Music Success in 9 Weeks – Week 5

After a successful week 4 it’s time to begin week 5…

This week is all about my newsletter vs my email list and conducting surveys. (If you have “Music Success in 9 Weeks 2010″ this week is really about blogging) However let’s begin with my first task to identify who is my marketing demographic? Who really listens to my style of music and would come out to a performance or buy a cd?

In business I know it’s very important to identify your demographic and I’ve always skipped this step however, this time I’m going to spend the time to do it! So with my pen in hand and Ariel’s worksheets at my desk to guide me, away I go…

Week 5 – Day 2… this is really tough trying to pin down who my fans are. For sure, the number 1 fan is the part time guitar player, 30 to 55 years old, male with a middle class income. Then there is also a large demographic that loves to listen to my music in while commuting in their car or during a dinner party. Mostly men and woman 30 to 55 years, professional people such as lawyers, optometrists, restaurant owners and managers, etc… Ariel lays out a lot more details to determining my fan demographic. I guess that’s why I tend to pass over this task. I think this could be a good poll question to ask my fan base in one of my Newsletters.

Week 5 – Day 3… Creating an Engaging Newsletter. The 3 G’s (I guess you will have to buy the book to find out what the G’s stand for) However, This is great! I never realized how generic and dull my newsletters have been. Up to now they have been a big Ariel Hyatt no-no! I’ve been just sending them out to announce my next gig, cd, video, etc… How awful, I apologise to my subscribers! I vow from today forward they will be way more interesting and engaging! Today I’ll begin crafting my next news release to go out this week.

Week 5 – Day 4… Today I’m thrilled that Ariel stopped by to comment on my blogging efforts and passed along a few extra tips. I was also a little puzzled today to see my week 5 tasks were not in sync with my book. As I kind of suspected, I have an older version so, this is great! (and I mean that in a very positive way)

So this week is really all about Blogging!! Yipee! Now as a newly blogging addict, I can’t wait to dig in to Week 5 – 2010! I’ll also spend the week re-reading the first 4 weeks to see if there is any updated info I missed. As for Fan’s and Newsletters, I’ll jump back into that next week as week 6 is now all about my newsletter.

Wow! There is a lot of great additions in the latest edition of Music Success in 9 weeks. I’m doing a little back tracking today by adding a few more good Facebook apps to my Facebook page and next I’ll join I’m off to join Music Alley. With a little more reading I should be back on track and on the revised week 5 tomorrow. Btw.. just finished signing up with Music Alley (Podsafe Music Network) and uploaded a lot of tracks for all you wonderful pod casters out there. Now back to week 5 and Blogging…

Week 5 – Day 5… Ok, I have finished re-reading the first 5 weeks and it looks like I’m now up to date in my blogging challenge. As for the revised week 5… I have my blog and I still need to find more bloggers to connect with and more blogs to leave comments. This is a task that I know in my gut is supper important however, it’s really eating up a lot of time finding a great blog to read, do the reading, post a good relevant comment, add the site to my blog roll and then to my Google reader to continue to read and post comments. I know I can’t possibly find and post to 50 blogs in one week, so my goal is one a day. (like my vitamins) At the end of the year I’ve hit 200! (ok, I’m allowing myself to miss a day or two)

Today I was also busy submitting more tracks to Music Alley. (with 5 cd’s under my belt it takes a little while to upload everything) BTW… If you are an artist with your own cd’s and music, may I suggest signing up with Music Dealers. It’s free, you set up your band, upload your tracks and if you get selected your music could be licenced for TV, movies, commercials, etc…

Week 5 – Day 6… Today I have my Google reader in place and I now have a few blogs I subscribe to. Also, I’m now connecting with a few other bloggers. I’m also now signed up with mybloglog.com & Google friend connect.

Week 5 – Day 7… Today I’ve added many more Twitter followers and added a new app to my blackberry to help with posting pictures & video instantly to my Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts. (The app is called iTookThisOnMyPhone)

I’m now really starting to understand the power of Twitter Although, I’m still having a hard time understanding how to effectively use it. I’ll keep posting and will continue to get involved with my new network and I’m sure I’ll be a TwitMaster in no time. I’ve also found a few great blogs and sites that are helping.