Derek Sivers & Ariel Hyatt on Crafting The Perfect Pitch Pt 2 – Video

Believe it or not, almost every single artist who has found success online, virally or not, has had something in common. They targeted, and subsequently conquered a niche. Derek Sivers (the founder of CD Baby) and I discuss the best niche based pitch he ever heard in this video.

To do this, they first nailed a pitch and then had a captivating artist bio / signature story, and of course, amazing music to match it!

Plain and simple, if you really want the internet and socials to become the success drivers of your career that you hope they will become, you MUST target and conquer your niche. To do this, you first must create a pitch that draws fans and potential fans in, and then tell a story.

Below are four very simple things that you will need to consider and map out in order to get yourself on track to conquering YOUR niche:

The story of “hillbilly flamenco”

I’m well aware that you probably dread having to compare your music to that of someone else’s. It can feel demeaning to say that your baby, your creation, only just ‘sounds like someone else’.

When targeting and attempting to connect to your ideal audience, creating a totally unique and memorable pitch can make all the difference.

If you can’t come up with something pity like “hillbilly flamenco” because it doesn’t suit you, that’s totally okay.

Making a comparison to another band similar in sound or style to your own is also very effective as Derek discussed about his own band in Part One.

By making sure that you’ve targeted a meaningful comparison or created a unique and memorable short pitch, you will have an easier time building interested from perspective fans. Relevance here is key. As you will see…

Hone your pitch

“when you’re honing your pitch think about what you like what and what speaks your truth and don’t try to be everything to everyone.” – Ariel Hyatt

The internet is and always has been about BIG ideas. By giving us a further reach than ever before, it has become second nature for us to always think on a global scale.

This is a mistake!

Remember that a pitch can and usually does start very small, as in so small that it can be targeted. Then when you have something that is working, you can build up buzz, making it easier to connect, opening up doors to connections with influencers.

Know who your pitch and story are aiming towards

The more detailed an understanding you have of your audience, the easier it will be to hone your pitch and then build out your signature story. “Hillbilly Flamenco” Is NOT for everybody, but as discussed by Derek in this video, as your pitch becomes a more specific, the more doors will open.

So understanding your crowd and how to directly connect to them is crucial. This means knowing key things like: