How do you promote when you got no money?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ray Sciarratta on June 17, 2009 at 7:41am

Well if everyone on this site responded to each other,linked and networked each others site,it would be good,especially if your pushing a disc.But they have to respond,HINT,HINT!!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CHC Network on June 18, 2009 at 10:55am

Being a strong supporter of this genre for years, I have spent the past six years researching this very subject. As I found new ways to promote yourself on the cheap, I posted it online, either on my blogs or on my website.

Here are the areas I have found most cost-effective in promoting yourself:

Email: This would include everything from compiling and maintaining a fan list, to learning the rudiments of creating press releases. This later alone will open countless doors for you. And because of the internet, you can do both of these things for FREE!

The big push is on creating and maintaining micro-blogs These are those insipid 140 character blogs such as Twitter that everyone is talking about. Did you know, as it normally happens whenever something proves successful, that there are now over 250 Twitter clones on the net? Now you need not post to these individually, you can post to these all at the same time using two ingenious free sites on which you can do just that. Likewise, you need not monitor all of these individually, but can follow what is happening on all of these at the same time from a single FREE site.

Video: This need not be expensive. Are you aware that Coldplay had their audience record a concert on their cell-phones which was then uploaded to youtube? And likewise, were you aware that entire documentaries have been shot using nothing more than a cell-phone? Who today does not own a cell phone? Aren't most of these now equipped with a camera? Can you identify the other video hosting sites like youtube on which you can post video for free? Can you identify the various free software that enables you to post on upwards of 30 different of these sites at the same time? Today, it's suggested that to maximize your exposure, you should be on as many sites as you can. And as far as search engines such as Google are concerned, video trumps text sites every time.

Did you also know that it is possible now to take a CD review and breaking down into different lines, you can create a video to which you can add a choice of different voices using a text to voice technology, and create a musical background. You can! Using this same software, you can upload these videos to as many as 17 different sites at the same time. People would much rather listen to and watch a video than read a wordy review.

Airplay/Podcasts: Following up on the first most effective way of promoting yourself (see above) do you know how to email a radio station ( and for that matter which radio stations) or a pod caster, and ask as if they would be open to giving you airplay? Do you know the next thing you can do at no cost to maximize your exposure on their air?

The problem with having a presence on a website such as myspace/facebook/or reverbnation is, unless you tell someone, who knows? You share that site with a 100,000,000 other individuals ( actually numbers of active people on these sites is not available People are leaving Myspace in droves. In fact, it was recently in the paper that Myspace is laying off a full 25-30% of its employees.). So you have to be proactive in your self-promotion.

Chad Norduff did a great thing in starting a discussion on Blues-friendly radio shows/stations elsewhere on this forum. But I asked myself, why stop there? I compiled this information and took it further, identifying the individuals behind each show that you should contact to ask for airplay, listed their email and physical addresses, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and in each instance, for each station, included information on how each station preferred to be contacted, whether they preferred to receive CDs or MP3s, and why, etc. I included links to further information on how to get your music played on the radio. And I offered this as a FREE down-loadable eBook.

Likewise, a similar question was asked, again on this forum, as to how to get your music played by pod casters. In answer, I identified the Blues pod casters on the net. Do you know in which format most pod casters prefer to receive your music, and why? Do you know how to reach them; where to mail your CDs; how to ensure that your music gets played. I also included interviews with two of the biggest names in Blues pod casting. .In each interview, they answer how to get your stuff played. This is also available as a FREE eBook.

Both of these books are available by simply emailing me. Likewise, if you write, I will send you links to eBooks that I have written on the songs and lyrics of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, and Bessie Smith. Each of these are fully tabbed for harmonica. Again, these are FREE.

Or, if you are a publisher and are looking for fully written interviews with Blues musicians, request: Take Five: 22 Five (to Seven) Question Interviews with Today's Hottest Blues Artists.

