Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Creating a 'Funnel' & Online CD Pre-Release is Just Days Away!!!
Chapter 8 of Ariel's book encourages artists to think creatively about what they can offer fans beyond the obvious CDs, merch and gigs. One example - a special subscription fan club with exclusive songs only fan club members would receive. The ideas in the chapter are based on a marketing 'funnel', with less expensive items on one end of the funnel, and more expensive items on the other end.
I'm reminded of a creative and humorous example of this from about a year ago, where Josh Freese, former Nine Inch Nails drummer, had a range of packages you could buy with his new solo album. This ranged from a $7 digital download all the way up to a $75,000 package which included such items as:
- If you don’t live in Southern California (but are a U.S. resident) he’ll come to you and be your personal assistant/cabana boy for 2 weeks
- Take a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN, go back to Robin's place afterwards and his wife will make you raw lasagna
Check out this link for all the examples...
I also found an interesting follow-up story on this from last April about one fan who bought a $20,000 package - as well as Josh's success with $250 - $5000 packages.
Another example, on a smaller scale, is of a great band we know in San Francisco, True Margrit. If you order their new CD from their website, they have various packages available, some of which include art created by Margrit along with a personal phone call from her.
I'm inspired by examples like those above - I look forward to using humor, thinking outside the box and applying some of these ideas to my band, Demimonde Slumber Party. First, however, we have a couple to-do items to complete in the "basics" category - we're on the verge of having our new CD (and related merch) available, and soon we'll again have local bass players so we're much more available to perform.
But even before that! We're only days away from the online pre-release of our new EP "Heart In Outer Space"! Sign up for our email list here at our webpage to make sure you're in the know!
See you soon!
Melissa
I'm reminded of a creative and humorous example of this from about a year ago, where Josh Freese, former Nine Inch Nails drummer, had a range of packages you could buy with his new solo album. This ranged from a $7 digital download all the way up to a $75,000 package which included such items as:
- If you don’t live in Southern California (but are a U.S. resident) he’ll come to you and be your personal assistant/cabana boy for 2 weeks
- Take a flying trapeze lesson with Josh and Robin from NIN, go back to Robin's place afterwards and his wife will make you raw lasagna
Check out this link for all the examples...
I also found an interesting follow-up story on this from last April about one fan who bought a $20,000 package - as well as Josh's success with $250 - $5000 packages.
Another example, on a smaller scale, is of a great band we know in San Francisco, True Margrit. If you order their new CD from their website, they have various packages available, some of which include art created by Margrit along with a personal phone call from her.
I'm inspired by examples like those above - I look forward to using humor, thinking outside the box and applying some of these ideas to my band, Demimonde Slumber Party. First, however, we have a couple to-do items to complete in the "basics" category - we're on the verge of having our new CD (and related merch) available, and soon we'll again have local bass players so we're much more available to perform.
But even before that! We're only days away from the online pre-release of our new EP "Heart In Outer Space"! Sign up for our email list here at our webpage to make sure you're in the know!
See you soon!
Melissa
Monday, February 1, 2010
Networking and A Cold - Or "Hot August Phranc" and Why I Decided Maybe I Could be Good at Networking After All
Well, last week was a bit hectic - I had a cold that came complete with brain-fog which kept me from doing anything productive for a couple of days..... But I am finally back with a post on the next chapter of Ariel's book....
Chapter 7 in Ariel's book is all about networking, live in-person networking, as opposed to online/email activities. As I started reading it, I had a sense of stress and dread, because I see myself as someone uncomfortable with self-promotion. I am much more comfortable encouraging others to follow their dreams than vice versa. In fact I've recently said to a few people things like "I am really too much of an introvert, not the right kind of personality to be a musician." But I wasn't really thinking "to be a musician", I was more imagining the self-promotion part of music that I think I'm supposed to be a lot better at. But when I really think about it, I realize I'm imagining the ideal is supposed to be some kind cross between a stereotypical used-car salesman and some big-haired spandex-wearing 80's musician guy that you might find playing electric guitar way too loud at a Guitar Center.
So after reading the chapter, and realizing the attitude I was subconsciously carrying around, I started to feel much differently about this whole topic. For one, the chapter is about networking, not self-promotion. And remembering how she's approached the whole topic of growing a band email list in previous chapters, I realize her suggestions are based on building relationships with people individually, something I do feel comfortable with. She talks about how good networking involves finding out more about the other people you're interacting with, which goes right along with my natural tendency to start interviewing people in social situations. I am starting to feel like I can actually do this - and that the necessary skills are things that really do come naturally to me.
