Yes, saturation, I said it, so lets talk about this problem first. You’re probably asking, what’s this guy talking about? Well as a matter of fact I had a business meeting yesterday with one of my music industry contacts and this very exact matter was discussed. My contact admitted that every artist, band and musician needs to get back to an intimacy level with their fans if they have not started doing so yet. Ok, you might be saying now, this guy is weird, talking about being intimate with my fans. Well it’s not that kind of intimacy if that is what you are thinking, there are some similarities, but I will explain further. What I am talking about is having a real one on one relationship with your fans, even if you are engaging them as a big group. Heres an example, lets say you are putting on a show and in between sets your band takes a break, you see some fans that were truly rocking out during your show. Go and talk to some of them, ask them what they think of the show, maybe give out a free cd or two, ask them if they filled out their information on the emailing list so they can be updated about the band. Point is, treat them like people, show them a genuine side of you and your band, build that distinct relationship with them! Here’s another example, why don’t you and your band put on an on going weekly live video blog and talk to the fans and let the fans know what you guys are doing!

The point is, is that everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something. It is up to you to find that niche with your twist and touch on it. That is also part of branding, which I will discuss in another blog. At the end of the day you want your genuine fans to talk, blog, email, whatever about what you are doing like a virus. Don’t just go on your social networking sites and get tons of people on your sites just for the numbers. Yes it may take a little longer to develop fans this way, but the overall outcome and pace you set may not be as slow as you think. Plus doesn’t it make since to build your fans locally and have a following where you are at then to barely have anyone know you here or where you trying to go distant. I have been in the music industry a while and not only does this make sense, but if your big picture is to try to make it big and have companies wanting to get at you with lots of money, then you have got to make sure that you are worth what ever the risk by showing you have fans, (who are the market), following you. Your fans are the backbone of your movement, without them you don’t exist. Remember it is about staying true to who you are, but is also all about your fans.

 By: Derrick Heffner (2009)

Your band might have a creative sound and a lot of talent, but if you don’t have a solid marketing strategy, you aren’t likely going to be getting outside of your mother’s garage anytime soon. The first step to developing a sound marketing strategy is to do a little basic market research. Although it is helpful to have a manager and a team of promoters to help market your band for you, chances are you will probably have to learn to do a lot of this leg work for yourself until you can afford a team of professionals to take over the bulk of this part of the music business for your band. In the meantime, understanding your local music industry is an important step towards a more successful music career for the members of your band.
Mastering your local music industry starts with evaluating who your band is and what venues you should be playing in. So, getting your hands on a basic list of venues in your area that host live talent is a good starting point. Often there is a local area publication for most cities that makes this information publicly available. From here, you need to isolate the particular venues in your area that hire bands for gigs that play your type of music. Once you have narrowed the choices down to a list of appropriate venues, then you will want to start visiting these venues and take some notes on what it takes to get your band hired. You will also want to take notes on what goes on in each venue. Who is the owner, who works behind the counter, who are the regulars, is it a rough joint, and which nights are scheduled for live shows etc., etc., etc.. It’s helpful to keep a computer profile on each establishment you would like to play in for your personal reference. Remember, you are not just an entertainer, but you are also a business person and a representative of the venues that hire you. And if you want venues to hire your band again and again, it is a good idea to learn to interact professionally and competently with both the staff and the patrons. So, you might have a computerized listing that looks something like this.

Name:
Joe’s Night Club

Location:
3974 Spikeheart Lane
Atlanta GA, 34091

Phone:
770-335-CLUB

Owner:
Joe Prescott” JP@Joe’sclub.com

Staff:
Jack Taylor: Door man
Jimmy Joseph: Bouncer
Jeff Daily: Bar Tender

Regular Patrons:
Andrew Mills: Amills@aka.net
Kate Lemon: Katelem@riverside.com

Comments:
Joe does not advertise gigs and expects bands to do their own advertising.
He seems to be more pleasant if you return his calls promptly.
He mentioned that our pres kit didn’t look very professional (We will want to check into that).
Live bands play every Tuesday and Saturday nights.

Jack says that Joe doesn’t always pay bands what he promises.

Andrew likes it when we play Satriani covers (Remember to throw in a couple next time).

Kate is a big Rush fan (We don’t know any Rush tunes, but maybe we should learn one and add it to our third set).

As you learn more about a venue and the people who frequent it, it is useful to update your information about that establishment. Of course, you will learn through trial and error how much information you really need to keep on hand about a venue, but the more you know the easier it is to avoid problems and insure that things go smoothly when you perform. It also helps when you make the necessary improvements to your band, which both improves your professional image and often works to impress the guy responsible for hiring local talent at the venue. It’s little things like this that other bands fail to do that will give you the competitive edge. Knowing that Andrew likes Satriani covers, for example, helps you to immediately improve your image among your fans, if you give them what they want. Remember, people like Andrew and Kate are paying to see you play, so in part keeping them happy can go a long way towards improving your overall job security, if Joe sees that you keep his regulars satisfied and returning from week to week.

Beyond the bars and parties, there are also key music industry professionals who are involved in other aspects of the music industry in your area. Sound engineers, producers, radio announcers, and the like. You should make it a point to keep tabs on these individuals as well in your informational data base. You never know when you will need the services of a competent sound engineer, or when going out of your way to greet a radio announcer will have that announcer talking positively about you on their show the next time they are on the air. Building solid contacts and getting free advertising like that is all part of what is involved in mastering your local music industry.