How time flies! This summer blew by and somehow I seemed to miss out on some good summer fun times. It appears balance is something I can stand to upgrade and improve in my life.
The other day I finished reading Ariel Hyatt's awesome book "Music Success In Nine Weeks" and I also took the 9 Week Challenge, which finished up last week, I believe.
Before I begin, I give a big two thumbs up to Ariel for creating this amazing opportunity for all of us indie musicians, bands, artists, etc. to upgrade our careers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and I learned a great deal about my areas for improvement, on all levels of my life.
The music industry has been a part of my life since I was 14 years old when I joined my first band. I am now 42, considered a has-been by the "movers & shakers" in the industry, however, one must first be a "has" before they can become a "has-been". At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it! I write, sing, play, and perform my music because that's who I am. Music is my raison d' etre.
That being said, I will now comment and summarize my experience over the past 9 weeks taking the 9 Week Challenge.
Honestly, I started off with all intentions of winning the prize of a free publicity campaign with Ariel's company. Like most musicians our joy comes from performing our music. The idea of sitting in front of a computer (unless recording) all day long blogging, facebooking, tweeting, Myspace, etc. is the opposite of anything fun. While addicting at times, it can quickly be something that wastes a lot of your valuable time if not properly utilized. We all desire someone else to do it for us, and for free preferably - lol!
As I delved in, committing to do my very best so I can win, I realized this actually was going to be a challenge for me. I was actually going to have to work and do something. I have always been one where academics and such always came easy for me so I never studied and just breezed by in life. My idea of studying for an exam in college was to sit outside the classroom about 10 minutes before it started and scan through the chapter summary, hoping to retain as much of the "useless information" as possible to at least pass the exam with a C. My college GPA was 2.94 (high "C"). Funny now that I think about it, "C" stands for "average".
Average isn't going to cut it in today's music business! Average is probably why I am a 42 year old artist with no real major successes to show for my nearly 30 years in the music business. This is a pretty humbling wake up call, and I have Ariel to thank for this serious kick in the ass. Ouch!
Some key take-a-ways for me during the challenge were the 5 daily successes and writing down the next day's tasks the night before. In the past it felt like I just floated through my day with no direction other than that of crisis management style tasks. I'd be juggling several tasks, none of which I desired to do, so I was doing them in a negative mindset, then bedtime would come and I'd be beyond fried and angry because I didn't feel I really accomplished anything, and I definitely didn't play any music that day. Then, not writing down my next day's tasks, my mind would run all night long with what I had to do the next day. My adrenals must be exhausted!
The 5 daily tasks and tasks before bed holds me accountable and it also let's me see and acknowledge that I am getting things done. It's actually helped me to clean up my tasks and be more efficient in what I do on a daily basis. And, I even make time for my music now.
The advice and exercises with your 30 second pitch, website upgrades, and enewsletters was stuff I already knew, had done sort of half-ass, and had been meaning to get "cleaned" up, so, with winning in mind, I set about to upgrade per Ariel's instructions as so clearly outlined in her book.
Ariel also provides links to a few very cool websites, several of which I have now utilized. I totally love the web 2.0 info because I was sort of in the dark on some of that stuff, like what the heck an RSS feed is and what exactly does web 2.0 mean. She provided a link to this awesome company that makes little info-movies on all this stuff, and they are quite informative and humorous too.
I've also used the entertainment job posting link several times and through it I now have 2 interns on board. It's so nice to have help and to also be able to help a newcomer to the industry get some real hardcore life experience.
The items that are going to be my biggest areas for growth are in acquiring new quality fans. Collecting names for my mailing list is fairly simple, it's getting people who are going to actively participate with me that is the opportunity for growth. Through consistency with utilizing Ariel's teachings, I know they will come.
I also enjoyed the idea to create ongoing revenue streams through fan clubs, mobile clubs, a secret fan's only website page, song of the month club, etc. With so many people stealing music these days, and artist really has to come up with creative ways to receive an income. Through this challenge, I'm come up with a few ideas that are steal-proof.
The biggest bonus for me was the explanation of how PR really works and what it's goals are. Before I began this challenge I hired a traditional publicist to run a campaign for my new CD release. I was very skeptical at first because I had hired radio promoters in the past only to wind up more in debt and with nothing to show for it.
Through reading this chapter on traditional PR and how to choose a publicist, I was reassured I made a good decision, plus I have received a few really nice album reviews 1 radio interview, and 2 print interviews out of it, and more to come as my campaign runs through November.
I will say, it was a little disheartening to learn that a PR campaign doesn't always result in increased album sales, the main goal is public awareness. My heart sank a bit when I read that. As with most major expenses in this industry, it is a necessary step since it is impossible for an artist to wear all the hats at once and be truly successful, burn out is inevitable on that path.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and I learned a lot about myself actually. A truly successful person is always taking a personal inventory of their weaknesses and strengths so they know where they require upgrading. I am so grateful to Ariel and I appreciate the opportunity she provided me for both personal and professional growth.
Whether I win a publicity campaign with Ariel or not, this experience was time very well spent. I encourage all musicians, bands, artists, songwriters, etc. to read Ariel's book, follow her blog, sign up for her enewsletter, and take the next 9 week challenge when it comes around.
\m/
Visit the inner workings of the mind of Astrum Lux Lucis.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
MSi9W Week 9 - An Overview of Traditional PR
The final week!
Exercise 1: Review of my current press kit.
1. My bio:
* Where does it first take the reader? Well, it's a pretty snazzy introduction of who I am, what I am about, the name of my band, and the preparation to talk about my new CD.
* Does the introduction (the first few lines) bring the reader in? Are they interesting or do they use the classic band mistake words such as “unique” “melodic” etc.? I'd say it's pretty darn interesting. : )
* Are there other clichés you could avoid like explaining each song on the album
and what it means etc. (keep in mind the reader has possibly not listened to your
new music or ANY of your music for that matter). We are cliche free baby!
* Is your pitch located somewhere within the first few lines so people can get an
immediate hit of what you are all about? Re-write the beginning of your bio to
include a sentence that sucks the reader in and has your pitch within it so that the reader becomes instantly engaged:
The first sentence of my bio:
It’s always a dynamic, organic experience when singer/songwriters—after a period of creative transition—awaken their higher consciousness, lock in on the next level of their musical journey, and emerge with a vibe that transcends all that came before.
