Tag Archive for: Ford

Perception Feature

Perception is reality in your art. You’d better freaking know this. Sadly, many of you don’t or you do and you choose to ignore it for some reason.Perception Perception

 

Perception is also reality in your marketing.

 

I want to talk about how the market, A.K.A. consumers, in other words YOUR POTENTIAL FANS perceive you.

 

I am seeing WAY too much of this online and on social media so I had to write about it.

 

Too many artists are stuck in that developmental stage that little children go through when they believe if they can’t see you, you can’t see them.

 

Do you know what I’m talking about?

 

Perception Hide Baby

It’s a lack of perception awareness.

 

 

They “hide” in the middle of the living room by crouching down and covering their eyes. At this stage they believe that you can’t see them.

 

It’s cute when their little kids.

 

It’s ugly when you’re an aspiring artist.

 

In the industry, it’s downright annoying.

 

Perception Looky Losers Photo Orin ZebestYou know, like the person at the party who won’t stop hitting on you in a super cheesy manner and can’t take the hint from all your body language and actual language that you’re SO not interested.

 

 

 

 

Perception Fingerpaint Photo Erik (HASH) Hersman

 

It’s a sign of naiveté and complete lack of awareness by an artist who displays every little “finger painting”, every little step of their creative process on the world’s refrigerator expecting to be praised.

 

Arrogantly believing the world is interested.

 

You’re going to be judged.

Perception Judged

 

By consumers but also by the industry (if they happen to look. More on that later).

 

If it’s a well written, well recorded, rocking track, you’ll be praised.

 

If it isn’t finished, you’ll look like a novice.

 

Shoulder shrug.

 

On to the video of the talking dog.

 

You have to be aware of how you will be perceived. You’re an artist for Pete’s sake!! That’s exactly part of your job description; masterfullyPerception Magic Shit MEME manipulating perception and emotion.

 

 

When it’s well done it is like magic. People pay to see it.

 

When it’s ignored its shite.

 

 

 

 

 

You will always be judged on what you have done, NOT what you’re going to do or what you think you’re going to do.

Perception Reputation Quote

 

 

All too often, I’ll get an artist who asks me to “check out” their music. I almost NEVER respond to these based on the principle of the matter (crappy way to market) but sometimes I fall for it.

 

Usually I end up lamenting the fact that I can never get that 30 seconds of my life back.

 

 

 

 

I literally had one kid send me a link to a Soundcloud account that was filled with his “songs”.Perception Schizophrenic Girl

 

They were a selection of solitary, distorted, electric guitar rhythm tracks.

 

No melody.

No lyric.

No beat.

Zero on a scale of 1 to whatever in terms of any discernable creative riff.

No other instruments.

Boring.

 

Perception Mark KnopflerI’m not trying to be mean, but it was seriously useless. Chunk, chunk, chunk, chunk, with no meter, no pocket; ugh.

 

I just listened to this Dire Straits isolated guitar track by Mark Knopfler from “Sultans of Swing”. It’s AMAZING!!!

 

Mark Knopfler is a very special guitar player.

 

Here’s the key. As amazing as this isolated track is, we are only interested because we know Dire Straits,

 

we know Mark Knopfler, and most importantly, we know and love the song!

 

If this exact track, with this stellar performance was not a track from a hit song, I wouldn’t give it 5 seconds. Neither would you.

 

Get it?

 

Perception Marvin GayeIn my studio, I have many of the original multi tracks from Motown, The Beatles, The Doobie Brothers, Queen, Def Leppard, and more. These tracks are a party favorite because we know all the songs and it’s interesting to hear something we are so fond of being dissected.

 

We’re fascinated by the soloed vocal tracks.

 

Freddie’s finger snaps at the beginning of “Killer Queen”.

 

We’re floored when we discover that “Long Train Running” has 5 different guitar arrangements that brilliantly work together without cluttering the track.

We freak when we hear Queens, background vocals all alone.

 

I literally cried when I heard Marvin Gaye’s soloed voice from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. The natural distortion on the vocal mic. It was cut live with the band and Tammi Terrell (you can hear the bleed!). You can hear his toe tapping in the vocal booth. Ugh, so moving.

