The Anatomy of a Music Business BUZZ

I tend to post my own personal tips that I've learned from experience or dealt with first had on this blog but sometimes tips from others are helpful - especially if it's someone who has the same business mind frame as myself :) Not saying that I know everything but obviously if someone else thinks the way I do, a successful someone, then hey, I must be on point some how - aye?

The following write up was written by my MySpace friend, SlowJam Powell. SlowJam & I previously came together on our erotica work, but it seems our music views are just as great as our sexual erotica work! I can dig it! - CaT

The Anatomy of a Music Business BUZZ
By Xavier J. Powell

Today's music consumers are very skeptical, and they suffer from media overload. The result: they'll probably ignore the mixtapes or new releases that most artists promote. So how do consumers decide which song to download or which album to buy?

The answer: They don't.

Buzz is equated to word of mouth – the recommendations of friends and the buzz that develops in the marketplace. Buzz is suppose to sell your product or service – if you know how to create it. This article will help the music professional understand how it works and how it can help grow your business.

The Music BUZZ Phenomenon

The difference between "artists" and "recording professionals" is this: "Artists" releases mixtapes and brags about an article just to feel good about themselves (all the while claiming that its creating a buzz) while "recording professionals" focuses on how to use advertisements (or PR) to influence individual consumer buying behavior for their products or services. They know that for many products, purchasing is part of a social process. In other words, these professionals rely on friends, family, and co-workers for recommendations about everything from which movie to see to what album they should buy. This is the anatomy of creating a buzz.

Buzz starts with a superior user experience; nothing will help your product if it doesn't deliver such an experience. Most releases or performances, doesn't create any response from anyone. It's the same ole, same ole in music. If you want to generate a real buzz, you should underpromise and overdeliver. Then, instead of pushing the product on customers, let the product spread itself through the industry.

Questions to ask yourself

If you want to create a real music business buzz, you have to know WHO your customers are and how you are reaching them.
Start with these questions:

From whom do your customers typically learn about your products?

What do people say when they recommend your CD or performance?

How fast does information about your product spread as compared with your competitors' products?

Does your product evoke an emotional response? What response is that?

Two things are needed to create a music business buzz successfully. First, you need a contagious product (song or performance). But that's not enough. The products creator needs to reach out and spread the word to the rest of the world. Your company must have at least one person who is obsessed with spreading the word.

Now spreading the word requires hard work. You have to organize a sales blitz, ignore traditional distribution channels and try different approaches. One way is to convince opinion leaders in their network to tell others about it. Opinion leaders are connected, travelers, information-hungry, vocal, and exposed to the media.

Second is ammunition. Give the people something to talk about. This is why you must get out and circulate. Date, be seen, engage others and stimulate discussions within this network. The secret though is to be scarce with what you offer. Performing and being seen every week at the same clubs is not too appealing. Remember this when trying to build a buzz.

Six rules about BUZZ.

Keep it simple. Elaborate campaigns are not always needed.

Tell what's new. Don't bother with self-praise; focus on what's new with the product or service.

Don't make claims that you can't support. Don't say that it's the biggest showcase of the year in January. What happens if you have another showcase in July? Will it be the second biggest showcase of the year?

Ask your customers what's so special about your product or performance. If they can't articulate it, they can't pass it on.

Start measuring buzz. After your campaign, ask your customers if they recommended what you offered.

Listen to the buzz. Ask your customers what they think of your product and services.

Remember, nothing happens until something is sold. There's nothing to a buzz about if nothing was brought. How can you measure a buzz if you have no numbers to compare it with? I know of one artist who is always "creating a buzz" but there is no end result.

Hopefully, this will help to aid in your "buzz."

Tips to Reach & Win Over New Fans

When it comes to Major Labels and them investing in to an up and coming Artist they tend to spend a lot of money on "shotgun" marketing. They promote the artist and material to target a segment of the population (which is usually millions of people), knowing that only a small percentage will be interested enough to respond and become fans. This widespread tactic often works well enough to sell a lot of CDs and concert tickets - but it is very expensive.

Realistically, underground artist can't afford "shotgun" marketing. You have to find effective, low-cost ways to go directly to your one-in-a-thousand fans. Here are four simple steps you can take to reach and win over new fans:

1. Define Your Distinct Musical Identity -
Have a firm grasp on what your music is about. What sets you apart from other acts? What attitude or social statement do you make? Being an R&B or hip-hop act won't do it. You need to dig deeper and discover your uniqueness. When you finally reach your rare potential fans, don't lose them by not being clear about your music identity. If you can't readily tell someone exactly what motivates your music, take the time and focus on this step.