* What is the most interesting thing about you / your band as a STORY? I am "The Green Vegan Rawker", conscious rock star.
*Would this bio be captivating to people who have never met you – if not is there a missing aspect that you could add to make it more enticing? I believe it's pretty rockin'.
To read my full bio, please visit http://www.oneworldrevolution.us
2. Aside from bio editing, what aspects of your overall press kit could you improve?
For Example:
Overall Design
Layout/ Formatting / Text
Stronger Press Quotes
Niche Angles – are they all included?
It's been a few years since I've actually been asked to mail out a hard copy of my press kit so I require piecing one together again. I had been relying on my online presence alone. Basically, I require printing my postcards, updating my Press Quotes page, and designing it so it is consistent with my new CD art.
WRITTEN EXERCISE: Getting Quotes To Add To Your Press Kit
I have quite a few quotes already and I am currently working with a traditional publicist so more quotes are coming in. I will make a few posts on facebook, twitter, and my email list to get a few more quotes. This may assist me in acquiring a few new fans too.
How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website
1. Your Music – album or live tracks:
Make sure you have some music available at your website or a very obvious
link to your MySpace page where people can hear the music instantly. Many
newspapers are now including MP3s of artists coming to town in the online
versions of their papers so make it easy for them to grab the tracks to add to their own sites – this is additional excellent exposure for you.
I do. It is both an embedded player that my web guy has on the site and also a widget I embedded from ReverbNation.
2. Biography – Must Include Your USP / Pitch:
Make sure you have a short succinct bio that can be easily located on your site,
in addition to the long form one, the blogs and all of the opinions from each
band member – which are fun for your fans but not for music writers who will be
looking to get quick information. Make sure this bio is easily cut and past able so
writers can drop it into a preview or a column.
USP – Also include a short summary (like less than 6 words) that sums up your
sound for calendar editors.
TIP: MAKE SURE THE BIO IS CUT AND PASTEABLE! Do NOT have your bio in Flash format make sure that editors can easily cut and paste it right off of your site.
I require putting together a short-form bio and the short summary. My bio is totally cut and pasteable, I do it all the time!
3. Photos – Make Them Easy To Find And Download
I have a photo and band logo that is click downloadable, I do require renaming them though.
I will summarize my MSi9W's Challenge experience in a separate blog. : )
Exercise 1: Review of my current press kit.
1. My bio:
* Where does it first take the reader? Well, it's a pretty snazzy introduction of who I am, what I am about, the name of my band, and the preparation to talk about my new CD.
* Does the introduction (the first few lines) bring the reader in? Are they interesting or do they use the classic band mistake words such as “unique” “melodic” etc.? I'd say it's pretty darn interesting. : )
* Are there other clichés you could avoid like explaining each song on the album
and what it means etc. (keep in mind the reader has possibly not listened to your
new music or ANY of your music for that matter). We are cliche free baby!
* Is your pitch located somewhere within the first few lines so people can get an
immediate hit of what you are all about? Re-write the beginning of your bio to
include a sentence that sucks the reader in and has your pitch within it so that the reader becomes instantly engaged:
The first sentence of my bio:
It’s always a dynamic, organic experience when singer/songwriters—after a period of creative transition—awaken their higher consciousness, lock in on the next level of their musical journey, and emerge with a vibe that transcends all that came before.
* What is the most interesting thing about you / your band as a STORY? I am "The Green Vegan Rawker", conscious rock star.
*Would this bio be captivating to people who have never met you – if not is there a missing aspect that you could add to make it more enticing? I believe it's pretty rockin'.
To read my full bio, please visit http://www.oneworldrevolution.us
2. Aside from bio editing, what aspects of your overall press kit could you improve?
For Example:
Overall Design
Layout/ Formatting / Text
Stronger Press Quotes
Niche Angles – are they all included?
It's been a few years since I've actually been asked to mail out a hard copy of my press kit so I require piecing one together again. I had been relying on my online presence alone. Basically, I require printing my postcards, updating my Press Quotes page, and designing it so it is consistent with my new CD art.
WRITTEN EXERCISE: Getting Quotes To Add To Your Press Kit
I have quite a few quotes already and I am currently working with a traditional publicist so more quotes are coming in. I will make a few posts on facebook, twitter, and my email list to get a few more quotes. This may assist me in acquiring a few new fans too.
How To Post A Perfect Press Kit On Your Website
1. Your Music – album or live tracks:
Make sure you have some music available at your website or a very obvious
link to your MySpace page where people can hear the music instantly. Many
newspapers are now including MP3s of artists coming to town in the online
versions of their papers so make it easy for them to grab the tracks to add to their own sites – this is additional excellent exposure for you.
I do. It is both an embedded player that my web guy has on the site and also a widget I embedded from ReverbNation.
2. Biography – Must Include Your USP / Pitch:
Make sure you have a short succinct bio that can be easily located on your site,
in addition to the long form one, the blogs and all of the opinions from each
band member – which are fun for your fans but not for music writers who will be
looking to get quick information. Make sure this bio is easily cut and past able so
writers can drop it into a preview or a column.
USP – Also include a short summary (like less than 6 words) that sums up your
sound for calendar editors.
TIP: MAKE SURE THE BIO IS CUT AND PASTEABLE! Do NOT have your bio in Flash format make sure that editors can easily cut and paste it right off of your site.
I require putting together a short-form bio and the short summary. My bio is totally cut and pasteable, I do it all the time!
3. Photos – Make Them Easy To Find And Download
I have a photo and band logo that is click downloadable, I do require renaming them though.
I will summarize my MSi9W's Challenge experience in a separate blog. : )
MSi9W Week 8 - Creating A Contiuum Program
Ah, here we are at week 8, one more week to go!
This week, we are to create a "funnel". This is a way to create ongoing "passive income" or create high-dollar events. As I read the list Ariel provided, I resonated with a lot of the ideas and some of them were already part of my "things to do one day" list. I guess that day is here.