 

Nobody cares if they don’t know the song.

Perception Blind Consumer MEME

 

Perception is so important there are major label artists who refuse to let the A&R guys in the studio until the track is mixed lest the art be judged by some suit with no vision.

 

It’s the artist’s way of controlling the outcome as much as possible. They don’t want the suit’s possibly disheartened attitude over an unfinished product to affect their promo budget once the track is released.

 

Consumers have no vision. They want finished product.

 

 

Think about how much apprehension you feel when you shop for a used car. Imagine the experience of meeting a private seller, who is a stranger, to look at their restored ’64 candy apple red Ford Mustang. You walk into the garage and you see a chassis up on blocks with a seat and a steering wheel.Perception Fear Buyer

 

Wait, what is this?!?!

 

The seller says, “Hey man, it’s going to be great when it’s finished!”

 

Perception Chassis Photo KapitanTIF you are well versed at all the different stages of classic auto restoration you MIGHT take an interest and see the potential.

 

99.9% of consumers would be pissed and walk out; it doesn’t look like a car.

 

 

 

You have to be aware that as an indie artist; you are the stranger selling the car and in your case the consumer isn’t “looking for a car”.

Perception 64 Mustang

 

You have to know that the consumer is apprehensive on several levels because your marketing was probably dodgy and statistically the music is going to suck; BIG TIME.

 

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

 

You have to blow them away first.

 

Look there are always exceptions, but as a rule, don’t post demos, work tapes, incomplete recordings, soloed guitar tracks, etc. up on the internet as you will be judged.

 

Perception Exception To The Rule

 

What are the exceptions?

 

A soloed vocal track to a beautiful melody, intense lyric, with a compelling vocal performance would be interesting.

 

Anything short of that will sound way better in the track and be boring without it.

 

I have posted work tapes (a simple iPhone recording of an acoustic vocal) before. We had a contest with Bailey James where we let the fans choose the 6th song on her EP. That worked really well. I will say that many (If not all) of the fans who participated had downloaded the free track we were trading in an exchange for an email which is how Bailey came into their awareness.

 

That free track was a KILLER recording of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me”. Which allowed us to craft their perception. They were cognizant of Bailey’s professionalism and the work tapes were clearly positioned in the mind of the fans as a “behind the scenes” look at the future mixed with a fun, interactive exercise where they got to participate in the release somehow.

 

However, if we just posted all the damn work tapes from all songs that were written to be considered for her debut release it would’ve worked against us.

perception Scene

 

If the fans don’t see the “scene” they will misconstrue your “behind the scenes” as your “scene”.

 

Many of you don’t even have your “scene” put together so why would you show it?

 

Does that make sense?

 

In Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art he conveys that before you become a professional you have to think and act like a professional.

 

Perception War Of ArtThe world doesn’t care if it’s on purpose, lack of awareness, naiveté, or utter stupidity, if you don’t look like a professional then you’re not a professional. It’s that simple.

 

If the car doesn’t look like a cherry ’64 candy apple red Ford Mustang than it isn’t.

 

I saw it with my own eyes.

 

 

In Marketing I see this mistake often with images.

 

 

Images are everything today. There is a reason that Instagram and Pinterest are so huge.Perception Positive Negative

 

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

If it’s a bad picture, it’s 1,000 bad words. You disappear into the clutter of every other artist who won’t make the effort or spend the money to stand out.

 

When you present professional images as an artist, the selfies become a savory alternative look.

Perception Many Eyes

 

But only when juxtaposed against the killer images.

 

If your whole visual presence is based on selfies, you don’t look like a professional.

 

The world doesn’t want the blow-by-blow, play-by-play rundown of your amazing artistic ascent until AFTER you make it.

 

The Behind the Music VH1 series where we learn about the artist’s creative stories, business challenges, and addiction troubles are interesting when they’re famous. If they weren’t famous, it would just be a story about a pathetic drug addict.

 

Perception Behind The MusicWho cares?

 

You wouldn’t.

 

Let me ask you this.

 

What if they say “yes”?

 

I love to ask my artists this question.

 

What if you get your act together enough to pique the interest of some big label, booking agent, or manager, etc.?

 

Perception Search

 

What would their first step be to vet you as a possible business partner?

 

They’re going to Google the crap out of you.

 

If their perception becomes that you are unprofessional, happily ignorant of your image both creatively and in the market, you become a turn-off.

Do you want to be a turn off?

 

Do you want to blow a self-created opportunity because you are unaware of perception?

 

If you don’t know, you’d better learn.

 

Stay

In

Tune

Permission Marketing Frog Feature

Artists, if you don’t read Permission Marketing by Seth Godin you’re an idiot. Period.Permission Marketing Book Cover

 

The first 50 pages of this book absolutely confirm the messaging and concepts of every music marketing article I have ever written over the last 3 years; it is exactly the business model that Daredevil Production is building.

 

It’s exactly the business model for the new music business.

Which means that whether you like it or not, whether you believe it or not, or whether you know it or not, this is YOUR BUSINESS MODEL.

 

The fact that I devour books (especially marketing books), and I’m aware of Seth Godin because I have read many of his blogs, and I’ve just now read this book, makes me an idiot.

 

There, I said it.

 

This book was originally published in 1999!

 

This is not a new concept in today’s society, but it is brand new to the music business.

 

Which means there will be little competition to the early adopters.

 

Permission Marketing Frog Jam MEMETwo Questions: How will your song become my jam in 2016? How will ALL ARTISTS find an audience, expose their music to that audience, and create lifelong Superfans in the future?

 

Answer: Permission Marketing

 

“Oh, let’s get in to this right now.” He says, rhythmically tapping his fingertips. (So exciting!)

 

Permission Marketing is not new. In fact, it’s the way all commerce was done prior to 106 years ago; prior to the industrial revolution.

Permission Marketing General Store

 

Huh?

 

Yes, before mass media, nationwide affordable telecommunication and motorized transportation, every consumer had a relationship with their seller of goods and services.

 

People knew the owner of the local General Store, blacksmith, doctor, pharmacist, and would frequent these establishments consistently. Think about that for a second, these consumers were super loyal.

 

There was trust.

 

Permission Marketing Trust Dollar

 

There was understanding.

 

There was constant commerce.

 

Because the makers of goods and services couldn’t effectively reach anyone outside of a radius of a few miles, the businesses need not expand. What would be the point?

 

The opposite of Permission Marketing is Mass Media, or Mass Marketing. Godin refers to this as “Interruptive Marketing”.

 

We interrupt this television show, radio program, web browsing experience to show you a word from our sponsors.

Permission Marketing Interruptive Marketing

 

You get it.

 

Marketing changed drastically with the industrial revolution and the invention of the automobile and is now morphing again with the advent and acceptance of the internet.

 

 

 

Godin accurately states that mass media was created as a result of the emerging giant brands and multinational companies. What good was building a huge factory to make a product cheaper (this is called the economy of scale) if you couldn’t sell it to anyone beyond a radius of a few miles?

Permission Marketing Brand Collage

 

At that moment we witnessed the birth of national magazines and newspapers.

 

Then radio.

 

Then television.

 

Boomtown.

 

 

It was easy back then. Few channels meant less messages which means the ads were actually seen by the masses. Bigger reach and super effective frequency of ads meant quicker, more lethal advertising ROI’s (Returns On Investment).

The resulting sales were astounding! The more money you spent on advertising the more sales you created.

Permission Marketing Maxell Tape EASY photo

Simple.

 

 

By building national brands like Dove soap (which was the first product to replace homemade soap) and Crisco (which was the first product to replace lard) Proctor & Gamble began the start of a multi-billion dollar home product empire.

 

 

But now, consumers are POUNDED with advertising messages and have become comfortably numb.

 

Permission Marketing Chaos Clutter

 

This is human nature, predictable human psychology. If you eat at the very best, most expensive restaurant in the world, every day, it becomes blasé and boring after a while.

 

In the music business, we call this “overexposure”. Seeing Adele live is an event so huge she sold out her whole concert tour in something like 3 minutes. If she played your local bar every Friday and Saturday nobody would care.

