Musician’s Guide To Growing A Massive Email List
Turning TV Placements Into Fan Engagement: Lessons From Mr. Robotic – In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Episode X – Part 2
Two weeks ago I posted part 1 of my Step-by-Step interview with Mr. Robotic. Here is part two. Enjoy it! STEP 6: IDENTIFY YOUR TRUE FANS AND MAKE THEM FEEL TRULY SPECIAL AH: How many die-hard fans would you say you have? (Meaning; fans that will buy everything and anything from you?) Mr. R: I have about 112 that would buy anything from me. They are in a special group in my email list. The rest I know would definitely buy music. This is great strategy! Mr. Robotic has separated his diehard fans into a special group so he can better communicate with them and they probably won’t mind extra communication since they are in his Community 1 – his Super Fans. AH: How do you use analytics to your advantage? Do measurements help you with your career? Mr. R: I use Google Analytics for my website. To see how many visitors I get and if I get a TV placement how many people come to my site on that day. I also use analytics on YouTube to see where the majority of people who are watching my videos live. This helps me see where my fans are to get shows in those areas. TIP: Social Media guides real life activity. It’s very important to understand this so you can go where the success is already leading you. Read More READ MORE
Turning TV Placements Into Fan Engagement: Lessons From Mr. Robotic – In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Episode X
A few weeks ago I got a tweet from Mr. Robotic, asking if I could include him in my In Defense of 1,000 True Fans series. I love meeting people via social media, and what follows is the first artist who has approached me to tell his own story. It’s the perfect roadmap of how to take full advantage precious TV placements. Instead of the usual interview, I’m combining my “How To” article format (Sound Advice) with this In Defense of 1,000 True Fans piece, giving you an action plan. This article is so long it will be delivered in 2 parts. When I teach master classes to artists I often get asked: How do I leverage a TV placement? Creating more fans and friends from a hard-earned TV or film placement takes a combination of fast action and solid strategy. In the end as evidenced here by Mr. Robotic, this combination can really pay off! First: A back-story and a word of precaution: I have stood by and watched helplessly now as two of my Cyber PR® clients (who shall remain nameless) have been included in NATIONAL TV spots (one on an Apple commercial and one on a car commercial) and completely squandered these massive opportunities to make new fans. Getting placed on TV is not easy and these two clients had hit the jackpot. Not only do you get paid for a TV placement, you also get residual income each time it airs but that’s only HALF of a placement’s potential. Their music was getting exposure multiple times in front of millions of people on TV. Then as the massive opportunity (and potential future income) to capture and engage fans was literally pouring out of the machine, they walked away… How? By not setting up the bucket to catch the coins. Imagine this, a fan hears the song and likes it and heads straight to Google to find out what it is and then Eureka! He finds it and heads to the website of the artist he just discovered… One artist had a landing page that said “website coming soon” and the other had a ReverbNation page that was so confusing, I’m certain that potential fans just clicked away, looking to downloaded the track from a free site, never to be heard from again. Opportunity squandered. When potential fans come your way it’s your job to leverage everything you can to engage them (and for gods sake get their email addresses!) Read More READ MORE
In Defense of 1,000 True Fans Part IX – Theory At Work In Australia – Down Under Series – Part 1: Urthboy
Greetings from Western Australia! As I type this I am in the backseat of a car driving from Perth to Margaret River to enjoy a day of wine tasting and beach before I teach a masterclass to local musicians. I have been invited here by The West Australian Music Industry Association to kick off their workshop series and have so far met and presented to over 200 musicians, labels owners, music industry students and managers. This is my third visit to Australia in 18 months and I love this country. I have been welcome here and have met lifelong friends and some of the most wonderful musicians (knows as “musos” in Aussie speak) on earth. I’m not saying this to brag or boast, I am saying this to introduce and make a point about 1,000 true fans. Music Think Tank is read by not only artists but also by people who work in and who aspire to work in the music business. As a hard working entrepreneur in today’s music industry, I constantly think about how I apply the 1,000 true fans philosophy to my business (just like every single artist I work with does). I am not a musician, and I don’t make a living creating music, I am viscerally aware of this fact, but I do make a living working with musicians and my dream to make a difference in their lives by the next generation of future leaders in my industry. My goals involve travelling the world and connecting with people to collaborate with. If I don't connect well, I don’t get to live that dream. So, why this intro? I am proud to be mentoring the next generation of young people who are interested in creating careers on the marketing side of the music business and I am off to Sydney next to do just this. So without further ado, I introduce you to James Chatman from Sydney who I stumbled upon via a Google alert…. Here's what led me to meet James. Read More READ MORE