I believe there is a misprint in the book though, because in the funnel diagrams, there is nothing written, so I am a little confused on what to do with those so I will go on to the second exercise.
Continuum Program Ideas:
1. Monthly Fan Club.
This is a great idea, although at present, my "fans" appear to be a little disengaged. I will create it though for when I start getting fans that actually are fully engaged in the co-create interactive exchange we share with one another. Ariel suggests creating a unique song or video to share. I'll probably opt for the song since I am unsure how to make a video private.
2. Special Events With The Band Club.
I have attempted this one in the past without much success. Well, actually, it was used more as an incentive to make a call to action, like "be the first 10 people to buy my new CD and when I come to your town on tour we'll have dinner". Again, once the pro-active fans are in place, I will implement something like "dinner with me" while on tour.
3. Artist Critique and Feedback.
I have used this in the past as well. I've had good response from it too. When I was getting ready to choose songs for my "Cheryl Hill - Let Love In" EP, I asked fans to vote on 5 songs and pick their top 3. Everyone who voted received a free copy of the finished CD. I will use this for my next album project winter 2011.
4. Annual Camping Festival.
I LOVE this idea! I actually desire to create my own festival called "VegStock" where all the bands/artists are vegetarian, all the vendors sell veg products, and all the food is vegan. One day I will make this happen! I am one with nature so anything outdoors is cool with me.
5. Charity Affiliation.
This one is a done deal! I am affiliated with Dogs Deserve Better (http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org). In fact, my upcoming tour - The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 - benefits DDB.
6. Private VIP Fan Site.
Another great idea that I desire to implement. I see this as being very interactive to, perhaps having a forum/message board, live chat room, etc.
7. My own creation-
Through my affiliation with EZ Raw Food 101 TV, I am a big fan of livecasting, so I created One World (R)evolution TV, an online, live, interactive pay-per-view subscription based TV channel. I will be utilizing this for my upcoming tour.
So now that I have all those ideas out there, what do I require to move forward?
1. Pro-active fans.
2. Chat with my web guy about creating a password protected special fan site.
3. Create a special "have dinner with me" program to coincide with my upcoming tour.
4. Write songs for "Song of the Month Club" program.
This week, we are to create a "funnel". This is a way to create ongoing "passive income" or create high-dollar events. As I read the list Ariel provided, I resonated with a lot of the ideas and some of them were already part of my "things to do one day" list. I guess that day is here.
I believe there is a misprint in the book though, because in the funnel diagrams, there is nothing written, so I am a little confused on what to do with those so I will go on to the second exercise.
Continuum Program Ideas:
1. Monthly Fan Club.
This is a great idea, although at present, my "fans" appear to be a little disengaged. I will create it though for when I start getting fans that actually are fully engaged in the co-create interactive exchange we share with one another. Ariel suggests creating a unique song or video to share. I'll probably opt for the song since I am unsure how to make a video private.
2. Special Events With The Band Club.
I have attempted this one in the past without much success. Well, actually, it was used more as an incentive to make a call to action, like "be the first 10 people to buy my new CD and when I come to your town on tour we'll have dinner". Again, once the pro-active fans are in place, I will implement something like "dinner with me" while on tour.
3. Artist Critique and Feedback.
I have used this in the past as well. I've had good response from it too. When I was getting ready to choose songs for my "Cheryl Hill - Let Love In" EP, I asked fans to vote on 5 songs and pick their top 3. Everyone who voted received a free copy of the finished CD. I will use this for my next album project winter 2011.
4. Annual Camping Festival.
I LOVE this idea! I actually desire to create my own festival called "VegStock" where all the bands/artists are vegetarian, all the vendors sell veg products, and all the food is vegan. One day I will make this happen! I am one with nature so anything outdoors is cool with me.
5. Charity Affiliation.
This one is a done deal! I am affiliated with Dogs Deserve Better (http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org). In fact, my upcoming tour - The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 - benefits DDB.
6. Private VIP Fan Site.
Another great idea that I desire to implement. I see this as being very interactive to, perhaps having a forum/message board, live chat room, etc.
7. My own creation-
Through my affiliation with EZ Raw Food 101 TV, I am a big fan of livecasting, so I created One World (R)evolution TV, an online, live, interactive pay-per-view subscription based TV channel. I will be utilizing this for my upcoming tour.
So now that I have all those ideas out there, what do I require to move forward?
1. Pro-active fans.
2. Chat with my web guy about creating a password protected special fan site.
3. Create a special "have dinner with me" program to coincide with my upcoming tour.
4. Write songs for "Song of the Month Club" program.
Back Home...
I am back home and back in the swing of things and it feels really good!
On August 8th I left my home in Austin, Texas to spend 2 1/2 weeks caring for my 92 year old grandmother who has dementia/Alzheimers (early stages), heart dis-ease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoperosis, arthritis, bursitis, and a couple more "itis"-es.
Being the health and nutrition afficianado that I am, I put G-ma on a healthy wholesome whole food vegan gluten-free diet while in my care. I did this for several reasons,the biggest one being that I desire for the remainder of her years in this form on this planet to be the highest quality of life possible because she is my favorite person on earth, next to my beloved. The other reasons have to do with addressing specific health challenges to upgrade them into healing perfection.
There is only one way to get high cholesterol, eat animals and animal's products (eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.). There is only one way to get heart dis-ease and high blood pressure, eat animals and animals' products. There is only one way to get osteperosis, brusitis, and arthritis - eat an acid forming diet (meaning eating animal derived foods, processed foods, fake foods, and some cooked foods). OK, so where does gluten play a role in all this? Inflammation!
Gluten containing grains cause inflammation in the body, which in turn aggravates an already inflamed body, as in osteoperosis, arthritis, and brusitis. Grains also contain opiates, especially wheat. Just try giving up all wheat products for a week or two and see what kind of mad crazy cravings you get. Then notice how when you give in and eat the bread/etc. you go into a coma-like state.
Back to G-ma. So in just 15 days on a vegan gluten-free diet, my G-ma lost 9 pounds and dropped her blood pressure by 7 points! That is what I call VEGAN POWER!!! She was also using a walker to get around and by the end of the 15 days pushed the walker to the side. She also had more color and life in her eyes and her eyes were brighter.
The moral of this story? You can reverse any dis-ease provided you give your body the proper nutrients to heal itself. Our bodies were designed to heal themselves, if not, we'd all of died from our first paper cut. Human beings, despite what the meat and dairy industry try to sell you, and frugivores by anatomical design. That means we are designed to thrive eating a plant based diet with a focus on fruits for calories, soft tender greens for minerals, and seed baring veggies for more vitamins and minerals.
We can get all the nutrition required for us to thrive on a 100% plant based diet. Just look at some good friends of mine who are doing just that - Robert Cheeke - vegan bodybuilder, author, speaker, actor - http://www.robertcheeke.com and Brendan Brazier - vegan IronMan Triathlete, author, speaker, formulator of Vega products - http://www.brendanbrazier.com.
Protein? This question is the number one concern of all non-veg*ns. "Where do you get your protein from?" The same place the gorillas and cows do - the plants! A 100 calorie serving of broccoli has 11.2 grams of protein. A 100 calorie serving of cow flesh has 5.3 grams of protein. Yeah, I'll take the broccoli please.
Chew on this - mother's breast milk contains roughly around 5% protein. We live off this stuff for the first year or two of our lives, when we grow the most we will ever grow in our lifetime. Why as we get older, do we think we all of a sudden require more protein than this? To thrive, one's caloric intake is best divided as follows: 10% protein, 10% fats, 80% carbs (fresh ripe raw organic fruits, veggies, tender greens).
I love being a raw food vegan and I love being able to show how in just 15 days someone's life can be completely transformed by adopting a 100% plant based whole foods diet. Try it, take the 30 day challenge. Go vegan!
On August 8th I left my home in Austin, Texas to spend 2 1/2 weeks caring for my 92 year old grandmother who has dementia/Alzheimers (early stages), heart dis-ease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoperosis, arthritis, bursitis, and a couple more "itis"-es.
Being the health and nutrition afficianado that I am, I put G-ma on a healthy wholesome whole food vegan gluten-free diet while in my care. I did this for several reasons,the biggest one being that I desire for the remainder of her years in this form on this planet to be the highest quality of life possible because she is my favorite person on earth, next to my beloved. The other reasons have to do with addressing specific health challenges to upgrade them into healing perfection.
There is only one way to get high cholesterol, eat animals and animal's products (eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.). There is only one way to get heart dis-ease and high blood pressure, eat animals and animals' products. There is only one way to get osteperosis, brusitis, and arthritis - eat an acid forming diet (meaning eating animal derived foods, processed foods, fake foods, and some cooked foods). OK, so where does gluten play a role in all this? Inflammation!
Gluten containing grains cause inflammation in the body, which in turn aggravates an already inflamed body, as in osteoperosis, arthritis, and brusitis. Grains also contain opiates, especially wheat. Just try giving up all wheat products for a week or two and see what kind of mad crazy cravings you get. Then notice how when you give in and eat the bread/etc. you go into a coma-like state.
Back to G-ma. So in just 15 days on a vegan gluten-free diet, my G-ma lost 9 pounds and dropped her blood pressure by 7 points! That is what I call VEGAN POWER!!! She was also using a walker to get around and by the end of the 15 days pushed the walker to the side. She also had more color and life in her eyes and her eyes were brighter.
The moral of this story? You can reverse any dis-ease provided you give your body the proper nutrients to heal itself. Our bodies were designed to heal themselves, if not, we'd all of died from our first paper cut. Human beings, despite what the meat and dairy industry try to sell you, and frugivores by anatomical design. That means we are designed to thrive eating a plant based diet with a focus on fruits for calories, soft tender greens for minerals, and seed baring veggies for more vitamins and minerals.
We can get all the nutrition required for us to thrive on a 100% plant based diet. Just look at some good friends of mine who are doing just that - Robert Cheeke - vegan bodybuilder, author, speaker, actor - http://www.robertcheeke.com and Brendan Brazier - vegan IronMan Triathlete, author, speaker, formulator of Vega products - http://www.brendanbrazier.com.
Protein? This question is the number one concern of all non-veg*ns. "Where do you get your protein from?" The same place the gorillas and cows do - the plants! A 100 calorie serving of broccoli has 11.2 grams of protein. A 100 calorie serving of cow flesh has 5.3 grams of protein. Yeah, I'll take the broccoli please.
Chew on this - mother's breast milk contains roughly around 5% protein. We live off this stuff for the first year or two of our lives, when we grow the most we will ever grow in our lifetime. Why as we get older, do we think we all of a sudden require more protein than this? To thrive, one's caloric intake is best divided as follows: 10% protein, 10% fats, 80% carbs (fresh ripe raw organic fruits, veggies, tender greens).
I love being a raw food vegan and I love being able to show how in just 15 days someone's life can be completely transformed by adopting a 100% plant based whole foods diet. Try it, take the 30 day challenge. Go vegan!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Oh we how love to experiment on our non-human animal friends
Screw the space program, how about a program that focuses on awakening the consciousness of the slumbering human race. http://support.pcrm.org/nsas_brinkman
Thursday, August 19, 2010
MSiNW Week 7: Real Live Networking Tips
This is an easy week, I like! Basically, my mission is to go out and network with people face to face. This is a bit of a challenge for 2 reasons, 1) I am pretty shy when it comes to meeting and interacting with strangers, textbook introvert (off stage); 2) Due to my caretaking situation, I am not really going anywhere except the grocery store and drug store.
The tips are very useful though and have given me ideas for some opening lines, like, "Hey baby, what's your sign?" Just kidding! Seriously, I read something similar about getting people to your shows by going out into the street near the venue you are playing at earlier in the day with pad of paper and walking up to people on the street who look like they may dig your music and say, "Hi, I'm a musician performing at that club (point to club) tonight, have you ever seen any shows there?" Then you rap with them and write on the piece of paper your band name, name/address of venue, time of show, any other info. The paper pad makes it more personal than walking up and handing someone a pre-printed post card.
This will require me stepping way out of my comfort zone. Since most of the gigs on my upcoming tour are "playing for tips & merch sales" shows, I am required to work it extra pimp style so I can actually earn money on my tour and break even. It will be a tremendous opportunity for growth for me and I choose to make it fun and easy.