 

Get it?

 

Boring but relevant statistic: You are exposed to 3,000 ads per day.

 

Consequently, nobody cares about your song, man, well, kind of.

 

Nobody is interested in learning about your song or taking a chance on spending 3:30 to discover you suck, even if you do manage to get a little crumb of their valuable attention.

 

We are now seeing advertisers, which includes indie artists and record labels, making the same fatal marketing mistake. Their advertising has become less effective because it’s reaching far less people and the people it does reach are not responding as much.

Permission Marketing Catch 22

 

The increasing lack of response is because of all the clutter, all the noise, all the ads we are constantly deluged with.

 

The mistake they make is that they respond to the dwindling return of sales from advertising by paying for more ads in an attempt to reach more people.

 

Which creates more clutter.

 

Which further deteriorates the effectiveness of their marketing.

 

Catch-22:  The more they spend the less it works. The less it works, the more they spend. (All praise be to Seth Godin).

 

Interruptive Marketing fails because it is unable to get enough attention from consumers.

 

This creates the opportunity for Permission Marketing, especially in the music business.

 

Permission Marketing Handshake Creating RelationshipsAt Daredevil Production, we are taking it back to the old days; creating relationships.

 

We are turning all this advertising clutter into an asset for our artists and ourselves. This is what I am constantly trying to share with you in an effort to help you succeed.

 

If you are an avid reader of this blog, you regularly give me permission to email you and deepen our relationship.

 

 

There is so much competition for artists on the internet. With mass marketing breaking (broken) down, your music isn’t going to begin your career.

 

A relationship with a potential fan is.

Permission Marketing Mass Media Dead Airplane MEME

 

You’ve read my updates on our artist Bailey James. Bailey and her family get it.

 

Do you now see why I tell our artists to engage everybody?

 

 

Do you want to know how much of an advantage that you really have by taking the leap of faith by learning and mastering Permission Marketing?

 

This is a general statement (fact) but it certainly applies to the music business.

Permission Marketing Pete Townshend

 

Through decades of Interruptive Marketing, the big brands (all the major labels) have become bigger and supremely dominant.

 

The top 100 advertisers account for 87 percent of all advertising expenditures in the USA. More than eighty of these companies have been advertising for more than 20 years.

 

Wow! Did you get that?

 

 

There are 2 takeaways from that statement that overtly affect your advantage as an indie artist/master marketer and any decisions you might be entertaining to obtain a major label record deal.

 

First, big companies don’t hire people to reinvent decades-old super successful marketing techniques. They train their newbies to do exactly what the last marketing person did.

Permission Marketing Titanic MEME

 

Second, the newbies don’t want to rock the boat even though they have great ideas and understand the old marketing methodologies are not working as well. Simply put, they weren’t hired to demolish the distribution channel or to question the very foundation of their marketing heritage.

 

This means the biggies will stick to their guns and the old school way of doing things until it’s too late.

 

Until the ship sinks.

 

Your proof of this statement lies in the fact that there are only 3 major labels left, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Universal.

 

Permission Marketing Record Label Collage

 

Your proof also lies in the fact that all the majors are STILL sending consumers to iTunes to purchase music.

 

For what? How hard is it to set up a webstore with a major label brand name that would allow the label to get 100% of that precious sale?

 

Therein lies YOUR opportunity.

 

Here is your chance to stick out and create name for yourself as an artist.

 

Bailey tells us her fans say that she is amongst only 1 or 2 other artists who actually respond to them.

Permission Marketing Telephone Conversation

 

Here is your chance to intelligently assemble an effective business plan to realize your dream of making a living (dare I say GOOD living?) creating music.

 

You must accept that the old way of marketing especially with radio spins is toast; like the buggy whip.

 

You must become aware that all your favorite icons, the most important artists to you, were made famous by the old school way because it worked.

 

Now it doesn’t. Clearly.

 

Permission Marketing Oh No MEME

 

It will not work for you.

 

Even if you get the major label deal with the big radio budget.

 

Learn about Permission Marketing.

