The recent changes in the payback formula at MP3.com had catastophic results to indie artists everywhere. My band, the Brobdingnagian Bards, was making over $100 per day when the system dropped out from beneath us. But you know, it didn’t hit us as hard as many artists.

The reasons is that about two months ago, I saw the changes that were happening and decided to make a change in my own marketing procedures. Vivendi was taking charge. They want to hinder free downloads and keep CDs viable for as long as possible. Alright, so we need to sell CDs. How do we do that?

That’s when I started surfing to the masters. Fellows like Jim Daniels of BizWeb2000.com, and even to some of the SPAM marketers.

You see, I read a book on ad copy about a year ago, and I started to understand what these people do. Sure, when you head to some SPAM marketer webpage, you see ad copy three pages long that doesn’t tell you jack. It kinda beats around the bush. But you know what…some of that stuff ACTUALLY SELLS!

It’s true. Ad copy for your CDs is all about convincing your potential fans to buy your albums. It’s easy to write because all you need to do is tell your fans what you think is so great about your album. Why do they want to buy your album?

No, you don’t have to write ten pages to sell your CD. Just write one. Or head over to our Celtic Wedding CD page. I setup that page in late July of 2001. Since then, our wedding CD has been our best selling CD. What does it do that is so special?

Not much. It directs traffic to the site. Tells visitors about the CD. It gives them free samples to listen and download. Offers a few testimonials. And it tells them why I think our CD is the perfect album for someone who is getting married or just in love. Finally, it gives them something extra. That’s all ad copy is. And it works!

Hey, follow my example. Steal my ad copy and cater it to your own needs. And start selling CDs.

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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Two weeks ago, I went to Italy to visit family and see the country. I was a military brat, so I’ve been there plenty of times before, but nevertheless, it was a magnificent and learning experience, both artistically and as a guerrilla marketer. So for the next few weeks, I’m gonna take you on a brief tour of Italy, and show you what I learned from my trips. I’ll take you from Venice to Florence, Pisa and Rome, plus few places thrown in. The travel industry is an outstanding resource for learning about marketing, so let’s get started.

Italy Lesson: Venice

Of all the cities in Italy, Venice is my favorite. There’s some sort of deep connection between me and Venice. Perhaps it is the old, rustic look to the city? Perhaps it is the enchanting waterways? The exquisite food? Or the beautiful and friendly people? Or maybe it’s just a town that truly has a sense of itself. IT is one of Italy’s greatest former city-states, and it currently is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the world. Yes, to many it is just a tourist town that sometimes smells bad in the summer, but the people there know marketing. They know how to get tourists into their shop, or drop a tip.

Let’s take, for example, Rondo’ Veneziano. This band has gained a small degree of fame in Italy, particulary in Venice. I suspect part of the notoriety is due to their name which alludes to Venice, and also their musical style. They play Classical music to upbeat electronic drums. After years of listening to copies of their tape, I was surprised to find that there was a five-piece band behind the music. Five women playing their violins with such incredible timing and skill you’d think there was a DJ.

Well, I was thrilled to find they would be playing Venice that night we arrived. And I found out in a fairly unusual manner. Among the hordes of street merchants, a man dressed in Victorian garb approached us and spoke in Italian, then English to tell us about this band. He was selling tickets…in the streets. Sure you find Hawkers doing this all the time, here, but it struck me as interesting… Even more so when we came across the second and third groups of Hawkers. It was a coordinated effort.

You see, what this lesson is about is getting people to your shows. It takes work, but think about it for a minute. What if they next time you had a gig, you went down there a week in advance, handed out flyers, sold tickets, gave out discount coupons that many clubs are so fond of? What if you had a mailing list with you telling them you could send them more info? Could you bring in twenty, thirty, fifty extra people to see you play, even though they’ve never heard of you before? Maybe. What if you add a theme to it? Dress to impress your selected audience. Or a theme that would inspire people of all ages. Think you could bring out a helluva lot of load of people out to see you. Do you think the club owner would consider booking you again? On a better night? Opening for one of the top local acts or maybe even a national act?

I’ll tell you what. If you show that you’re willing to put in that much effort, then hell yes! They’ll book you. If you can pack a place, particularly on a bad night, then you are an asset to the club that they don’t want to lose. They’ll book you and treat you right. Plus, you will entertain countless people and gain some new fans, sell some CDs, and get people talking about you.

It just takes a little effort to learn from the Venice Lesson and that of Rondo’ Veneziano. Organize your friends and bandmates, ask them, convince them, even bribe them if you have to (just weigh the costs), to help you hand out tickets and get some notice. Your musical career will proceed only as fast you are willing to work.

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

For startup musicians, email is a gift of God. When I first started managing bands a number of years ago, I spent hours licking stamps and sending out postcards for upcoming gigs, spending over $100 on people that never showed up to my bands’ gigs. We didn’t even make that much at the gig, and we were blowing money left and right.

Don’t get me wrong. For a band that sticks around, $100 for one fan is worth it, in my opinion, because that fan will be tell friends, buy CDs, and more, but there is a cheaper alternative. Start your own band ezine.

If you don’t already have one, I strongly urge you to head over to eGroups.com and setup your own newsletter. If you haven’t already, start collecting addresses today. Don’t use this as an excuse not to pick up snail mail, mind you. In the next few weeks we’ll talk about how to get the most out of your email and snail mail addresses.

GETTING YOUR LIST STARTED

1. Send Invites to all of your friends, ASK them if they want would like to get your fan news.
2. Specify how often you intend to mail out your ezine (weekly, twice monthly, monthly).
3. Provide info your fans would consider interesting (tidbits about the band, bands you like, favorite recipes).
4. Provide an easy way automatically unsubscribe.
5. Add a Subscribe to My Newsletter link on your homepage.

VERY IMPORTANT DON’TS

DON’T auto-subscribe people from other mailing lists, even if they May like you. (This includes the Media)

BETTER: E-mail them. Include their name in the message, and ASK if they would be interested in subscribing.

DON’T send out an email before Every gig. Especially if you start getting a lot, you will only end up allienating fans. Stick to the schedule.

DON’T make your newsletter filled to the brim in formality.It’s got to breathe. People want newsletters that are personal, so talk to ‘em.

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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