The Guitar Player's Resource
There is no question that the economy is not doing as well as we would like. We are seeing people cut back more and more. But it is in times like these that the best motivation can come about. Something that make us abandon the old ways and pushes us to be more creative.
In a recent mentoring session, an artist told me how they got a notice from their insurance company that the price of their coverage was dramatically increasing due to the implementation of "Obama Care." I said I know my insurance company just sent me a notice that my rate was going up 23% next month because of it.
He told me that he was seeing a lot less sales from I-Tunes, CD Baby and Amazon. Expecting the next negative comment to be about the attendance at his shows, he surprised me. Instead of crying about his new major expense and diminishing online sales, he remarked that there were more people coming to his shows but he wasn't ready to fill a basketball arena. However, he did implement a strategy that I have taught for years that was dramatically increasing the amount of money he was making with his music. Local sponsorships.
With a mailing list and Facebook list totaling a couple of thousand, he remembered me talking about how the people on your mailing list can still be valuable even if they are not coming to your shows. He went out and met with local businesses owners who's products and services he does and would use and felt his fans would like. He talked with them about promoting their business to his mailing and Facebook lists and at his shows. Using the specific strategies that I have worked with some of you on during mentoring sessions and even in the movie, "800 CDs", he laughed and said he had played a show where the club owner only gave him $50 but the sponsors paid him $500 to play and promote the same show!
"When adversity hits, stand up in the midst of the storm and face it head on."
At the end of the session he laughed again that he had to go play a free show at a college that couldn't pay him but that was okay because other local business owners were paying him $800 to play the show and promote them to the college kids.
If you are not using this strategy, you should be. Its time for your music to pay you what you are worth versus hoping something is going to change using the same old methods.
Author Tim Sweeney is head of Tim Sweeney & Associates, who are entering their 18th year of being, "the only true artist development company in the world."
Tim is one of the music industry's most sought after experts and consultants, and has written several influential books including "Tim Sweeney's Guide To Releasing Independent Records".
