Are fans telling friends? If not, don’t promote
Should you spend more time promoting right now?
Or should you spend more time creating and improving?
It’s a tough question. Lucky for you, I’ve got the answer.
It comes down to one observation: Are your fans telling their friends?
If not, then don’t waste time promoting it yet. Keep working, improving, and creating, until your fans are telling their friends about you.
To be clear, I don’t mean fans told friends because you asked them to! They can’t do it just to help you, like a favor. They have to do it just because they love your music so much that they’re doing their friends a favor by turning them on to you.
Your music needs to be remarkable — so surprisingly good that others remark about it, like this.
Until that point, you’re better off just improving and creating as much as you can.
For more thoughts on this, read Seth Godin’s book, “Purple Cow”.
Very interesting topic/concept. and yet, very true! And i think another top that i've read previously from you, where this can relate directly is finding your niche market. don't try to appeal to everyone and listen what people, or in this case, a trusted friends has to say. you can create your specific audience…just listen.
Love it Sivers! Love it! BE EXCEPTIONAL!!!
Great idea, this makes you think. I think you're on the right track. Does this imply that marketing isn't required, because I see lots of great jazz musicians who don't get much traction. Is it because they aren't exceptional (doubtful).
Excellent Derek! Always a great read.
Cheers:)))
Mark
@Will
Exceptional musical talent doesn't necessarily equate to an exceptional performer, which is what sells music. A successful musician is a successful performer, which means they provide an experience people can get excited about. Some jazz musicians don't understand the concept of performance and as a result end up playing for themselves more than their fans.
That's a great question, Will. I think it makes a difference what you give your customers to talk about. For instance, "You should go down to Beale street and hear Joe Blow," will generate a different buzz than "Listen to this CD by Joe Blow. He plays down on Beale every Friday night."
So I think you start with an exceptional musician and add easy access. If Joe Blow hands out free CDs one Friday night, he'll insure top-of-mind-awareness for the coming weeks.
If he's terrible, then his CD should be titled, "World's Worst Jazz Player", and then next Friday will be even more packed.
This and related concepts are discussed in depth in my new book "Songcrafters' Coloring Book: The Essential Guide to Effective and Successful Songwriting" (http://www.songcrafterscoloringbook.com)
For any Indie artist, no matter how good one's promo is, the products being promoted (i.e the songs) have to be good enough to appeal to enough of a demographic to create a sustainable cash flow. The concept of Ullage is one which has not been discussed before in terms of music, and I present it fully in my book, along with a parameterization of a song's appeal relative to it's craftsmanship.
Yup, I've kinda known that for a long time.
It's difficult to work thru one's ideas, ...throw them out there and watch it sink or swim. Perseverance and all that rot, I guess. I long for the days when the club gigs were the rage. I tried everything out on the unsuspecting audience and got my immediate reaction.
er, a lot of people wait to be told something is good before they want it. As to the great performer remarks, there are plenty of crap performers doing well, and plenty of great composers both recognised and not recognised who are crap performers.
Still, the basic premise that one excited person can make a huge difference stands, if it's the right person.
You are on a serious common sense streak since returning from your journey. Thanks for opening our complacent eyes, as always!
After all, we're providing a service for people: entertainment. As we do more for others, they will do more for us.
http://bit.ly/3Dbs yeah baby, worth a retweet!
Great advice, Derek! Thanks for the refreshing reminder!
Not sure if I agree with that one fully..especially in the context of the music business. Music is not a product or a solution to a problem as such. Yes, I agree that someone could go "omfg, check that band out, they are *amazing*!" and recommend 10 other people. Music has emotional value and it means something different to different people. Also there is enough evidence out there that a superhit band or product (like Britney Spears) can get away with very average pieces of music and a product. So yeah, remarkable music is subjective, even if it is remarkabale, the band has to package, market and sell it.
Absolutely! A great article. Thanks for reminding me Derek.
*Jared
I've had lots of projects that have fallen flat (solo projects, band projects, a book, two musical plays). I did lots of marketing to spread the word but none of them got any traction.
I believe the art was good but I understand now that none of those projects resonated with people or fulfilled a need in their lives. All the marketing in the world (at least on an indie budget) can't change that.
A few years ago, I created a new project with a narrow focus that fulfills a need. Now I play 300+ shows a year and make a living making music. I spend next to nothing on marketing because 90% of my business comes from word of mouth.
I'm still the same artist I was with all those other projects that withered on the vine. This time around I just have a better focus on what resonates with my audience.
I think about the fast food restaurant telling us to eat more chicken. I did not get it when it first came out. Now, when I see a billboard about the cows I laugh. I love their lemonade and chicken biscuits. mmmm I started eating their because of friends I worked with in the past.
far out this is so true...alot of stuff i have read is focusing so much on various ways of marketing music online & otherwise...instead of how enhancing your product-the music, improving it, creating more... i don't know if i agree with the whole "branding" concept...the music should sell itself, as opposed to focusing on specific markets etc etc etc...all about priority
Sometimes these really hit home. And the comments are sometimes the best part! Derek's been coaching us for so long, we now remind each other in a timely way of things he's recommended over the years.
For instance, I knew Steve Denyes (comment #21) in San Diego in the 90's, and he's finally successfully implemented the 'find a niche and fill it' strategy.
