From trying to "Promote" my music online, I came up with the harsh conclusion that most of the time I'm actually spamming it instead of marketing it in a creative way. What separates successful artists with Good Loyal Fan bases is their ability to communicate, and keep them posted on all their now art. A Struggling artist Can't distinguish the two, so instead of sounding educated when they interact with fans, they forget to make the fans seem like people, and speak to them in a robotic manner, such as "Check out my music, this is the greatest thing you've ever heard". In reality, it's just like the average youtube rapper, and they don't distinguish themselves from the rest of the world. But That's just my opinion. What do you guys think the difference is, and do you have a good method of actually marketing?
Understand The Difference Between Marketing And Spamming
- Thread starter Lway
- Start date
VomitHatSteve
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I suppose one of the core rules of not spamming is the idea of "opt-in". As much as possible, you want your fans to be opting in to any communication that you send. Fortunately, the infrastructure of things tends to enforce this fairly well. (e.g. Someone has to follow you on Twitter before they see your posts. They have to subscribe to your mailing list before you can send them anything. Etc.)
Now, how do you get them to opt-in in the first place? I have no clue.
Now, how do you get them to opt-in in the first place? I have no clue.
ido1957
9K Gold Member
Marketing vs Spamming - great discussion! My humble opinion is that if it costs money it's marketing. Marketing is strategically placed to get the most attention for the buck from the right demographic. tbh there's no guarantee but it's a fact that advertising works. Spam is just annoying.
VomitHatSteve
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You can buy spam though. And the best marketing is free word-of-mouth.
This is tough!
Ok. Let's step back a bit. The first step of marketing is to create a product worth buying. Write and record good music. Then we'll figure out how to market it!
Easier said then done, I'm broke. If I had the money to do that, I would do that in a heartbeat, But alas. I dont.
Psycho Clown
New member
I once wrote several years ago in relation to Junk Mail that direct marketing by mail is a valuable tool to companies to promote their goods and services, but when it's not targeted properly, it becomes JuNk mAiL.
Marketing v Spam is kind of the same.
Identify your target audience, make personal contact with them (on an individual basis if necessary), incentivise them to spread the word to their peers.
Creative and properly targetted 'Viral Marketing' is infinitely better and more successful than blindly spamming everyone.
For one of the best (in my opinion) Viral Marketing ideas of recent times - Look at this: Bob Dylan Message Generator
Sadly it looks like the actual site and its functionality have been taken down now (this was developed about 4 years ago)... but you'll get the idea.
Another great viral more recently was David Bowie releasing the 8 original stems from Golden Years in an iPhone App so you could ostensibly remix* his hit recording on your phone.
* You couldn't, all you could do was alter the volume of each individual track (unless you exported each stem and then imported them in your DAW like I did, then you can really play with it, but only at low def mp3 quality).
So identify your target audience.
Identify what connects you to them.
Exploit that in a way that leaves them with something they can share with their peers.
You don't have to invest a lot of cash, but it will require investing a lot of time.
Marketing v Spam is kind of the same.
Identify your target audience, make personal contact with them (on an individual basis if necessary), incentivise them to spread the word to their peers.
Creative and properly targetted 'Viral Marketing' is infinitely better and more successful than blindly spamming everyone.
For one of the best (in my opinion) Viral Marketing ideas of recent times - Look at this: Bob Dylan Message Generator
Sadly it looks like the actual site and its functionality have been taken down now (this was developed about 4 years ago)... but you'll get the idea.
Another great viral more recently was David Bowie releasing the 8 original stems from Golden Years in an iPhone App so you could ostensibly remix* his hit recording on your phone.
* You couldn't, all you could do was alter the volume of each individual track (unless you exported each stem and then imported them in your DAW like I did, then you can really play with it, but only at low def mp3 quality).
So identify your target audience.
Identify what connects you to them.
Exploit that in a way that leaves them with something they can share with their peers.
You don't have to invest a lot of cash, but it will require investing a lot of time.
Psycho Clown
New member
No problem.
Probably the first thing I'd think about if I were you would be to spend a few days putting a video together.
It doesn't have to be a 'movie quality' scripted thing. Just go out with a camcorder and film what's going on in your area.
Then edit it together to one of your tracks and add it to your YouTube channel.
