This guest post is by Bob Baker of www.TheBuzzFactor.com
I know what you're thinking ...
"I'm an artist. I'm a performer. Why should I bother thinking about what I can teach my fans? My purpose is to entertain them."
True. That is your role. But an equally important activity you should engage in is communicating with your fans in meaningful ways.
When done right, that involves more than just promoting upcoming shows and letting people know where they can purchase your music.
Whether you know it or not, you have skills, talents, and first-hand knowledge of things that many people (especially your fans) would love to hear about and learn from.
Why not start sharing some of your unique perspective in the form of how-to videos or blog posts?
Admittedly, this is not the first angle most music people think of when promoting themselves. But I encourage you to consider creating some of the following things:
• a video showing how to play your primary instrument (especially a specific popular song related to your style)
• a blog post on the history of your genre (or some little-known aspect of it)
• a video or blog post about how to best listen to and appreciate music in your specific genre
• a tutorial on the technique you used to record your song, video, or special effect
Examples:
Adrian Galysh is a Los Angeles-based guitarist. His video called "The Scale That Will Change Your Life" has been viewed more than 42,000 times. By teaching a technique that helped him greatly, he has connected with more aspiring guitarists ... and more fans.
Amy Noonan from the duo Karmin is known for wearing a 1940's-inspired hair style called a "suicide roll." After being asked by many fans how she does it, Amy posted a tutorial video on YouTube showing exactly how. More than 1.5 million views later, it has proven to be a smart move.
So ...
What could you teach your fans that would truly engage them?
Yes, you're an artist and an entertainer. But you also have special information that your fans (and potential future fans) might just love hearing about.
So get comfortable with your new role as a teacher ... and get ready to convert your students into hardcore fans!
What other examples of teaching have you used yourself or seen other artists do effectively? I welcome your comments.
When done right, that involves more than just promoting upcoming shows and letting people know where they can purchase your music.
Whether you know it or not, you have skills, talents, and first-hand knowledge of things that many people (especially your fans) would love to hear about and learn from.
Why not start sharing some of your unique perspective in the form of how-to videos or blog posts?
Admittedly, this is not the first angle most music people think of when promoting themselves. But I encourage you to consider creating some of the following things:
• a video showing how to play your primary instrument (especially a specific popular song related to your style)
• a blog post on the history of your genre (or some little-known aspect of it)
• a video or blog post about how to best listen to and appreciate music in your specific genre
• a tutorial on the technique you used to record your song, video, or special effect
Examples:
Adrian Galysh is a Los Angeles-based guitarist. His video called "The Scale That Will Change Your Life" has been viewed more than 42,000 times. By teaching a technique that helped him greatly, he has connected with more aspiring guitarists ... and more fans.
Amy Noonan from the duo Karmin is known for wearing a 1940's-inspired hair style called a "suicide roll." After being asked by many fans how she does it, Amy posted a tutorial video on YouTube showing exactly how. More than 1.5 million views later, it has proven to be a smart move.
So ...
What could you teach your fans that would truly engage them?
Yes, you're an artist and an entertainer. But you also have special information that your fans (and potential future fans) might just love hearing about.
So get comfortable with your new role as a teacher ... and get ready to convert your students into hardcore fans!
What other examples of teaching have you used yourself or seen other artists do effectively? I welcome your comments.
Bob Baker is the author of three books in the “Guerrilla Music Marketing” series, along with many other books and promotion resources for DIY artists, managers and music biz pros. You’ll find Bob’s free ezine, blog, podcast, video clips, and articles at www.TheBuzzFactor.com and www.MusicPromotionBlog.com.
