Bob Baker is the author of "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook," "Unleash the Artist Within" and "Branding Yourself Online." He also publishes TheBuzzFactor.com, a web site and e-zine that deliver marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and other empowering messages to music people of all kinds. Get your FREE subscription to Bob's e-zine by visiting http://TheBuzzFactor.com today.

Bob Baker's BuzzFactor

By Bob Baker

Generic Music Marketing Doesn't Cut It Anymore - Having a Specific Objective Does

For 10 years I was the editor/publisher of a Midwest music magazine called Spotlight. I lost track of the number of times I received phone calls that went something like this: "Hey, I represent this new band called One In a Million. They're really good. You should cover them." Then silence. I'd politely ask them to send me a promo kit (or promise to dig out the one they'd already sent) while waiting for the person on the phone to answer the Big Question: Why?

The answer rarely came.

Make certain that every time you engage in a music marketing activity, you have a specific objective in mind. Simply getting someone on the phone or sending a letter is great, but what are you communicating? Begging an editor for a review or a club owner for a gig will lead to some press clippings and live shows, but having a fresh and detailed slant to your pitch will yield twice the results and amount of exposure.

Example: Let's say that September is National Fire Prevention Month (I don't believe it actually is, but just play along) and one of your band members is a volunteer fire fighter. You're also aware of a local children's hospital that has a special unit for burn victims. Contact a hip local club with the concept of a charity show, with proceeds going to the burn unit. Once it's set up, contact area editors to inform them of the event and pitch a story idea that ties in with National Fire Prevention Month and your musician fire fighter.

You can even take this idea further by asking a local pizza chain to provide free food during a pre-show party the night of the concert. The pizza chain benefits by being associated with such a worthy event. You should also allow them to distribute coupons that night. In return, they promote the benefit concert at all of their locations during the weeks leading up to it.

Which do you think would be more effective? The specific, focused approach? Or just asking, "Hey, can you give us a gig?" Think before you market. Come up with a creative, timely and newsworthy angle and you'll find a lot more doors opening to invite you in.

Here are some more examples:

Canadian entertainment lawyer Ryan T. Richardson works with a band called Leaderdogs for the Blind, who released an album entitled LEMONADE.

Richardson explains: "When the record company went into a state of inaction just after the album release, we decided to push our own singles, one being the title track. Inserted with the flier listing the singles was a small packet of brand-name Lemonade drink mix that cost us the whopping sum of five cents each. Because the packages were so compact, there was no additional cost for mailing them. Across the country, radio program directors and DJs apparently fought over who was going to keep the tasty beverage, and now the singles are charting."

For most bands, this creative marketing ploy would have been enough. But not for the Leaderdogs.

"At one of our festival shows - CornerStone in Bushnell, Illinois - we distributed free homemade Lemonade to the audience in 95 degree weather, as well as chilled cartons of the refreshment that had been donated by a local juice bottler for all of the industry types present," Richardson says. "It's working."

The Costa Mesa, Cal. band Saint Monday set up an in-store appearance at a Virgin Megastore location and gave away 500 free cassette samplers in five hours. Each sampler tape had a coupon for a $2 mail-in rebate that customers could get if they came back and bought the band's full-length CD at the store. Since Saint Monday is promoting pop music with a fun and sexy image, the members are considering another creative tactic: giving away condoms with an inscription that reads "Saint Monday: Music That Turns You On."

Now what are you doing that's fresh and different to promote your band or latest release? Not sure what to do? Try this:

Sit down right now with a pen and a notebook. Start brainstorming on every possible angle for a creative hook. Consider the name of your band, the title of your new CD, maybe even the subject matter of individual songs. Or is there a current topic or good cause you feel strongly about? Ask yourself: "How can I take these details about my music and transform them into a newsworthy and attention-getting story?"

(Bob Baker is the author of the new "Guerrilla Music Marketing Power Course" - packed with hundreds of indie music marketing ideas for your band or record label. For complete details and a special 40% discount offer, send the message "Power Course Info" to Bobmsrg@aol.com