Can you beat the price? Email me at dking@justrootspr.com

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Fitzgerald on June 21, 2009 at 4:09pm

Here are a few tips that I put together for musicians and bloggers that might help you promote yourself on Twitter Tips for Musicians, Music Bloggers & Twitter users.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CHC Network on June 21, 2009 at 11:19pm

Fitzgerald,
Great blog entry. I am all over Twitter. But why stop there?

With the popularity of Twitter, Twitter clones have popped up all over the world. To date there has been a counted 262 counted clones from India, German, Japan, China, Spain, Poland, Rumania, France, Korea, USA, Dutch, Hungary, Russian, Indonesia, Mexico, Singapore, Czech, Portuguese, Turkey...

If you are not yet familiar with Twitter, it is an open source micro-blog, that allows you to blog about "what you are doing." The thing though is that you are limited to 140 characters.

By building connections on these sites, as Fitzgerald writes, you can stay in touch with your hommes world wide.

Here is a list of them:
www.honeytechblog.com/top-250-list-of-twitter-clones-sites/

If you can do this on one site, why not do the same on several sites. Although this may seem time consuming, you can now send posts out to many sites at the same time.

How is this accomplished? You can do this on sites such as

http://www.Ping.fm

This site allows you to update your micro-blogs, blogs, statuses (on such sites as myface, etc.) on as many as 25 different site. But wait, should you wish to update, you need not use a computer. You can update your posts using Email, Skype, iPhone Web app, seesmic video, etc.,

or

Hellotxt.com

This site enables you to send updates to as many as 53 different sites. This site also makes it possible to search and send photos, video, music, seesmic, and more.

To watch whether you get any replies to any of your posts, you needn't be on any of these sites. You can have each and every site on which you are building a presence link to your email so you can be notified of incoming posts from others simply by watching your email

With each of these posts you make, search engines such as Google and Yahoo index and archive your posts.
Here is a word of caution: Because your posts are indexed and archived, be careful of what you post as it will now become a permanent part of the internet. Although you may see others on this sites blogs about all nature of personal things, ask yourself whether you want to be remembered this way forever.

For more on how to Promote Your Music on the Cheap, be certain to follow our blog on Live Blues World. Promote Your Music on the Cheap

Your Costs: $0.00
Ain't it a Sweet Thang!?!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chad Nordhoff on June 22, 2009 at 12:26am

i may be old fashioned but i still print black and white flyers (under $2 for all i need). i shake hands and greet as many folks as possible when i break from a set. i volunteer to play for cheap (not so much free these days) and i get tips yo.

Coyote Slim: for the no-internet scenario you're talking about, rather than doing promotion i suggest being the promotion. Carry a cheap guitar, amp, mixer, and mic in your trunk and play when and where you can. The 'gigs' will grow from there. It just makes good sense to work with what you have. If you know people who will come to your shows, call them. Find them where they are and play for a good time and no more. Money will follow.

IMHO: Open-mics lead to blues-jams, then to gigs, then to leverage that you can use, but only if you're willing to give something up and take another step.

There's money to be made singin' the blues but it IS work. Among your tools you will need a heavy sack full of brass balls.

good work if you can get it

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by CHC Network on June 22, 2009 at 10:36am

Chad,
Good post and to the point of promoting your music on the cheap.

Whether connecting with fans in person, or using formats such as Twitter to connect with fans, this is one of the most important aspects of a new business model which is being used in the music business today. This business model can best be remembered formulaically. Simply it is:

CwF+RtB=$$$

Or Connect with Fans and give them a Reason to Buy=Dollars

http://vimeo.com/5229486?pg=embed&sec=

Watch this video and determine for yourself how this works. Again, it does! Although it comes in at a little over 30 minutes in length, this is worth the investment of your time.

It is from NARM 2009 State Of The Industry: Michael Masnick from NARM on Vimeo.

Your cost: $0.00
Ain't it a Sweet Thang!?!

• ▶ Reply

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• Next ›
• Page