I think if you did that then sent the word out through Farcebook and twitter, you'd get more views for that one than the one's you've got up there at the moment that don't have anything to watch while you're listening.
I had an idea last night that you could then expand that by inviting people to make their own video for your other tracks and upload to their YouTube Channel so you could add it to your favourites. Make it like a challenge "Make a video better than this" or suggest that people make a video that represents what your music means to them. If you can get people to really believe that you care about them and show them that they are important to you and that their opinions and views matter, that would really help to get people to join in because they would feel their relationship with you and your music was a two way street and not just a passive experience for them.
If it took off and you got people to join in, it would spread your music through lots of YouTube channels as well as yours and get more people listening to your music. And it doesn't cost anything.
If it doesn't take off, you've lost nothing but you've still at least got the video you made.
And more importantly (perhaps), you've done it all without 'spamming' anyone (I wouldn't include adding info to your Farcebook wall or sending out twitters as spam).
Probably the first thing I'd think about if I were you would be to spend a few days putting a video together.
It doesn't have to be a 'movie quality' scripted thing. Just go out with a camcorder and film what's going on in your area.
Then edit it together to one of your tracks and add it to your YouTube channel.
I think if you did that then sent the word out through Farcebook and twitter, you'd get more views for that one than the one's you've got up there at the moment that don't have anything to watch while you're listening.
I had an idea last night that you could then expand that by inviting people to make their own video for your other tracks and upload to their YouTube Channel so you could add it to your favourites. Make it like a challenge "Make a video better than this" or suggest that people make a video that represents what your music means to them. If you can get people to really believe that you care about them and show them that they are important to you and that their opinions and views matter, that would really help to get people to join in because they would feel their relationship with you and your music was a two way street and not just a passive experience for them.
If it took off and you got people to join in, it would spread your music through lots of YouTube channels as well as yours and get more people listening to your music. And it doesn't cost anything.
If it doesn't take off, you've lost nothing but you've still at least got the video you made.
And more importantly (perhaps), you've done it all without 'spamming' anyone (I wouldn't include adding info to your Farcebook wall or sending out twitters as spam).
i agree, paying for ads on facebook youtube etc. will get great results for not a ton of cash, free marketing usually has a way of feeling spammy! dont pay for views fans or subs on anysite tho those things are a HUGE waste, people do what you pay them to do and never look at you again
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
good 'cause buying ads on Facebook would be a waste of money.
It's not clear at all that Facebook ads are worth paying for.
chuckduffy
Well-known member
It's probably worth just about as much as getting all your friends to 'like' you, whether they actually like your music or not. Reminds me of Stuart Smalley on SNL. 'And gosh darn it, people like me'.
All power to the tone thread to you too!!!!
VomitHatSteve
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I was actually talking to a venue owner about this yesterday. Apparently, one of the first things he does when vetting a band to play at his place is check their FB. If they don't have many fans, he generally assumes that they're not worth the effort.It's probably worth just about as much as getting all your friends to 'like' you, whether they actually like your music or not. Reminds me of Stuart Smalley on SNL. 'And gosh darn it, people like me'.
All power to the tone thread to you too!!!!
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
I gig 6 nights a week right now and have only done this for a living my entire life and since there has been such a thing as Facebook, I've had exactly one place say they look at Facebook.
So it depends on what you do.
If it's those gigs where you have 6 or 7 original music bands get 45 minutes apiece and no money then Facebook probably helps with getting those gigs but, from my standpoint, who cares?
I'm all about making money and for those types of venues it doesn't seem to have had that much impact.
Plus ..... Facebook is in the very earliest days of it's decline.
Watch ...... it's gonna go the same way as MySpace when the newest thing comes along to take it's place.
chuckduffy
Well-known member
He may book a band *once* based on that - but if they don't pull he's not going to book again. Which brings me to my point - it's self defeating to have 'fake' fans.
Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
^^^^ this ^^^^^^
That stuff catches up to you and if a time comes when you DO have real fans it's harder to convince anyone that it's real this time.
VomitHatSteve
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Lt. Bob
Spread the Daf!
and I said that ....... for young original music bands it's a requirement without a doubt.
For the few of us older guys that count on gigging as our primary/total income ..... those aren't the gigs you're after.