And Micah's (#23) is good, too. A good online presence is only one ingredient necessary for success. And working on it is definitely NOT the fun part for a lot of us.
And like other people said, being a great talent or having great songs alone isn't going to do it. You need a great act, too.
I just saw a guy named Greg Tamblyn perform, and if you want to see a great act, see Greg somewhere. He played 12-13 songs in a 90 minute set, which means he only played a little over half the time. The rest of the time he told stories and jokes, and even had jokes prepared for the requisite 'buy my cd' and 'thank you for coming' segments. What a pro!
He makes everything about the audience. Every story he tells, every song he writes is selective in a way that touches people, and makes them think and laugh. And he's a damn good songwriter. He's not the most impressive musician you'll ever see, but that's impressive, too. His music is always about something more than the music itself, which is always inspiring. I'm going to tell MORE than 10 people about Greg.
Great blog! I've been thinking along the same lines lately. It's motivation to improve my musicianship, my singing and my songwriting.
There is definitely truth in what Mr Godin says but as there are many aspects of life, I definitely would not take this as gospel and abandon all other aspects. For I learnt a great truth during my school days which was: ADVERTISING IS MORE POTENT THE MORE IGNORANT THE CONSUMER, which in a way is counter to what Mr Godin says. For how many people have gone along and bought some product simply because some journalist at a well-known newspaper said it was great only to find out after they bought it, it was crap.
I would not take Seth's statement tooooooooooo seriously. Some, but not all, of the problems facing the music industry is an OVER abundance of Myspace bands. Do you honestly think the average person is going to have time to listen to all these bands? Also as stated elsewhere, much of the music on Myspace is questionable in its quality. Ergo the band that has something to say or is good, needs a method to cut throw alot the BS out there. And one way of many is to advertise.
Gosh. This is true. This is certainly my goal. I am an older musician who got a late start (I'm 44) - already strikes against me. But I am still ambitious. I play lots of open mics. And I've written dozens of songs. But I take breaks to practice and practice. And maybe write that great song that I believe is in me (Lord help me). I've got some songs that sometimes get really good responses (people come up to me afterwards and say they really like it), but it hasn't been consistent. I sometimes think I am the Don Quixote of songwriters.
It is certainly true - quirky quality out-plays honest endeavour any time of the day when you are a nobody.
I thank god for you, and that you wrote this very insightful article. I myself have been really struggling as an up, and coming poet/songwriter. it seems I just can't get the buzz that I need to get my name out there. I know I'm good at what I do, and when I'm promoting my work I occasionally get positive feedback, but the problem is it's not consistent feedback. Sometimes I feel like I'm just wasting my time, and that no one cares about what I'm doing. I often have to ask my online friends to promote for me, by asking them to tell their other friends about me etc. I only ask them to do that, because they gave me great feedback in the past. But I recently realized that I shouldn't have to ask them to promote for me, because if they really did have a strong liking for my work then they would automatically feel the sudden need to tell others about me on their own. But I do thank you for this article cause it allowed me to realize that I need to try to find a audience who actually likes to read poetry. Keep up the great work, and god bless.
We call this that "Good Game" where I come from... Thanks pimp !
Great article. I think where many of fail is we are afraid to be who we are and being who we are gives us a unique advantage. After all, we are all different therefore we each have something unique to bring to the table. So Dream and go for it!
I tend to disagree with most of what has been said here.
You could turn on your television, radio or 'phone every day and be bombarded with "useless" unnecessary products and "worthless" unimaginative music everywhere you turn. What makes these things successful in today's day and age is the consistency of MARKETING / PROMOTION, building a BRAND and constantly drilling and force feeding the advertisement home to the general public until they BUY! Truthfully speaking, anything else that's success oriented is luck based!
Hello Derek,
Once again you are exactly right here I believe. Even this cold reality is actually encouraging, because one could save a fortune in funds among other reasons. My wife agrees too on this article, and your other as well. As my wife said what can I create that others would love, and have my music go along with it as well, but it would be a song of mine I have gotten the most reaction from enthusiastically. You're a wise man, Derek, but you know it is really just great uncommon or common sense. Thank you for inspiring me to think, Derek. Best, Clay Wilson
Derek, I love this article! One of the KPI's in the company I work for is Net Promoter Score and we have the same mentality! There's no point in promoting a below par company!
For Christopher at #24,
I read all the comments too.
Some year when you come back to this, say hello.
To me, this is common sense reality testing.
I have often conquered my ego to do such testing, even since reading Jan (been condensed by Reader's Digest four times) De Hartog's book on A Sailor's Life. It's a nonfiction book of advice.
You may recall how, in the pre-digital age, mariner's spent a lot of time below decks carving whale bones and telling sea stories. One day, a young mariner is (secretly) all excited to tell his first story: It flops. The other men just go on whittling and talking as if nothing happened. Ouch! The young man is secretly crushed.
Later, an old salt takes the youth aside and tells him the secret to a good story. Note: People are always going into the galley to talk to the cook and get a snack.
"Go into the galley and tell your story to the cook. Then wait outside the door. If the cook tells it to the next guy to enter, then you have a story worth telling."
...Rather than think the cook, and my friends, are wrong, I just keep trying until they like my stuff. Time spent improving is never wasted.