Monday, April 27th, 2009
The Silver Rule Of Music Marketing
I was approached by this guy the other day. He hollered at me from across the street. It happened at night, so I couldn’t really make out his face, but I could see that he had on a backwards baseball cap, baggy jeans and a CD in his hand.
He said, “Yo man, can I talk to you real quick?…” I thought to myself, “Oh shit. Not another numnuts trying to sell me a CD out of his car trunk.”
By the way, if you approach your customers by saying, “Yo man…” I suggest you stop it. Like, now. It’s kind of rude if you get my drift.
So anyway, this guy asked me if I wanted to buy his album. I said “No” and went home.
I’ve got to say though, I felt kind of sorry for him because he was trying hard. I’ve got a soft spot for people who do their own thing and who hustle. And I hate rejecting people.
But this guy’s problem was that he broke one of the major rules of marketing anything. It’s this: Don’t appear weak.
You see, people basically buy for three different reasons. Think about these reasons the next time you try to sell something to your fans. I didn’t come up with these, by the way. They were laid out by the famous marketer and copywriter Bob Bly. He said prospects pay premium prices because:
1) They want or need what you are selling
2) They perceive your product or service as exclusive and difficult to get.
3) They believe that if they do not act quickly, it will be snapped up by others and therefore not available.
By crawling up to me in the street and shoving his CD in my face instead of me going to him because I like his music, the young man I encountered in the street showed me that he’s got a surplus of what he’s selling. So that makes me think to myself, hmm…how good could it be? By not appearing scarce, he broke rules number two and three.
The golden rule of marketing is this: “Get people to come to you rather than you going to them.” It’s the entire idea behind search that turned Google into a multibillion dollar company.
Mass advertising is what most of us over the age of about 10 have grown up on, but times are changing. Marketing must be personal now because the Internet allows people to find an unlimited number of options other than you. The way you compete now is by being more likeable.
I can easily walk away from you now because I’ll just get on Google to find what I need.
In 2009, my friends, there is no excuse for you to shove your message or your product down people’s throats. Also be careful about some of the advice being given out there about how you should promote yourself at shows. There’s one website I read recently by a former indie music artist, who should know better, which recommended that you stamp your website address on people’s hands at the gate. That way when they get home, they’ll log on to your site and love it and love you and send you adoring letters and flowers until the end of time…
DO NOT even think about doing that! The crowd will chase you out with pitchforks. And worse, you’ll wreck your brand. The way you make people come to your shows and your website is by becoming an authority in their minds. Authority is honey. It attracts all the hungry little bees.
You become an authority by producing great music and great content and by being authentic. People like people, not salesmen. Talk to them. Give them something first and then they’ll reward you.
Mika Schiller is a writer for the Indie music website MADE and he writes about where the music industry’s headed and how it relates to the Independent Music artist. He gives irreverent career and personal development advice to the Indie music artist. For more great writing and irresistible advice, along with a free report on effective MySpace music marketing, please visit www.letsgetmade.com
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Posted By xxseattlerockxx @ 1:35 AM
Author's site: http://www.letsgetmade.com
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