JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Weekly Topic #19--Self-Promotion

Hey everyone,

The weekly topic for this week is self-promotion. Someone touched on this a little bit several months ago, but I thought it might be worth revisiting. Recently, my co-writer presented me with an idea to promote our music. It could be a bit costly, and I'm not sure we will be getting the most bang for our buck. So where do I come when I have a dilemma, to you all, of course. So, my idea for the new weekly topic was born...

What kinds of self-promotion ideas have you tried? Have they succeeded or failed? What was the cash outlay? Do you feel it was worth it?

Let us know,
Ashleigh

Just befcause it is reputed record comanies come this caper Noel, doen't make it alright.
I would suggest it is more productive to cultivate your local DJs and chat them into doing an all Aussie artists show with the empasis on originals or emerging acts.
That's what we did down here and it works great.
I don't know a local music buff who doesn't listen to Catherine Wests friday show.
And the beauty of it is, other DJs on hope FM are picking up the stuff she introduces and playing it on their shifts too.
It was a sneeky move but our club now has Catherine as our publicity officer.
last week Catherine had My thrush janine and Steve, (Cat's big brother and my guitar bloke by the way) West in and they performed live to air. Went down real well anr was the talk of the jam last night.
This is the sort of radio cover i would be looking forrather than stooping to devious plans which I would feel can only atract the same distgust given to record companies for doing it.
I don't know what your radio set up over there is Noel but would suggest you look at doing it all above board when you get one good enough to air.
And believe me. If you have a radio station prepared to play less than full production songs, I would nurture them. Put them top of your dial because tyhey are thin on the ground and need every bit of support writers and emerging artists can give them.
The above doesn't adress your post Ashliegh but does continue the flow so far.
I remember posting to the original subject and maybe it would have been better to bring that one up top so it would all be together.
Regards.
Graham


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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Hey Noel and Graham,

Thanks for replying. Graham, you may be right, but since I didn't I'll just try to throw out some things that were discussed and maybe some people can comment on them. Maybe people have done a lot of self promotion or maybe you guys are just keeping the good ideas to yourselves on this one.

I'm talking about t-shirts, bumper stickers, flyers, pens, press packets to clubs, local performing opportunites, promotional CDs--really anything that any members have used to get there music and names out there. Did it work? Were the results worth the money spent?

As to Noel's idea, I think the radio stations are so cynical, they would probably assume it was a dummy email system. I think Graham has a great idea. It seems like putting a nice face and voice to the music is always a good way to play it. You can't go wrong with trying to work the personal contacts.

Keep posting,
Ashleigh

This is not strictly promotion per se, but it also helps. I am writing with a reggae singer called Mika. She is low on the bill of festivals, so basically many people have never heard of her, and might miss her name when she plays. So we now get someone going round the site immediately after the show with a cigarette vendor type box making noise and selling her CDs. It works. Obviously, these people are also getting her website address. We might even add incense and a tiny cassette player to the box to make sure they get hit with every sense.

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Michael Leahy
The Accidental Lyricist