As for the used-car salesman/spandex-wearing 80's musician dude - I am reminded of Seth Godin's writings, where he talks about how people want something authentic, and I know I do - and that imaginary pompous character is the opposite of that. I'm glad I can tell my subconscious I don't need to be more like someone I would find obnoxious in order to get more people on a band email list. Logically, I know no one would like me better if I was like that! Ok, maybe some of you would (now I am getting images of Phranc doing Neil Diamond :-) )
Update on my last post about Ariel's book - I ended by saying I was going to invite our MySpace friends to our email list. I did start on that - it will take me awhile to get through them all, but it feels great to begin! And since the last post, we sent out our short-but-sweet January Newsletter (let me know if you'd like to get a copy!). In doing that, I realized we have some outdated email addresses on our list.
I also have a lot of people I didn't invite to our email list before because they lived outside the areas we were gigging. But now that we are doing so much more online, it doesn't matter where people live, so it's perfect timing to start inviting them!
So in addition to embarking on being a better networker, I am very glad to be working on updating and expanding our email list from the contacts we already have. I can't do it all at once, so I will set aside time regularly every week.
Thanks Ariel for all your helpful ideas!
Until next time,
Melissa
p.s. - Don't forget that if you buy our CD "Green" before February 7th from CD Baby, $1 per CD will go to Haiti relief efforts:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/demimondesp
Chapter 7 in Ariel's book is all about networking, live in-person networking, as opposed to online/email activities. As I started reading it, I had a sense of stress and dread, because I see myself as someone uncomfortable with self-promotion. I am much more comfortable encouraging others to follow their dreams than vice versa. In fact I've recently said to a few people things like "I am really too much of an introvert, not the right kind of personality to be a musician." But I wasn't really thinking "to be a musician", I was more imagining the self-promotion part of music that I think I'm supposed to be a lot better at. But when I really think about it, I realize I'm imagining the ideal is supposed to be some kind cross between a stereotypical used-car salesman and some big-haired spandex-wearing 80's musician guy that you might find playing electric guitar way too loud at a Guitar Center.
So after reading the chapter, and realizing the attitude I was subconsciously carrying around, I started to feel much differently about this whole topic. For one, the chapter is about networking, not self-promotion. And remembering how she's approached the whole topic of growing a band email list in previous chapters, I realize her suggestions are based on building relationships with people individually, something I do feel comfortable with. She talks about how good networking involves finding out more about the other people you're interacting with, which goes right along with my natural tendency to start interviewing people in social situations. I am starting to feel like I can actually do this - and that the necessary skills are things that really do come naturally to me.
As for the used-car salesman/spandex-wearing 80's musician dude - I am reminded of Seth Godin's writings, where he talks about how people want something authentic, and I know I do - and that imaginary pompous character is the opposite of that. I'm glad I can tell my subconscious I don't need to be more like someone I would find obnoxious in order to get more people on a band email list. Logically, I know no one would like me better if I was like that! Ok, maybe some of you would (now I am getting images of Phranc doing Neil Diamond :-) )
Update on my last post about Ariel's book - I ended by saying I was going to invite our MySpace friends to our email list. I did start on that - it will take me awhile to get through them all, but it feels great to begin! And since the last post, we sent out our short-but-sweet January Newsletter (let me know if you'd like to get a copy!). In doing that, I realized we have some outdated email addresses on our list.
I also have a lot of people I didn't invite to our email list before because they lived outside the areas we were gigging. But now that we are doing so much more online, it doesn't matter where people live, so it's perfect timing to start inviting them!
So in addition to embarking on being a better networker, I am very glad to be working on updating and expanding our email list from the contacts we already have. I can't do it all at once, so I will set aside time regularly every week.
Thanks Ariel for all your helpful ideas!
Until next time,
Melissa
p.s. - Don't forget that if you buy our CD "Green" before February 7th from CD Baby, $1 per CD will go to Haiti relief efforts:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/demimondesp
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Endangered Species Chocolate Bar
Some of you may remember a post a while ago where I mention a new song having to do with endangered species. Well, this song is about a chocolate bar made by a company I've been a fan of years - the Endangered Species Chocolate Company. They donate "10% of net profits to help support species, habitat and humanity". That's very inspiring to me - what could be better than a delicious chocolate bar that helps make the world a better place?