 

Learn how to create relationships and monetize them online.

 

 

 

Permission Marketing is real.Permission Marketing Money Works

 

Permission Marketing works.

 

If you music is good and your recordings are competitive, you are just lacking one mission critical piece of the puzzle; Permission Marketing.

 

 

Permission Marketing Twitter Book

P.S. It was my privilege and honor to offer my blog subscribers the new Advanced Music Marketing on Twitter book free. Please reciprocate and take a second to leave a rating and review (just click the link and scroll down to the review section). THANK YOU!

 

Leverage The Climb Feature

 

 

 

P. P. S. Learn to Create Leverage In the Music Industry with a new podcast entitled, “The C.L.I.M.B.”. My co-host and hit songwriter Brent Baxter and I trade off quick 20 minute episodes discussing turning pro as a songwriter and music marketing strategies. If you do find that interesting, PLEASE leave a review and a rating on iTunes!

 

Stay

In

Tune.

 

If you found this article valuable, please SHARE it (and go ahead and comment if you wish)

 

 

 

Flaws Gun Pointing

The record business is rife with fatal flaws. Even in the heyday there were huge mistakes constantly made by major record labels and those flaws are showing big time Flaws Flawed eggin the new music industry.

 

 If you ask any CEO from any company in any industry on any part of this planet what their most valuable asset is, they will tell you it’s their customer list.

 

 

Yes, their people are important but you can’t pay good people without cash flow from customers.

Yes, their intellectual property is hugely important, but you can’t monetize intellectual property without customers.

 

Maybe you’re a fan of Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Dodge, Porsche, BMW, etc.flaws automakers

From the perspective of the CEO’s of any company, you are a customer, maybe even a loyal customer.

 

Artist “fans” are called “customers” in every other business.

 

Get it?

Businesses go to GREAT lengths not only to build and maintain customer lists but also to DEEPEN the relationships with those customers.

Think about your Kroger or Ralph’s (grocery store) discount card.  They offer discounts in exchange for information on your buying habits.

 

flaws discount card

They KNOW if you like 1% milk or 2% milk.

They KNOW what kind of beer you like.

 

They KNOW when you prefer to shop, how much you normally spend, and what products you normally spend your money on.

 

Now, if we put a gun to Tim McGraw’s head, Katy Perry’s head, AC/DC’s heads, Jay-Z’s head, or Daft Punk’s helmets, they couldn’t tell us who’s buying their music.

The fatal flaw is they don’t know who their customers are!

 

If you don’t have a customer list, not only is it impossible to identify who the customers are, you certainly can’t contact them.

 

If you cannot directly contact the customers, you have to spend MILLIONS of dollars on what they call “Branding Campaigns” (that’s super expensive advertising in plain English).

Branding Campaigns put an artist everywhere there is to be for a few weeks at a time to plug the new release and continue to promote it.

 

People, Us, Vanity Fair, Country Weekly, Taste of Country, blogs, nationwide radio, Letterman, Fallon, Ellen, Seth Meyers, GMA, Today Show, Newspapers, blah, blah, blah.

 

But what of the artists who don’t have million dollar budgets?

 

DSC_5393

What about the artist you USED to have million dollar budgets?

 

Even with a million dollar brand name (think any former major label artists who no longer have a major label) the sales will suffer simply because the customers don’t know the product is available.

What if there was a way to “capture” contact information that would become a customer list?

 

An artist with an active customer list could:

  • Deepen relationships with customers creating a tribe-like following.flaws iceberg
  • Offer exclusive content to make customers feel like they’re “in-crowd”.
  • Monetize it by changing to a subscribership business model (think Netflix).
  • Inform the customers of new content on YouTube and grow the subscribership.
  • Then Monetize YouTube (creating another cash register).
  • Inform the customers of any contests the artist is having.
  • Inform the customers of upcoming concerts.
  • Disseminate any images or content offering social proof of awesomeness.
  • Cross promote other artists
  • Obtain Corporate Sponsorships
  • Monetize it through sales on the artist’s web store.

Some of you hate this idea but I’ll bet if you were famous you would at least entertain the idea of a clothing line, or perfume scent wouldn’t you?

