Money Isn't Everything

In my last blog I talked about bands/artists looking into the possibility of getting some financial assistance from investors and I just wanted to clarify that my intention was not to say that having a lot of money to throw at a business venture is the cure-all. It isn't.

I really don't believe that an abundance of money is the answer much of the time. So many of us have a great deal of opportunity all around us all the time, yet we don't take advantage of all that is already there. The most important assests you can have are the desire to do what it is you want to do, the skills and talent to do it, a high level of commitment to see it through and the ability to adapt as you go. Without these things you probably won't go very far no matter how much money you have.

There's a great quote from Bill Gates with regard to applying automation to companies to increase efficiency:

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."

I think the same could be said about pumping money into a business whether it's a band or otherwise. Putting big dollars into a band that's a complete mess will just reveal what a mess it is because the stakes are higher. And conversely, putting money behind a band that has all its ducks in a row will reveal the greatness that has always been there on a much grander scale.

Just look at the track record of the major lables over the past four or five decades. They fail about 90% of the time, but when they win, they win big. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row and that your desire, skills and commitment are all in check. And if that's truly the case, you're increasing your chances of success tenfold.

So don't sit around making excuses about not having enough money or not having the same opportunities that others are enjoying. Get out there and start taking advantage of all the great tools (many of which are very cheap or even free) like social networking sites, music delivery services, blogging sites and so on. I think it really boils down to the fact that you have to look within for the answers you need to move forward, not outside yourself. The ability to be creative is priceless, so tap into your creative side and turn the tables so other people will be seeking the opportunity to work with you.

Making The Most Of Your Music Marketing Efforts

How are you marketing your music? Are you only using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Myspace? Don't leave the marketing of your band and your music solely to those who are running these sites.

Look at Myspace already. It's like a ghost town. Every time I visit that site (which is becoming less frequent), I can see tumbleweeds and dust bunnies blowing across my computer screen. I feel bad for those who were (and perhaps still are) using Myspace as their main promotional platform. So much time went into connecting with those 50,000 + 'friends' and maybe even a few hundred bucks pimping up your site and now it's meaningless.

If you think about it, even when Myspace was the place to be, those 50,000 friends didn't really mean much. Most of those people who accepted your friend request probably forgot all about you an hour after they clicked the 'accept' button and you just faded away into the ever growing sea of 'friend' pages.

Instead of putting all your eggs into the social media basket, make sure you have your own official band web site and drive all your traffic there. Be creative and devise a plan for a fun and interactive experience that your fans can get excited about. If they're engaged and entertained, they'll come back again and again and they'll tell their friends about how amazing you are.



Think about the success of Facebook. It isn't because 500 million people think Zuckerberg is a swell guy and love showing him their support by making him billions of dollars selling advertising. It's because he created a web site where the users have the control and it's all about them. They can upload their pictures and videos and connect with or reject anyone they choose.

You have to find a way to create that sense of community within your world. Allow your fans to connect with you and each other. Build a mailing list of qualified fans by meeting with them face to face at your shows and doing a little research to find out exactly where they hang out online. Five hundred email addresses of people who are interested in and expecting updates from you beats 50,000 'friends' any day.

When and if the social networks of today fall into the abyss along with Myspace, you won't be left having to start over again from scratch.