I forgot to mention Noel. We all have something to promote. Ourselves.
We have to be visable. And attractive to the field we want to be seen grazing.
Yeah tee shirst are a good way to get amessage out.
They are no sweat to put out in limited numbers with iron on media you can print out and then iron onto tee shirts.
I do them on cotton sqaures and pin that to the back of my coat for short term ventures.
I have done thuis a couple of times for visiting artists who were playing at a pub. I then went and had a few beers at every othre pub in town. Works.
Publicans can get stroppy but as I point out to them if they have an act which needs a bit of promo I will do it for them as well provided provide the few beers money.
I make posters and stick them on my vehicles and park where it wil be seen.
Have even done the drive around town in the horse and cart with posters attached.
I did this for a florist chain one day and they had to call me to stop adertising as they had ran out of flowers.
The current compilation CD we have out here is working well.
it took forever for the club to actually do it but the resuls is worth the wait.
We named it The seae Breeze Collection after a popular island cruise boat here and they are providing the Boat and their holiday island for the launching.
We are going to rotate musos throughout the launch trips to and from Woody Island and have a couple of bands there as well to keep it flowing.
If you have a puter it is pretty easy to make PR stuff even if you are no great shakes graphically.
I use Corel Draw and Word Art for the most part but have used Serra's Print Artist to good effect in the past. It has so many editable templates to work with, anybody can bang out eye catching graphics.
Something like Microsoft Picture It which has a distortion factor in it can be a whole lotta fun to bang out wierd and wonderful posters.
If you do something you think the locals would like to know about. Let the local media know. Theay are always looking for local news and quite a lot of then are syndicated so your little local snippet may go a long way toward broadening your chances of world fame.
I get pulled up all the time by people who didn't know i write now Deedee's Cde is out with seven of my songs on it.
And Deedee is getting sales from peole who are buying it because they know me.
So it is a two edged cutting edge type of promo we have going.
My last little stint of shedding the clothes and relying on my old beach guitar to maintains some mystery, then getting The Australian Naturist to run the story which included a lyric and a link to my IUMA site.
I know the local bookshops sold out totally and believe the American sales have topped any previously attained.
My IUMA hit rate has been great and have had a couple of inquiries for music from bands. This was the aim of the excercise. To reah bands at a non mainstream music level. Skinny dippers have live gigs and they use bands.
Another thing I do in music is always use my name.
Apart from the fact I find using nick names in boards such as this confusing, I beieve it cuts down our visability.
I do use other names in general writing but not in songwriting.
Michael. There is no question of what you are doing being promotion.
It is and very effective promotion in my book.
If you are both writing for and promoting the artist it makes you visable too. And that is self promotion in the best way as it slowballs.
basically, the artist needs you for your writing and has to appreciate the PR bit you do. Nothing like having a tame artist who thinks the sun shines from a person.
summing up. We are creative people otherwise we wouldn't be writing lyrics.
Don't let the creativity stop at the lyric.
Reads a bit harpie i know but it is how i see it.
Regards.
Graham


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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

I've been in bands that have made up posters, bumper stickers, t-shirts, and all that sort of thing; but the best promotional device was what we did for a European tour. Our band was performing in Texas before the tour so we bought 50 Texas "scratch" lottery tickets to give to promoters and fans. We found ones that had a picture of the Lone Star State on them. These became more popular than our bumper stickers and we wished we had gotten a hundred of them.

Several clubs framed them and hung them on their walls. It turned out to be a great promotional tool, and it didn't even mention the band. A few yeaars earlier we tried those small bottles of Jack Daniels, and even these weren't as successful as the lottery tickets.

I have seen this work, and it works wonderfully. If you are performing in a venue, such as a fairground, where the toilet facilities are limited and the lines are very long....get with the venue operator a few days before the event and acquire permission to install (at your expense) one good portapotty near the stage. Put a padlock on it and have 100 keys made to fit the padlock. Give a key away with every cd you sell. Everybody will want one.

and your total expense won't be over $125.00

dawg

Graham, Mike, and Dawg,

What great and truly unique ideas! I have to say that the potra-potty one does take the cake. Definitely memorable. You guys are so great. Thanks for taking the time to post these.

Keep posting,
Ashleigh

Just this weekend I attended a "family day" gathering that featured several musical acts. One band had the requisite CD sales table with mailing list signup sheet and a boombox fitted with headphones so you could listen to the disc.

The best part, though, were the homemade cookies they gave away to anyone who either bought a CD or signed the mailing list.

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Andrew
http://www.anthom.net
http://www.aquamarinemusic.com

We cultivate morals just as we cultivate creativity Noel. Keep working at it.
I like that porta potty thing. If you set the selling stand up near the main dunny area you would need a lot more CD stock and a key cutter on tap to keep up with demand.
gets my vote as best marketing ide of the topic i tell ya.
Why ain't I surprised it is a Dawg idea?
LOl the takes the cake comment was very funny considering it was follwoed by the free cookies thought by A street.
Regards.
Graham


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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Graham and Noel,

Are you guys going to help get a chapter launched in Australia? We keep growing there by everyone is quite scattered about.

Brian

Noel is working on it Brian.
It seems we have a problem communicatoing at the moment.
Noel can't get Microsoft chat for some reason and i couldn't figure the one he said to try.
I also am pushing space in this box to fit more programs on and maintain enough space to do my music and graphics. I only have 2 gigs and 32 megs of ram. Works fine provided I have been telling all contacts I feelp could benefit from having a look about JPF.
I don't know how I will go time wise and also how effective an Aussie chapter will be given Noel, Judy Niana and i are someting like 2,500 miles apart.
Road shows would be a killer.
I did recommend JPF to another WA person i had contact through SCALA with the other day but haven't seen her name crop up in posts yet.
We are trying Brian.
Don't by any chance want a boat load of Afganisan refugees up there do you?
We got one more than we can handle just now.
Regards.
Graham



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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Ashleigh,