In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Jerry Joseph: How Does The Theory Work When You Already HAVE 1,000 True Fans? – Part VIII
I was having coffee and catch-up with manager and publicist extraordinaire Patrice Fehlen a few months ago and we started talking about my “In Defense of 1,000 True Fans” series on MusicThinkTank. She mentioned something that I think makes an interesting angle: Jerry Joseph (who she manages) already has a fanbase of 1,000 true fans who sustain and support him. So his challenge is not to “get” to 1,000 fans but to keep them actively engaged and inspired to stay in his fan family as he continues to release albums and tour. I asked him how he does that and he generously dished the details. Before we dive in: Jerry Joseph is an artist who in my humble opinion needs no introduction. In case you don’t know who he is (and you should, he is fantastic) here’s a brief overview: Jerry got his start in music in the 80's leading reggae/rock band Little Women (Boulder, Co), which ruled the Rocky Mountain circuit throughout the 80's and broke up in ‘93. Joseph continued to record before an oft-publicized drug addiction temporarily sidelined his career. The process of getting clean took Joseph to New York, Montana, Salt Lake City, where the Jackmormons were formed in 1996, and eventually to Portland. "Mouthful of Copper" was the second release from Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons on Terminus Records and follows the critically acclaimed Conscious Contact (2002). The Jackmormons have released four other albums as well. A prolific writer, Jerry has collaborated with Vic Chesnutt, Pete Droge and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic, J. Mascis and the Fog), as well as producers Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin) and John Keane (R.E.M., 10,000 Maniacs). He has also shared the stage with the likes of Neil Young, The Flaming Lips, DJ Logic, Curt Kirkwood and David Lindley. Jerry Joseph is constantly touring. If it isn't solo, it is with his rock band The Jackmormons or one his side projects, including The Stockholm Syndrome. Regardless of the configuration, it is always about the songs. His new CD Civility, is a collaboration with Wally Ingram and is available now for pre-order here. (Full disclosure: back when I was a traditional publicist I had the honor of publicizing one of my favorite albums "Mouthful of Copper.”) Read More READ MORE
In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Secrets In Stereo 2 Years + No Live Shows = $97,000 – Part VI
Josh Ryan Here I go again…. It’s Part 6 in my 1,000 True Fans series. For this installment I asked my new friends at Sorted Noise in Nashville to introduce me to some of their artists who are doing it right. I am happy that they introduced me to Josh Ryan. Josh fronts the group Secrets in Stereo and in just two years has made some impressive inroads by using social media (blogs) to bond with a tight knit community of fans who support him. What is interesting about Josh is the fact that he makes a lion’s share of his money from TV/Film placements and not from live shows. Ariel Hyatt: Do you believe that 1,000 true fans is a theory that can work? Josh Ryan: (quoting directly from the article) "Someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work." Then, geez...absolutely. Obviously, this means that it's the artist's responsibility to continue to crank out content, and give them something to buy. And I think (as you are finding out with previous "In Defense" interviews) the number is much lower than 1,000 for a solo artist because of the low overhead. Although I write, record, and promote under a band name, I'm actually a one man show. So, this applies to my situation. Read More READ MOREIn Defense of 1,000 True Fans – I Fight Dragons: 1 Band, 1 Year, & 10,000 New Fans – Part V
I had the honor and pleasure of speaking at NAMM last week about how to make money in the music business. Normally when I speak on panels it’s me and a few other Social Media, Marketing, and PR peeps but this panel which was curated by Tony Van Veen of CD Baby / Discmakers was exceptional because it included an artist who is making it right now… Brian Mazzaferri, the fearles leader of Chicago’s own I Fight Dragons had incredible insights to share about was his band is doing now to make money in the brave new world of “The old model isn’t quite totally dead yet, but the new model isn’t really proven either.”He took some time to really delve into his thoughts on the theroy and I’m delighted that he shared his insight with me and I know you will be too: Read More READ MORE
In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Kelly Richey – Part IV
Kelly Richey has been described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out.” That’s an apt appraisal of the Lexington, Kentucky native who’s now based in Cincinnati for many years. A working musician since her teens, she began her professional career as a member of the Arista Records group Stealin’ Horses; in 1990 she formed The Kelly Richey Band, with whom she has become both a national and international touring artist. Kelly Richey is also consummate entrepreneur who refuses to quit. Since establishing her own label, Sweet Lucy Records, Richey has released 11 albums and a live DVD. When I first spoke to her in August 2008 she was at the end of a long struggle to try to break through using traditional PR and radio. She had spent a fortune on radio promoters, and traditional publicists, retail positioning and other old school tactics that were just not working for her. Read More READ MORE
