It continues to boggle my mind how many bands don’t take the time to come up with a decent description of their music. It’s extremely important, and when you’re marketing yourself online, it’s essential.

So grab some paper, we’re gonna create two simple band descriptions that will help you earn you web traffic and help you with all aspects of your music promotion. Whether you’re looking to promote your band to someone in an elevator, on the phone or submitting to a directory, these two descriptions will serve you well.

1. The Ten-Word Elevator Description
David Hooper of Kathode Raye music uses the term Elevator Description as a way of describing your music quickly. Your Elevator Description is the words you would use in an elevator if you had to say what type of music you do quickly… in just ten words.

This might seem like the most-difficult part about describing your band, but it’s also the most useful all around. To do it, focus on an intense description combined with a benefit for your audience. I put this quick description in the first sentence on our homepage.

The Original Celtic Renaissance music group from Austin, Texas offering free Celtic mp3 downloads.

Obviously it’s not ten-words exactly. But it gets gets the point across.
Musical style: original Celtic Renaissance music
Location: Austin, Texas
Benefit: free Celtic MP3 downloads

Short sweet and to the point. Obviously, not everyone is as focused on downloading music. Coming up with benefits, but do some brainstorming and you’ll find your niche. Check out these descriptions:

The Rogues
A Houston based Pipe and Drum Band with an attitude.
http://www.therogues.com/

Gilli Moon
Melodic-Kinda-Folkie-Indie with a multi-layered guitar (and all-sorts) wall of sound.
http://www.gillimoon.com/

Mountain Mirrors
Psychedelic Zen Rock. Fans of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or Spiritualized will enjoy this music. Free MP3 Downloads!
http://www.mountainmirrors.com/

Add your elevator description to your Description META Tag. Also add an even shorter description in your title tag, and you’ll boost your traffic for people looking for those keywords.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of Two Easy Steps to Describing Your Band for Greater Web Traffic and More Fans.

If you’re looking for more great web traffic tips for your music, David Nevue wrote the book on it, literally. See how he earned over $4000 per month turning music into a full-time profession. It’s all in this book How to Successfully Promote Your Music the the Internet.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

Well a great performance and an interactive sales crew is just the start to seling more CDs at gigs. The Rogues also employ other salespeople.

Our sellers work off of a commission, with bonuses built in when an individual’s sales total reaches a certain amount. Giving a salesperson a commission motivates them to sell more product than just giving them a flat rate. We do have minimum pay for a day’s work when the sales are not good. In that case the band usually pays $50 day, or a 10% commission of the sales total, whichever is greater.

At the more modern venues, such as highland games and celtic festivals, we have found that having a sales table is an extremely successful way to increase sales, especially in combination with a roaming salesperson (when using both are appropriate). At pub gigs, we only have a sales table. Having someone roam in a tight space like a pub would be seen as too aggressive or invasive, which the Rogues do not encourage their salespeople to be. Friendly competition between two or more sellers is fine as long as there is a feeling of team spirit. Our sellers help each other out when one needs change or more stock.

The larger the crowds, the more sales people are needed. The sheer size of the crowd has a tremendous impact on sales. When you get that many people standing or sitting that close together and they are all excited about the music, it is like a ripple effect–once the sales start flowing, everyone seems to jump on the buying bandwagon.

At one particular show at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, where the crowd was huge, our three sellers were not able to maximize the full sales potential. A good indication of my not being able to tap the sales potential that is when I am standing in one spot and have not moved out of it the entire show. Just as soon as I finish one sell, another person comes up to buy a CD. I call that standing in a sweet spot–when people come up to you already wanting to buy a CD. My job then is to try to figure out, as quickly as possible, what CD or CDs would best suit what they are looking for. I always try to point out the fact that they can order more CDs through the website or mail order, or listen to the music on MP3.com.

As a bandmember’s wife, I am always trying to promote the band. I take business cards from people who want to hire the band for potential gigs and I direct them to my husband, Randy, who is the business manager for the band.

1. Reward sales people with commission
2. Set up sales table for venues
3. Encourage friendly sales competition
4. More people to sell for larger crowds, enjoy ‘ripple effect’
5. Take business cards to gigs and hand out at every opportunity.

The Rogues use CDBaby to sell their CDs. Why? See for yourself?

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

I remember when I first put the Brobdingnagian Bards on MP3.com and started to learn the ropes. I would listen daily to music there, but I never listened to bands that were higher in the charts than we were because I didn’t want to boost their ratings any more than they already were.

I guess greedy. It totally dog-eat-dog. But it wasn’t until I started to listen to my own advice that I started to make some changes and helping my fellow musicians. And it wasn’t until I started to help you that our success took off.