: )
The tips are very useful though and have given me ideas for some opening lines, like, "Hey baby, what's your sign?" Just kidding! Seriously, I read something similar about getting people to your shows by going out into the street near the venue you are playing at earlier in the day with pad of paper and walking up to people on the street who look like they may dig your music and say, "Hi, I'm a musician performing at that club (point to club) tonight, have you ever seen any shows there?" Then you rap with them and write on the piece of paper your band name, name/address of venue, time of show, any other info. The paper pad makes it more personal than walking up and handing someone a pre-printed post card.
This will require me stepping way out of my comfort zone. Since most of the gigs on my upcoming tour are "playing for tips & merch sales" shows, I am required to work it extra pimp style so I can actually earn money on my tour and break even. It will be a tremendous opportunity for growth for me and I choose to make it fun and easy.
: )
MSiNW Week 6: How To Build Your Mailing List
I received Ariel's newsletter today and it highlighted 5 other artists that are also taking the 9 week challenge. I checked out their blog entries to just check in with myself and if I'm on track. Looking on target and lagging a bit behind like some of the others as well, good to know.
Before I get to the business of this blog I'll update you with some personal life stuff since that is part of the reason I have been slackin on some of these posts. August 8th I left my home in Austin, Texas to travel to Kissimmee, Florida and spend the next 2-3 weeks with my 92 year old grandmother who has dementia and now requires 24/7 supervision. She's still very coherent mentally, she is just challenged with walking and dosing her meds, preparing food, etc. So I am temporary caretaker till my aunt comes down from Massachusettes to take my place.
My priority has been to spend as much quality time with her as possible since I leave to go on tour in September and will be on the road till Thanksgiving. The next time I come to visit, she may not remember who I am. She is my favorite person in the whole world, next to my Beloved, and she's also the person (my mom too) that I get my musical talents from. She was a professional musician in her younger days and still plays the bass fiddle in a few bands to this day, pretty cool!
That all being said, I sent out an enewsletter today. I usually follow Ariel's formula for the most part. I have always been an open, honest, and direct person, laying it all out there for the world to see. My philosophy is this - if I'm in the public eye, I'd rather people hear my "dirt" directly from me instead of some third party with motives in selling something for their benefit at the expense of mine. Eh hem, tabloids are famous for this crap. I also believe that if I can share my story, it may assist someone else with something in their life.
Since today's email was the official tour announcement enews, I started off with my bit about being in Kissimmee with my grandmother, then announced the tour and some of the unique aspects about it. I'm branding it "The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 Benefiting Dogs Deserve Better" because that is the shortest way I can sum it up and create interest as well.
It is my first real full on tour so I am very enthusiastic about it. I am also enthusiastic to be partnering with DDB, utilizing their 34,000+ facebook fan page and their main mailing list and any other social media they use. The gist of it is that fans bring their old electronics, ink jet cartridges, and jewelry to my show and drop it in the designated recycling bin. I handle the rest. The recycling company pays me for these items and I take that money and donate it to DDB. This is part A.
Part B is that I am creating a really unique audio/visual experience for the show attendee as well. This si way more than a sometimes rather boring solo acoustic show. I'm teaming up with an awesome videographer to make mini-movies of each of my songs. I'm composing percussion backing tracks to accompany my musical performance and the mini-movies will be playing behind me on a big projector screen.
I am creatively thinking of so many ways to generate press on this tour, and reading Ariel's book I was reminded of holding a raffle at my shows to collect names for my mailing list. Way back in the day I used this very same method to collect names, thank you for the reminder Ariel!
Oh yeah, I'm also livecasting my travels on my online interactive TV channel - One World (R)evolution TV. This will be a pay-per-view service. I charge $0.99 for a 1-week trial, then I automatically deduct $4.97 per month for your subscription. I expect BIG things when this tour gets rolling!
Since I explained all of this in my enews, it was rather long and decided to leave it as an info-email only with no call to action, well, other than to open my newsletter and read it. After reading chapter 6, I decided to take a look at some analytics of my enews. It was pretty sad! I have 215 people on my list and only about 30 of them actually open and read the damn thing! I was noticing that a lot of names I'd gathered from open mic night performances is that these people did nt open the emails. I'm thinking, "why sign up on my list of you have no interest in reading it?!?!?!?"
I believe my subject lines are pretty catchy so I am looking into increasing my open rate, maybe this is covered in future chapters of Ariel's book? I had to laugh because even my marketing consultant has a 0% open rate, nice! My mom & dad open about 60% of the time, nice, but they've never been big supporters of my career choice, especially my dad. I was glad to see my Beloved and my BFF had a 100% open rate otherwise I'd be throwin down! lol!
The one point in this chapter I find conflict with is Ariel goes into great length to assure your mailing list sign-ups that their info is confidential and will never be sold, then she suggests contacting other bands and swapping lists, huh?!??! I prefer to keep my peeps fully and completely private and confidential, they are my peeps and one of my high agreements in my life is truth and integrity. If I say your info is private and confidential, I mean it.
Oh yeah, I went to my Myspace page, which I admit I neglect these days with facebook taking over, it's all changed! I went to embed my google concert calendar into it and was unable to figure out how to edit my profile, wtf?!?!?! This is one thing I'd love to be able to synch with all my SN sites - tour calendar synching. With my tour coming up, listing my dates on every single site is very time consuming, programmers, are you reading this?
On that note, here is my call to action - please sign up on my email list. Your info is confidential, private, and never shared. You also receive a FREE MP3 download when you sign up. Visit http://www.oneworldrevolution.us to sign up today! Come join the conscious (R)evolution of awakening!
Before I get to the business of this blog I'll update you with some personal life stuff since that is part of the reason I have been slackin on some of these posts. August 8th I left my home in Austin, Texas to travel to Kissimmee, Florida and spend the next 2-3 weeks with my 92 year old grandmother who has dementia and now requires 24/7 supervision. She's still very coherent mentally, she is just challenged with walking and dosing her meds, preparing food, etc. So I am temporary caretaker till my aunt comes down from Massachusettes to take my place.