2. Describe Your Ideal Fan
Once you know who you are musically, it is time to figure out your ideal fan. How old are they? How do they dress? Where do they live? Where do they work? What TV shows do they watch? What do they do to relax? Who are their cultural hero's? Pay close attention to the types of people who come to see you perform and take notes about what they have in common. If you know exactly who your fans are, you will be able to decide which avenues you use to reach them and how you communicate your message once you do reach them.

3. Determine How to Get Access to Your Fans
Once you know exactly what type of music fan you need to go after, make a list of the resources and venues these specific people are attracted to. What magazine and newspapers do they read? Where do they hang out socially? What radio stations do they listen to? What retail outlets do they frequent? What web sites do they surf to? What e-mail newsletters, blogs and pod casts do they subscribe to? Make list of the gold resources you find.

4. Network and Promote Your Music
Get busy and use your targeted list of contacts and resources. Send e-mail press releases to niche media outlets. Make contact with the webmasters and editors of appropriate publications. Post messages and comments in specialized forums and on blogs. Visit and interact via web sites of similar-sounding bands. Contact organizations and charities related to your music niche.

BUILD YOUR FAN BASE!

I sincerely hope you readers are taking note of this - know it sounds corny to say do research and learn your fan base but I promise it is needed. A friend told me yesterday that Beyonce was washed up - I pointed out to him that he is a complete hip hop/ neo soul black male over the age of 25 and that Beyonce's music isn't geared towards him so of course he is going to feel that way. You can't please everyone in the world but there are a host of them that will appreciate your music if they are just like you!

Its More Than Swagger

"Swagger" is important to urban music. However, don't let "swagger" keep your music career at a standstill. YOU NEED FANS!! You may be the hottest singer, rapper, performer, etc. in the game but you will never be able to make money in the music business without fans.

Music Marketing is about attracting fans - getting more people to come to your performances, buy your CD's, and tell other people about you. Also take note that you must go out and build fans, sitting up on MySpace adding people all day and never getting out in the world is not going to build genuine fans. Get involved in as many showcases, talent shows, etc. that allow you to showcase your talent. I'll say it again: People have to SEE you perform and LIKE you enough to BUY your music and TELL other people about you

Building The RIGHT Fan Base

It's about QUALITY not QUANTITY; if you know you don't go to every Artist page that you add and support their music, what makes you think they are doing nothing more than adding you just to get their numbers up - numbers that mean nothing if they aren't listening? Mama always said, do unto others as you want done to you, take that same quote and apply it to your music game.

Speaking from personal experience, interacting with the 150 people you have on your friends list that actually enjoy your music leads to more people who want to check you out and add you on their own because they are feeling your music. How so you ask? The same way MySpace got you in trouble behind some girl leaving you sexy glitter comments on a weekly bases is the same way people will check you out; Muthaflippers are NOSEY! Having genuine and regular conversations with people that are actual fans on a weekly bases makes outsiders wonder, "who is this person?", so their next move is to click on your page, play your music, scroll through your comments and if you're good, they add you. TRUE STORY! You're able to do this by actually NETWORKING and being a FRIEND to your fans. Keeping it small to start off with leads to them paying you attention when you have things going on, which then turns to them following you when you get a little shine and encourages them to go out and buy your album because you were their ACTUAL Bud on MySpace and not just another annoying Artist. It's not too late, remove the unwanted people; treat MySpace as a business if you're going to attempt to count how many song plays you had for the day. Make those plays count. Out of all of those plays, how many people added YOU and not you adding them?

Think about this... Suppose you get 1000 people of all ages, genders and backgrounds to come to a show that you are putting on at a local venue. You start out the show giving the people information about your music and you perform a few of your best songs. Chances are that at least 1 person of the 1000 will like you and your music enough to buy your CD or come to your next live performance. Apply this theory to a larger group of people. There are almost 300 million people in the United States. One-tenth of one percent would be 300,000 people. If you end up with 3 fans out of that group of 1000 people, you'd have nearly one million fans!! WHY NOT YOU?!?!

Build your fan base!