Yeah, there are many reasons why we’ve done consistently well on the mp3.com charts, but one of the main ones is that I’ve been willing to scratch someone elses back with no expectation of a return. And while there’s no expectation, there always is a return.

It’s one of those great conundrums, I guess. I mean, how is it possible that when you help someone else You will benefit… Yet I’m amazed to see that it happens. And it happens all the time.

The more I am willing to give, the greater my return.

Just yesterday, I got an email from a Nagian (one of our fans) saying he loved our music and would do everything he could to promote us. Just ask.

But the only thing I can do is to humbly ask him to turn around and see if he needs his back scratched.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

I remember a while back reading David Nevue’s book, How to Successfully Promote Your Music the the Internet. In it he threw out a cool suggestion for increasing the searchability of your band.

His suggestion was to write a review of CDs that you feel are similar to your style of music or CDs that inspired your music. The idea is if you promote traffic to this webpage, visitors will also see a review of your band, and check out your music.

I loved that idea so much that I was psyched when I learneda very simple and similar promotional idea on Amazon.com. Here’s what you have to do:

First, you need to sell your CD on Amazon.com OR at the very least offer a free MP3 in their Digital Music Network.

Second, do a search for a band or album similar to yours. In my case, my group, the Brobdingnagian Bards, released a CD inspired by the Lord of the Rings. So I went over to the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack.

Third, scroll down and you’ll see either a link that says,

Recommend an item!
or a box that has
I recommend in addition/instead of this album.

Fourth, grab the ASIN from your webpage. (The ASIN is the 10 charcter code listed in the Produce Details). All you have to do is insert you ASIN into this blank to make your recommendation.

Your music is now linked to the artist you consider yourself similar to. The beauty of this promotional idea is that it all takes place in the Amazon shopping environment.

This means, more than likely, they’ll go straight to your Amazon page. They’ll read about your album. They’ll listen to your MP3s. And hopefully, they will buy an album, and/or hunt down your band’s website where you’ll earn a new fan.

PS. The 2004 Edition of How to Promote Your Music Succesfully on the Internet by David Nevue is now available.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

I was listening to NPR the other day when they did a report on tipping in the restaurant industry. One they had a list of tips on how wait staff can increase their tips.

That got me brainstorming and surfing the net for other ideas to boost tips. That combined with lots of performances at Renaissance Festivals helped me to develop my own list of ways musicians can improve their tips.

1. Introduce yourself by name

Too often musicians forget to introduce themselves on stage. Make sure you tell the audience your band name, but to really boost your tips, you should also introduce yourselves individually. Let people know who you are as an individual and you’ll see greater tips.

2. Go out into the audience with a tip jar

You really can’t be passive when it comes to getting tips. You have to walk out into the audience with some visual reference that says Tip Me!, and they will tip you.

3. Meet your audience at their level

Take the time to talk to your audience members at their level. Holding a discussion from a stage puts a wall between you and them. So instead, go out into the audience and talk to them face to face. Kneel if they’re at a table, so you’re at eye level. And if you have ayour tip jar with you, you will you will not only gain a fan, but you will also improve your tips.

4. Make your appearance personal

We wear kilts to most of our gigs. A kilt adds a very personal touch It links us to a certain culture and makes people take notice. Course you don’t have to go that route, instead find some piece of clothing that reflects your personality and you will boost your tips.

5. Recommend your favorite CD

If you have multiple CDs, your audience will always ask for your favorite. Tell them what it is. If you only have one, you can do the same by recommending other artists that you like. That adds a two-fold advantage of helping your audience find music they like and helping your fellow musicians.

6. Smile

A bright, confident smile will bring fans back again and again with lots o’big tips.

7. Involve your audience in the music with a joke or game

Next time you’re up on stage, see what happens when you joke around with the audience. Your personality will glow all the more and so will your tips.

8. Chat with fans by name

Music fans love nothing more than to be recognized by the bands they love. So do your best to remember their names. They will feel that much more attached to your music and feel like your friend. And these friends will tip you better for the courtesy.

9. Touch your audience

When you’re out socializing with your audience, touch them (in a non-sexual way). Whether you shake their hand, pat them on the shoulder or back, or just brush against them, wait staff find that that even that will boost their tips 50%. And it will yours too.

10. Use tip jars with the VISA/Mastercard Logo

According to studies done in restaurants, just seeing those logos is enough to encourage customers to tip more. I know it sounds crazy, but give it a try. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

11. Give your audience something in return for their tip

People love feeling like they’re getting their money’s worth. And many people don’t realize you should tip bands. So give something in return. It could be something as big as a sticker or magnet, or as simple as a business card that might include a $1 off your CDs. Or hey what about feeding their sweet tooth with a piece of candy. Whatever the case, that little gift will mean big tipping results.

