is it hidden in darkness?

To reach more tangible levels of success, you must tap into that inner drive -- especially in the early going, when your passion and persistence will be tested the most.

There's a reason that only a miniscule percentage of people reach a point where they make a comfortable living with their art. Most people simply give up too early, unable to find the personal fuel to weather the initial hurdles and apathy they encounter.

Where do you stand? How brightly does your inner candle burn? And what can you do to turn up the heat?

-Bob

After getting a few e-mail comments on the topic, I thought I'd clear up a potential misunderstanding ...

I recently announced the publication of my newest book, Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition. Most people realize that this is a brand-new title. But some apparently think it is simply an updated version of my longtime best-seller, the Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook.

The Truth: Encore Edition is indeed a completely new title -- filled with material that has never before been available in book form. And best yet, the feedback I've been getting on it blows my mind.

Check out some of these early remarks from music industry pros:

"A mother lode of proven techniques to give your music the competitive advantage it needs. Two thumbs way up!" -Peter Spellman, director of Music Business Solutions and author of The Self-Promoting Musician

"This new book is a must-have for musicians who want to work at success, and not just dream about it." -Michael Laskow, CEO of TAXI

"Bob delivers the goods to grow your fan base, sell more music, and build your career. Apply these tips and succeed; ignore them and fail. It's that simple." -Jeffrey P. Fisher, author of Ruthless Self-Promotion in the Music Industry

"Powerful, useful tips that are sure to generate results for any musician."

-Madalyn Sklar, GoGirlsMusic.com

Another cool thing: Order the paperback version of Guerrilla Music Marketing, Encore Edition this month, and you'll get a bonus one-hour audio CD of a live workshop I did in Nashville (which many people forked over $299 to attend).

Are we clear now? Of course, we are :-)

-Bob

I get e-mails all the time asking for my opinion about contracts and other legal matters. Unfortunately, I can't help much. I'm not an attorney and simply don't have much expertise when it comes to legal matters. Most of the time, I just shrug my shoulders and send my inquiring readers on their way and wish them luck.

Well, it's time I attempt to right that wrong (at least a little). Here are a few links to resources and services that can help you get up to speed on legal matters:

Music Law Guides by Danica Mathes
Great info from my St. Louis attorney friend. Note that each link will launch a separate PDF file.

Pre-Paid Legal Plan
Ever wished you could talk to a lawyer, but didn't because you feared the cost ... or thought you could handle the situation yourself? Read this first.

Music Law - Lawyers, Attorneys & Legal Information
A collection of articles on intellectual property, agents, publishers, and more.

Music Law FAQ from Michael McCready
Basic tips on copyright, publishing, and how to manage your band's business.

Musician's Intellectual Law & Resources Links
How to protect your compositions, sound recordings, artwork, writings, and band logos.