My priority has been to spend as much quality time with her as possible since I leave to go on tour in September and will be on the road till Thanksgiving. The next time I come to visit, she may not remember who I am. She is my favorite person in the whole world, next to my Beloved, and she's also the person (my mom too) that I get my musical talents from. She was a professional musician in her younger days and still plays the bass fiddle in a few bands to this day, pretty cool!
That all being said, I sent out an enewsletter today. I usually follow Ariel's formula for the most part. I have always been an open, honest, and direct person, laying it all out there for the world to see. My philosophy is this - if I'm in the public eye, I'd rather people hear my "dirt" directly from me instead of some third party with motives in selling something for their benefit at the expense of mine. Eh hem, tabloids are famous for this crap. I also believe that if I can share my story, it may assist someone else with something in their life.
Since today's email was the official tour announcement enews, I started off with my bit about being in Kissimmee with my grandmother, then announced the tour and some of the unique aspects about it. I'm branding it "The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 Benefiting Dogs Deserve Better" because that is the shortest way I can sum it up and create interest as well.
It is my first real full on tour so I am very enthusiastic about it. I am also enthusiastic to be partnering with DDB, utilizing their 34,000+ facebook fan page and their main mailing list and any other social media they use. The gist of it is that fans bring their old electronics, ink jet cartridges, and jewelry to my show and drop it in the designated recycling bin. I handle the rest. The recycling company pays me for these items and I take that money and donate it to DDB. This is part A.
Part B is that I am creating a really unique audio/visual experience for the show attendee as well. This si way more than a sometimes rather boring solo acoustic show. I'm teaming up with an awesome videographer to make mini-movies of each of my songs. I'm composing percussion backing tracks to accompany my musical performance and the mini-movies will be playing behind me on a big projector screen.
I am creatively thinking of so many ways to generate press on this tour, and reading Ariel's book I was reminded of holding a raffle at my shows to collect names for my mailing list. Way back in the day I used this very same method to collect names, thank you for the reminder Ariel!
Oh yeah, I'm also livecasting my travels on my online interactive TV channel - One World (R)evolution TV. This will be a pay-per-view service. I charge $0.99 for a 1-week trial, then I automatically deduct $4.97 per month for your subscription. I expect BIG things when this tour gets rolling!
Since I explained all of this in my enews, it was rather long and decided to leave it as an info-email only with no call to action, well, other than to open my newsletter and read it. After reading chapter 6, I decided to take a look at some analytics of my enews. It was pretty sad! I have 215 people on my list and only about 30 of them actually open and read the damn thing! I was noticing that a lot of names I'd gathered from open mic night performances is that these people did nt open the emails. I'm thinking, "why sign up on my list of you have no interest in reading it?!?!?!?"
I believe my subject lines are pretty catchy so I am looking into increasing my open rate, maybe this is covered in future chapters of Ariel's book? I had to laugh because even my marketing consultant has a 0% open rate, nice! My mom & dad open about 60% of the time, nice, but they've never been big supporters of my career choice, especially my dad. I was glad to see my Beloved and my BFF had a 100% open rate otherwise I'd be throwin down! lol!
The one point in this chapter I find conflict with is Ariel goes into great length to assure your mailing list sign-ups that their info is confidential and will never be sold, then she suggests contacting other bands and swapping lists, huh?!??! I prefer to keep my peeps fully and completely private and confidential, they are my peeps and one of my high agreements in my life is truth and integrity. If I say your info is private and confidential, I mean it.
Oh yeah, I went to my Myspace page, which I admit I neglect these days with facebook taking over, it's all changed! I went to embed my google concert calendar into it and was unable to figure out how to edit my profile, wtf?!?!?! This is one thing I'd love to be able to synch with all my SN sites - tour calendar synching. With my tour coming up, listing my dates on every single site is very time consuming, programmers, are you reading this?
On that note, here is my call to action - please sign up on my email list. Your info is confidential, private, and never shared. You also receive a FREE MP3 download when you sign up. Visit http://www.oneworldrevolution.us to sign up today! Come join the conscious (R)evolution of awakening!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Week 5: Your Newsletter List Vs Your Email List & Conducting Surveys
This week I am supposed to find out who my fans are, what their about, what their into, etc. Since I had no idea, I decided to conduct a survey to find this out. I used Survey Monkey as suggested by Ariel and I developed a simple 8 question survey to find out my fans sexual identity, age, various interests, and how we can best interact.
Of the folks who took the survey I gathered the following data:
I have more woman fans than men.
Most are married, followed by single people, then in a relationship.
The average age of my fans is 43.
My fans have pretty much the same hobbies and interests as me.
Most fans are on facebook, follwed by Myspace, then a tie with twitter and LinkedIn, then Flickr.
Their magazines, podcasts, blogs, and news media outlets vary all over the map.
Their favorite artists/bands reflect music that is similar to mine with a few exceptions.
Their way to interact with me best is varied from simply enjoying my facebook posts to receiving my newsletters.
I'll now take this information and create an email that will first highlight the survey results, then chat a bit more about some stuff happening in my world, and then close with an offer for folks to subscribe to my online interactive TV livecast - One World (R)evolution TV. It's a subscription based interactive platform that will be used to livecast my upcoming tour this fall - The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 Benefiting Dogs Deserve Better. For a very low monthly rate ($4.97/mo) folks can see my life live on the road and interact with me as well with the chat room. Since I'm traveling solo, it will be nice company for me.
I did enjoy Ariel's outline of writing an effective newsletter. I will implement this in all future newsletters for sure! I trust Week 6 will assist me in developing catchy "must open" subject lines so I can increase my open rate.
: )
Of the folks who took the survey I gathered the following data:
I have more woman fans than men.
Most are married, followed by single people, then in a relationship.
The average age of my fans is 43.
My fans have pretty much the same hobbies and interests as me.
Most fans are on facebook, follwed by Myspace, then a tie with twitter and LinkedIn, then Flickr.
Their magazines, podcasts, blogs, and news media outlets vary all over the map.
Their favorite artists/bands reflect music that is similar to mine with a few exceptions.
Their way to interact with me best is varied from simply enjoying my facebook posts to receiving my newsletters.