12. Draw a picture

On a similar note, if you give them a business card, draw or make a comment on it. That piece will be more valuable to them and will result in bigger tips.

13. Make tipping a part of the show

Why wait until the end of the set to ask for tips. Sing a song about tipping, or get your audience involved in the tipping process by shouting something. Or offer a prize to the first tipper. But integrate it into your show and it won’t seem like you’re just begging for money, rather you’re making it fun to tip.

14. Thank your audience

No gig would be complete without an audience. So thank them for taking the time to watch you perform. They will feel the personal touch and respond when you ask for money.

15. Bonus Tipping Suggestion:

If the change is five dollars, never return a five-dollar bill. Always give back five ones. This allows the customer to tip you with some of the dollar bills you returned. You will rarely get a $5 tip and returning a $5 bill will turn off tippers. In general, it’s good to return all ones if the change is less than $8. You want the customer to have at least two ones so they can give it back as the tip.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

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One of the Brobdingnagian Bards’ early CDs, Songs of the Muse is going into it’s second pressing. When I saw Christopher Knab’s article Your CD Cover is Your Best Ad For Your Music, I decided this was the perfect inspiration I needed to update the CD graphics.

I’ve been a fan of Christopher Knab for about as long as I’ve been a fan of Bob Baker. He is without a doubt one of the top Top 10 music marketers in my book.

Well, whenever I create graphics, I find too often that I forget a bunch of stuff. So this article serves as a great checklist. But when I read Seth Godin’s Best-Selling book, Free Prize Inside, I realized that it was NOT a complete list!

In fact, the music industry in general has greatly missed out on an amazing opportunity to better sell CDs.

The idea I got came from the backs of books. Go grab a best-seller and turn it over. On the back, you will find the secret…

What did you find? You might’ve seen testimonials, a brief description of the book, or maybe even an exerpt.

You see, one of the problems I found with Songs of the Muse is that since we call our music Celtic music. It wasn’t till much later that I realized that in the Celtic music tradition, songs have lyrics and tunes are instrumentals. This album is all instrumental. So it was poorly named for the Celtic music world.

But if we use the back cover correctly, it doesn’t matter!

The new back cover now lists songs titles along with a brief description of the ideal person who will enjoy this CD. It includes testimonials. And anyone who reads it will have all doubt removed as to if this is a vocal or instrumental CD.

Use Christopher Knab’s checklist for a better CD graphics. Then think outside the box. What can you add to the cover that will make this CD sell better than ever?

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

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I was walking on campus today back from our weekly gig at the University of Texas’ South Mall, when I heard a member of the Young Conservatives of Texas speak. March 2nd is Texas Independence Day and so this fellow was preaching that if you work hard and play by the rules you too can lead a good life.

Maybe it’s the skeptic in me, but it made me think, What a bunch of crock! Most people, including most musicians, work hard and play by the rules, but did you know that Americans carry, on average, $5,800 in credit card debt from month to month. Well I ask you, what kind of life is that when a huge majority of country is in unprofitable debt?

But I’ve been reading books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad recently, in an attempt to learn music business and finance skills from people who make millions. Do they follow the rules? Yes…sorta.

The questions that came to me as I walked by the Young Conservatives were, Who makes the rules? and Are we following the Right rules?

That’s really the key that many successful business people learn. It’s not a matter of are you following the rules. It’s are you following the Right rules?

You see, our community is filled with rules on what you can’t do, but there are also tons of rules that say what you can do, but most people don’t know what they are.

Taxes are a great example. The average musician might not deduct things like car travel to and from gigs, or the cost of their picks, because they may not know that they can.

The same goes with promotion. Just because you’re on MP3.com and get a dozen emails from other musicians in a form letter saying, play my song, does not mean that you should put together your own form letter and spam thousands of musicians.

Or just because most musicians do their best to attract the attention of a Major label A&R or even the President, does not mean you shouldn’t schmooze with the secretary.

The point is know the rules, but then look beyond them. The rules are a guide. They are not etched in stone. Break the rules. Do what others are NOT doing and you will do a better of job standing out in the crowd.

Bard Marc Gunn of the Brobdingnagian Bards has helped 1000′s of musicians make money with their musical groups through the Bards Crier Music Marketing and Promotion Ezine and the Texas Musicians’ Texas Music Biz Tips. Now you can get personal advice by visiting http://www.bardscrier.com for FREE how-to music marketing assistance.

No time to visit the site? Subscribe to the BardsCrier.com distributed weekly for Free. Just email subscribe@bardscrier.com

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