I have a couple of sources for you for band promo items:

www.Tagsandchains.com
www.Nightclubitems.com

and check out the promotional links from
www.Aboutmusiciansexchange.com

dawg

Just a litle update on a bit of self promotion that netted a bit of good.
When working on the puter I have radio on and this week, talk back here hasbeen monopolised by the illegal boat people on the norwegan container ship at Christmas Island.
One listenrt claimed he was ashamed to be an Australian so I emailed the lyric of my novelty song Up Where The Sun Don't Shine to the station.
Friday came and it was anounced the best contribution for the week.
Results.
I get a free weekend in a flash Perth Pub. Which will go along way toward me being able to go down to the ASA Wax Lyricall Writer's mike nights to do my stuff.
As I include my IUMA link on all e-mails there is one more DJ who knows I am out there.
I see that as a litle step in the right direction.
And an example of the old never let a chance go by routine.
Also this week I had some feedback from one of my postings around the net from an Australian east coast band, which has one CD out and continually gigging, and we are talking the posibility of them doing at least The Pub and maybe a few more.
They are basically a counrty swing band but have a real broad playing field which suits me fine.
Thought it appropriate to drop that bit of news in here being strutting your stuff is the issue.
Regards.
Graham

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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Hey guys,

Thanks for the tips and good for you, Graham.

Keep posting,
Ashleigh

Well, I'm not too good at promoting myself...not good at talking to people I don't know. But, I am good at helping other people promote themselves by custom designing promotional items, such as tee shirts, CD labels and inserts, logos, flyers, brochures, posters, etc. A not-often-thought-of item is a mailing label with a custom logo, (even if snail mail isn't too popular anymore, you can still use mailing labels to send your demo's). If you have a website, the URL is another great promo item.
Another way to promote is to find the fund raisers, such as auctions that take donated items. Donate your CD's, or tickets to one of your gigs, let the charity auction them. I have donated my artwork to PBS for their membership drives, Childrens Hospital, and many other charities that have silent auctions. It is a good way to get your name out there, because in return for your donation, they will put your business card or a small ad in their newsletters, or advertising flyers.

Just a couple of thoughts.....and, if you need any of the above promo items, I can do it for you.

Bluelitenin

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"Music is the Sound that I hear in my Mind"

NEW WEBSITE - http:/home.mindspring.com/~ceriousart

But wait. There's more.
No sweat Ashleigh.
I have posted this innthe newsletter notes ting as I figured that was the place to put it, but add it her as it is tied in with the self promotion machine thing some.
I did the photos for the Dare To Wear Ball where people design, make and wear stange clothes while performing a dance routine.
This gig has been going for about four years and gets more venturesome all the time.
I had planned on not going this year but the music club which was providing the music asked me if I would come and take some shots of the bands working. I said OK.
The Arts council then asked me if i could come earlier and do the shots of the Annual arts awards and Dare To Wear as well.
Was busy clicking away during the awards which was first cab off the rank , when i heard a spiel which sounded a lot like stuff I had done and sure enough. Bloody Music club had nominated me for the Music Industry Award.
That explained why the regular press photographer I was told couldn't get there was in fact clicking away. In the second best spot in the house i may add because i got the top spot first.
That's OK. it realy made my night as i don'r see i do any more than a lot of other music people in town.
Being not actually a muso getting it was a real boost for me because i often feel i don't really fit in to the real muso catogory.
Got home and checked SCALA web site because the FOOM awards were annoubcd last night also.
And. Come The Morrow had managed a Commended Award. My first mention ever in an International award.
So now when I notify Radio West of my postal adress so they can send me the flash pub freebie for the first bit of luck, I can tell them all the other stuff, and while doing so give them the details of the awards winners and results of the dare to wear trick too.
So little old Esperance gets a bit of a plug on statewide radio.
And me along with it.
That's my idea of effective self promotion JPFolks.
Everybody involved gets something out of it.
Regards.
Graham

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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Another chance encounter today.
Got talking to a girl in the pub while doing my mail andit turned out she is one of the out of town artists on the Compilation CD we have just done. Also turned out she works for the president of the hotel owners assocciation.I got chatting about my idea of using Mark Chelini and my song The Pub as a base for a promo and she thought it was a great idea so gave me her boss' phone number. Rang him and gave him the IUMA addy to go listen.
He hasn't got back to me yet but said he really liked the idea.
Never let a chance go by I say.
Regards.
Graham

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http://artists2.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Graham_Henderson/

Good for you, Graham,

And good luck, too!

Keep posting,
Ashleigh