I'll now take this information and create an email that will first highlight the survey results, then chat a bit more about some stuff happening in my world, and then close with an offer for folks to subscribe to my online interactive TV livecast - One World (R)evolution TV. It's a subscription based interactive platform that will be used to livecast my upcoming tour this fall - The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 Benefiting Dogs Deserve Better. For a very low monthly rate ($4.97/mo) folks can see my life live on the road and interact with me as well with the chat room. Since I'm traveling solo, it will be nice company for me.
I did enjoy Ariel's outline of writing an effective newsletter. I will implement this in all future newsletters for sure! I trust Week 6 will assist me in developing catchy "must open" subject lines so I can increase my open rate.
: )
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Week 4: Musician's Web 2.0 Guide
Wow! This week is a friggin' big one of stuff!
1. Commoncraft - Demystifying The Web 2.0 in Less Than 15 Minutes.
This is the fun part, visit this website - http://www.commoncraft.com and watch six videos. They were very cool and offer wonderful informative advice. I actually learned a thing or two.
2. Create Your Google Reader.
Done!
3. Blogging & Podcasting.
A. Created my mybloglog account
B. Option 1: Start Your Own Blog. Uh, done. : )
Written exercise for part B - Identify 50 Blogs I Desire To Be Reviewed On.
1. http://www.rockmusicblog.net/
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog
3. http://blog.limewire.com/
4. http://music.aol.com/blog/
5. http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/
6. http://www.themodernmusic.com/
7. http://www.brooklynvegan.com/
8. http://hypem.com/
9. http://www.austin360.com/blogs/
10. http://againsthegrainblog.com/
11. http://music4humans.wordpress.com/
12. http://www.clashmusic.com/
13. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/
14. http://consequenceofsound.net/
15. http://awaitingtheflood.com/
16. http://theaudioperv.com/
17. http://neonlimelight.com/
18. http://hotmusicbeat.com/
19. http://tuneage.tumblr.com/
20. http://www.livemusicblog.com/
21. http://mvremix.com/rock_blogs/
22. http://concerttickets2.com/concert_reviews/
23. http://www.coffeecitymusiclounge.com/
24. http://errolsweekly.wordpress.com/
25. http://forgottendiscfriday.blogspot.com/
26. http://noexpiration.blogspot.com/
27. http://popdose.com/
28. http://thesilvertongueonline.com/
29. http://www.aux.tv/newmusic/
30. http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/
31. http://www.buzzinmusicblog.co.uk/
32. http://www.offthedial.ca/
33. http://livinglifeonashoestring.com/
34. http://www.lightsandmusictheplay.com/category/rock-music/
35. http://bitwavemusic.blogspot.com/
36. http://www.livedaily.com/
37. http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
38. http://www.glamourgirltips.com/
39. http://www.musicnewsnet.com/
40. http://www.athousandguitars.com/
41. http://popwreckoning.com/
42. http://radioindyall.blogspot.com/
43. http://americannoise.com/
44. http://www.rocklinks.co.uk/
45. http://stereogum.com/
46. http://pitchfork.com/
47. http://dreamcatchercalendars.com/aam/blog/
48. http://rockandrollreport.com/
49. http://nightwatchershouseofrock.blogspot.com/
50. http://www.behindthehype.com/
Jesus! That was a serious chunk of time to collect all those. Now to read and post casual commentary - oye vey! I can forsee some immediate requirements for serious time management skills to come into play for sure.
C. Option 2: Become an avid blog reader and comment back. See my post just above this about time management.
D. Option 3: Hire A PR Firm To Handle Blog Placements For You. Well, I've kind of already done this on a small scale. My current publicist is working with print mainly. I've received a few reviews on some blogs already - SKOPE being one of those. It is a lot of work and I totally see the requirement for an assistant at this point in my career - any takers? : )
E.. Option 4: Attend Conferences And Meetups And Meet Bloggers Face To Face. I have plans for these - attending Winter NAMM 2011, SXSW 2011 (I may even be hosting my very own panel thanks to the inspiration of Ariel Hyatt), ASCAP I Create Music Expo....
4. Join The PodSafe Music Network.
Hmm, OK I would however I am unable to find it via blackle search...will look into later, getting a little burnt out on staring at this friggin'computer screen.
5. Twitter - Start Tweeting.
Yup, already doing that - @astrumluxlucis and linked to ping.fm, facebook, reverbnation, myspace, etc....
6. Flickr - Your Visual Photo Blog.
I just set this up today...plan to upload pictures when I get time.
That concludes Week 4. I am either all caught up or still require to complete Week 5's assignments to be caught up. This was a long day, long assignment.
Looking up all those blogs really takes a lot of time. Some of the blogs were chaotic and just immediately went away from those. Others were not appropriate for my music style.
This Web 2.0 is a fairly new world to me so I am still challenged with a learning curve. Some one will benefit greatly from providing a hands on service to teach this stuff to musicians in a way that is fun and easy.
I'm off to veg for a bit.....
1. Commoncraft - Demystifying The Web 2.0 in Less Than 15 Minutes.
This is the fun part, visit this website - http://www.commoncraft.com and watch six videos. They were very cool and offer wonderful informative advice. I actually learned a thing or two.
2. Create Your Google Reader.
Done!
3. Blogging & Podcasting.
A. Created my mybloglog account
B. Option 1: Start Your Own Blog. Uh, done. : )
Written exercise for part B - Identify 50 Blogs I Desire To Be Reviewed On.
