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Your Band Is A Virus! Online & Viral Marketing Strategies For Indie Bands |
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By James Moore
© 2010-2013, James Moore. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission (Please do not reprint without asking permission!)
My goal with this column will be to provide independent musicians with
actionable advice on how to promote themselves online without hiring a
publicist. Many bands make the mistake of neglecting their press
sections and wasting too much time on social networks. Real online
marketing takes time, effort and a personal touch - but it works. I will be posting original articles here as well as clips from my book "Your Band Is A Virus", all with actionable information geared towards moving your band forward and gaining more press. Feel free to contact me with any online promotion questions you may have.
A short bio
Articles:
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Why Independent Artists Need To Understand Perception -
Perception is critical to any independent artist, because artists typically get a 30 second window to impress any festival organizer, promoter, industry person, or new fan. If there is no perceived momentum there, they lose opportunity after opportunity.
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Rock Revival pt 1 - Death Valley High Talks Independent Rock -
I decided to interview some hard working independent rock bands about their thoughts on music marketing. It's my contribution to a
"rock revival". This first interview is with lead singer and guitarist of the very impressive alternative/punk/metal act Death Valley
High, Reyka Osburn.
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Rock Revival pt 2 - Danger Van Gorder From Countless Thousands -
In the 2nd installment of "Rock Revival" I spoke with the very talented and hard working Danger Van Gorder, lead man of the stellar
alternative/punk band Countless Thousands. Van Gorder is a perfect subject to discuss music marketing with. He is passionate about his
craft, first and foremost. He also works very hard promoting his music, and he uses a variety of tactics to do so. While may bands
waste precious time on social networks, Countless Thousands perfect their song-writing craft and aim for real press. I believe that
hard work and a positive attitude both generate results, and he certainly has both.
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Rock Revival pt 3 - Davina Robinson -
In my 3rd installment of "Rock Revival" I was treated to a very detailed and in depth conversation with the powerhouse voiced and
very driven Davina Robinson, who's new album is appropriately titled "Black Rock Warrior Queen". Davina can relate to the
independent artist's struggles and concerns, and I'm confident this interview will provide a wealth of encouragement to any
musicians out there looking to share their music with the world.
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How to use Lady GaGa's controversy techniques to your advantage -
Indie bands - What can we learn from the marketing techniques employed by the world's biggest pop star
(except Justin Bieber), Lady GaGa? If at this point you're saying "She's a sellout" or "I hate pop music" you've quite
possibly closed the doors available to you and sorely missed out.
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Learn How To Sell Your Music And Beat The Torrents -
Most independent musicians complain about the dominance of free torrent websites. No matter what they try to sell and how they try to sell it, people just aren't buying anymore. I hate to be the bearer of perceived "bad news", but the temporary solution is to stop selling. Read on for more.
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Newsletters & Mailing Lists For The Novice Musician -
A necessity for your indie band's website is to have a visible mailing
list or newsletter sign up. If all the people visiting your website
simply come and go, what good is it to you? Here's some information on how to do that and what should be in that newsletter.
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Indie Bands - Take Your Songs Off Myspace! -
If you ask people what has turned them off indie bands and finding music online, you may just hear the answer "Myspace bands". Not only is there an overabundance of poorly presented artists on the site - many of them also make a habit of spamming their friends lists to the point where most people have shut down or abandoned their accounts and moved over to Facebook. This article hones in on one simple aspect of independent music that has been overlooked in the modern age of option paralysis and too much choice. Think about it next time you're about to send 500 emails saying "Check us out!" If your music isn't quite there yet, take your songs off Myspace!
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How To Market Your Music Without Hiring A Publicist -
Using DIY tactics, behind-the-scenes marketing strategies and a personal touch, you can now market your music to mass audiences without shelling out any money to publicists or promotion companies.
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Search Engine Optimization for Indie Bands -
People
typically arrive at websites in three ways: through the use of search
engines, clicking links from other websites, or simply by typing in the
website address. Even though search engines alone will not complete your
promotional arsenal, they will be important. Many indie bands do not understand the importance of search engine optimization. In simple terms, SEO gives many more people the opportunity to find out about your band.
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Behind-the-Scenes Online Marketing for Independent Musicians - A How To Guide -
Today's independent musician's must be vigilant with their promotions in order to build a respectable press section. The way to achieve this, contrary to popular belief among indie bands, is not by sending out 10,000 messages entitled "Check out my band!" on Myspace. It involves getting personal, respectful, and attentive to the music media. In this article, I'll detail what I like to call "Behind-the-scenes" marketing.
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Q&A:
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Do the Radiohead/Nine Inch Nails marketing methods actually work? -
There has been much debate over whether the effectiveness of the modern viral marketing methods practiced by Radiohead (the 'pay-what-you-want' method) and Nine Inch Nails (the 'download the album for free' method) actually work for independent musicians with limited fan bases. I believe that both of these methods are effective, but only if the independent artist has a strong marketing campaign.
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A
short bio:
James Moore is a Canadian music consultant and author of the bestselling independent
musician's resource guide "Your Band Is A Virus! Behind-the-Scenes
& Viral Marketing for the Independent Musician". The book has consistently done well on the Amazon Kindle Music Business charts and is affiliated with the Indie Bible. His home page is www.yourbandisavirus.com. The book can also be purchased in Amazon Kindle format here. He also maintains a blog at http://www.independentmusicpromotions.com/.
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