The tremendous power that direct customer contact will bring to an artist was demonstrated quite clearly by Taylor Swift in 2014.

flaws taylor swift 1989

 

We have probably the biggest superstar on the planet who released a new record but she switched genres.

 

Yeah, yeah some will argue that Taylor Swift was never really “country” but the point is that all Taylor’s previous records were promoted on Country Radio and “1989” wasn’t.

 

 

Country radio felt that Taylor abandoned country music and moved WAY too far into the pop world and therefore refused to promote it by spinning her new singles.

Come to think of it, in Nashville, I haven’t heard ANY Taylor Swift songs on country radio for quite some time which is crazy considering they are continuing to spin every single ever put out by her country peers like Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, etc.

Here’s the point, she still had the bestselling record of 2014.flaws social media nails

 

This was true because her fans KNEW the record was coming via her social media.  This is huge because while I’m sure most of you are plugging away at your social media, “Swifties” feel like they have a special connection with Taylor.

 

That’s the key.

 

Don’t fool yourself on the power of her superstardom either, it was the connection.

 

Want proof?

 

George Michael was a superstar stadium act that had sold 25 million albums and 15 million singles with Wham! before he ever got his solo deal with Columbia.  His first solo release was “Faith” which sold a whopping 25 million copies. In September of 1990 George released his 2nd solo effort entitled “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” (arguably considered his artistic masterpiece).

flaws george michael

 

 

George was sour at the fact that the Sony Corporation had purchased CBS records. He tried to exercise a “Key Man Clause” in his contract once artist beloved CBS Records President Walter Yetnikoff was replaced with Tommy Mattola in 1990.  Tommy took that action personally and detested George’s artistic refusal to appear in any videos to promote the record. As a result, Sony chose not to promote “Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1” and it sold a disappointing 8 million units.

What would have happened if George had been able to contact his 25 million customers?

 

Want to know how you capture this information?

 

There are 2 primary ways (depending on the age of your audience) that you can capture customer contact data and begin to build your list.

1 way is called a “Squeeze Page”. flaws_Twitter_Squeeze_Page

A squeeze page is designed to “squeeze” the contact information out of a potential customer (usually a name and email address) while allowing the customer to “opt in” to email driven marketing initiatives.

The idea is you offer what my friend Rick Barker calls an “ethical bribe” by exchanging a free track(s) for the contact information.

I mean, you need to know where to send the customer’s free track right?

 

Here are a few links to some squeeze pages we have created at Daredevil Production, LLC. I recommend you experience some of these as a consumer. You can always UNSUBSCRIBE at the bottom of each email address if you want.

  • GiftFromJohnny.com (this is to a free download of my bestselling Twitter Book which you are welcome to have if you don’t already own it)Flaws_Ty_Herndon_Squeeze_Page
  • GiftFromTy.com (this is a free track from Platinum country artist Ty Herndon)

 

 

While there is an art to structuring a squeeze page that will optimize conversions, it can totally be mastered.  Check out companies like Lead Pages to help you capture that info and store it.  (If you have any problems, simply give us a flaws lead pagescall and we are happy to help you set up your own squeeze page.)

 

 

 

A second methodology which is extremely effective for younger audiences (not so much for audiences over 50) is the text capture methodology.flaws call loop logo

Check out companies like Call Loop. They offer the ability for your customers to text a “key word” and receive instant downloads of your music.

Now you have their phone number.

 

Text messages have a 99% open rate.iphones

 

Whoa.

So imagine you’re playing a live show and you own the crowd. From the stage you instruct everyone to “Raise their phones in the air for a FREE track!” and just like that you get 50 phone numbers.

 

Did you rock the house?

 

Did you leave your audience wanting more?

 

Does your show feel like an event?

 

Would they LOVE a text from you 1 week before your next show?Flaws no fatal flaws

 

I’ll bet they would.

 

As an independent artist, you can avoid fatal flaws.

 

Stay In Tune.

 

If you like this post, please SHARE it and/or LEAVE A COMMENT thank you!

[ois skin=”Bottom Post”]