Last weekend, the band was working on a video for this song (coming soon! - both the video and the song, which will be on our new CD), and it gave me the occasion to enjoy one of their relatively new flavors, Organic Dark Chocolate with Goji Berry, Pecans and Maca - yummy!!!
I look forward to our record release when I can share this song with all of you! But in the meantime, if you can, check out their chocolate!!!
- Melissa
Last weekend, the band was working on a video for this song (coming soon! - both the video and the song, which will be on our new CD), and it gave me the occasion to enjoy one of their relatively new flavors, Organic Dark Chocolate with Goji Berry, Pecans and Maca - yummy!!!
I look forward to our record release when I can share this song with all of you! But in the meantime, if you can, check out their chocolate!!!
- Melissa
Growing the Band's Email list - And What To Do With It!
Hi everyone! Wow, what a great weekend Demimonde Slumber Party had! Our out-of-town bassist Tim Romain was here, and we worked on some video in preparation for our upcoming record release! More on that very soon!
This week, I'm going to address two chapters of Ariel's book, Chapters 5 and 6. They are both related, and involve a band's email list. Chapter 5 has suggestions for how to use this list. One of these is surveying your fans as to what they might want from you (such as playing a house concert or selling them official Demimonde Slumber Party pajamas for their next slumber party). She suggests waiting until your list has 1000 members to begin surveying them. Well, since our list is not quite 1000 strong yet, I was eager to also read through the next chapter, which is about growing your email list.
Another topic she addresses in Chapter 5 is the band newsletter. She stresses the importance of staying connected with your fans, and mind you, she isn't suggesting emailing people very often, just once or twice a month. We haven't been emailing our fans very frequently, so starting now, we will begin sending out a newsletter once a month!
And why haven't we been emailing our fans very often? Partly because we haven't been gigging in awhile. And that is because, after our last local bassist moved away, we decided to record a new CD before looking for local bassists again. Luckily for us, we still have our out-of-town bassist, and so we recorded our new CD with him.
Now that the CD is finished, and soon to be released, it is time for the band to rouse completely from its 'Slumber' and start being active again - getting some new local bassists (yeah, I won't settle for less than two this time :-)), gigging, and communicating more consistently with our email list!
As for her suggestions for growing our email list... One that I've been meaning to get to anyway is personally inviting each of our MySpace friends to join our list. That will be my next task here - wish me luck!
- Melissa
p.s. - How can you join our awesome list? Go to our website - or the right hand column of this blog - and click on the big green button that says "free downloads"! And you'll get free songs for joining our list!!!
This week, I'm going to address two chapters of Ariel's book, Chapters 5 and 6. They are both related, and involve a band's email list. Chapter 5 has suggestions for how to use this list. One of these is surveying your fans as to what they might want from you (such as playing a house concert or selling them official Demimonde Slumber Party pajamas for their next slumber party). She suggests waiting until your list has 1000 members to begin surveying them. Well, since our list is not quite 1000 strong yet, I was eager to also read through the next chapter, which is about growing your email list.
Another topic she addresses in Chapter 5 is the band newsletter. She stresses the importance of staying connected with your fans, and mind you, she isn't suggesting emailing people very often, just once or twice a month. We haven't been emailing our fans very frequently, so starting now, we will begin sending out a newsletter once a month!
And why haven't we been emailing our fans very often? Partly because we haven't been gigging in awhile. And that is because, after our last local bassist moved away, we decided to record a new CD before looking for local bassists again. Luckily for us, we still have our out-of-town bassist, and so we recorded our new CD with him.
Now that the CD is finished, and soon to be released, it is time for the band to rouse completely from its 'Slumber' and start being active again - getting some new local bassists (yeah, I won't settle for less than two this time :-)), gigging, and communicating more consistently with our email list!
As for her suggestions for growing our email list... One that I've been meaning to get to anyway is personally inviting each of our MySpace friends to join our list. That will be my next task here - wish me luck!
- Melissa
p.s. - How can you join our awesome list? Go to our website - or the right hand column of this blog - and click on the big green button that says "free downloads"! And you'll get free songs for joining our list!!!
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