1. http://www.rockmusicblog.net/
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog
3. http://blog.limewire.com/
4. http://music.aol.com/blog/
5. http://blogs.kcrw.com/musicnews/
6. http://www.themodernmusic.com/
7. http://www.brooklynvegan.com/
8. http://hypem.com/
9. http://www.austin360.com/blogs/
10. http://againsthegrainblog.com/
11. http://music4humans.wordpress.com/
12. http://www.clashmusic.com/
13. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/
14. http://consequenceofsound.net/
15. http://awaitingtheflood.com/
16. http://theaudioperv.com/
17. http://neonlimelight.com/
18. http://hotmusicbeat.com/
19. http://tuneage.tumblr.com/
20. http://www.livemusicblog.com/
21. http://mvremix.com/rock_blogs/
22. http://concerttickets2.com/concert_reviews/
23. http://www.coffeecitymusiclounge.com/
24. http://errolsweekly.wordpress.com/
25. http://forgottendiscfriday.blogspot.com/
26. http://noexpiration.blogspot.com/
27. http://popdose.com/
28. http://thesilvertongueonline.com/
29. http://www.aux.tv/newmusic/
30. http://perplexio76.blogspot.com/
31. http://www.buzzinmusicblog.co.uk/
32. http://www.offthedial.ca/
33. http://livinglifeonashoestring.com/
34. http://www.lightsandmusictheplay.com/category/rock-music/
35. http://bitwavemusic.blogspot.com/
36. http://www.livedaily.com/
37. http://ripplemusic.blogspot.com/
38. http://www.glamourgirltips.com/
39. http://www.musicnewsnet.com/
40. http://www.athousandguitars.com/
41. http://popwreckoning.com/
42. http://radioindyall.blogspot.com/
43. http://americannoise.com/
44. http://www.rocklinks.co.uk/
45. http://stereogum.com/
46. http://pitchfork.com/
47. http://dreamcatchercalendars.com/aam/blog/
48. http://rockandrollreport.com/
49. http://nightwatchershouseofrock.blogspot.com/
50. http://www.behindthehype.com/
Jesus! That was a serious chunk of time to collect all those. Now to read and post casual commentary - oye vey! I can forsee some immediate requirements for serious time management skills to come into play for sure.
C. Option 2: Become an avid blog reader and comment back. See my post just above this about time management.
D. Option 3: Hire A PR Firm To Handle Blog Placements For You. Well, I've kind of already done this on a small scale. My current publicist is working with print mainly. I've received a few reviews on some blogs already - SKOPE being one of those. It is a lot of work and I totally see the requirement for an assistant at this point in my career - any takers? : )
E.. Option 4: Attend Conferences And Meetups And Meet Bloggers Face To Face. I have plans for these - attending Winter NAMM 2011, SXSW 2011 (I may even be hosting my very own panel thanks to the inspiration of Ariel Hyatt), ASCAP I Create Music Expo....
4. Join The PodSafe Music Network.
Hmm, OK I would however I am unable to find it via blackle search...will look into later, getting a little burnt out on staring at this friggin'computer screen.
5. Twitter - Start Tweeting.
Yup, already doing that - @astrumluxlucis and linked to ping.fm, facebook, reverbnation, myspace, etc....
6. Flickr - Your Visual Photo Blog.
I just set this up today...plan to upload pictures when I get time.
That concludes Week 4. I am either all caught up or still require to complete Week 5's assignments to be caught up. This was a long day, long assignment.
Looking up all those blogs really takes a lot of time. Some of the blogs were chaotic and just immediately went away from those. Others were not appropriate for my music style.
This Web 2.0 is a fairly new world to me so I am still challenged with a learning curve. Some one will benefit greatly from providing a hands on service to teach this stuff to musicians in a way that is fun and easy.
I'm off to veg for a bit.....
Week 3: Optimizing Your Website
So I got a comment from Ariel that I am falling behind in my posts. Funny thing is, I planned to post right before I received the comment. It was nice to be reminded though as I have become rather busy these days planning for my upcoming solo acoustic tour - The Rock Out & Recycle Tour 2010 Benefiting Dogs Deserve Better, and also taking a 3 week trip to Florida to care for my 92 year old grandmother in August...whew!
I did the work in week 3 and week 4 for that matter, I was unable to get to blogging about it so here we go with week 3.
Step 1. Add you pitch to your home page.
I actually did this during week 1. My pitch is actually at the top of every page of my website - http://www.oneworldrevolution.us. I believe I've added it to all my social networking sites as well. There are so many it is challenging to keep up at times, especially with all that is on my plate as of late.
Step 2. Your site must load in LESS than 3.5 seconds.
All my sites load in less than 3.5 seconds. My Myspace profile is unpimped for this reason, well, that and I have no idea how to pimp it. ; )
Step 3. No flash intros.
Nope, none.
Step 4. Have a consistent look and feel throughout the net.
I am for the most part. Since I am "The Green Vegan Rawker", where I am unable to actually design, I use the color green as the main color of the site. My YouTube page is green and all my videos are framed in green. My Justin.tv channel is green as well although that site does have some ability to be designed.
Step 5. Give away a free exclusive MP3/Video.
I do both. When you sign up on my mailing list, you receive a free MP3 and when you purchase my new album "Transitions" you receive a free DVD. The email sign up box with the free MP3 offer is on every page of my website, usually right at the top. I also mention both of these offers at shows.
Step 6. Make It Clear, And Set Them At Ease.
I just added "We keep your email address confidential and private" to my sign up widgets. I believe the free offer is clear as well.
I did the work in week 3 and week 4 for that matter, I was unable to get to blogging about it so here we go with week 3.
Step 1. Add you pitch to your home page.
I actually did this during week 1. My pitch is actually at the top of every page of my website - http://www.oneworldrevolution.us. I believe I've added it to all my social networking sites as well. There are so many it is challenging to keep up at times, especially with all that is on my plate as of late.
Step 2. Your site must load in LESS than 3.5 seconds.
All my sites load in less than 3.5 seconds. My Myspace profile is unpimped for this reason, well, that and I have no idea how to pimp it. ; )
Step 3. No flash intros.
Nope, none.
Step 4. Have a consistent look and feel throughout the net.
I am for the most part. Since I am "The Green Vegan Rawker", where I am unable to actually design, I use the color green as the main color of the site. My YouTube page is green and all my videos are framed in green. My Justin.tv channel is green as well although that site does have some ability to be designed.
Step 5. Give away a free exclusive MP3/Video.
I do both. When you sign up on my mailing list, you receive a free MP3 and when you purchase my new album "Transitions" you receive a free DVD. The email sign up box with the free MP3 offer is on every page of my website, usually right at the top. I also mention both of these offers at shows.
Step 6. Make It Clear, And Set Them At Ease.
I just added "We keep your email address confidential and private" to my sign up widgets. I believe the free offer is clear as well.
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