It seems that every new record I release
has a new set of marketing considerations. Some things that previously
worked now don't, and new opportunities are presented. The last
CD I released "Love
& Paragraphs" came out in 2008. My new CD "Blue
Bolero" is now released (March 2nd 2010). Let's talk
a little about what changes I have seen within these last two
release periods.
I spent a good deal of money on retail marketing
on the last go round. Buying in-store price and positioning.
Listening stations at Borders etc. That will be the last time
I waste any money on that nonsense. Borders has a terrible reputation
for not delivering on their promises and in my case this was
no different. Yet they took my money. I see no one in the Borders
CD dept now. At all. Buying into a Borders or Barnes & Noble
program is a complete and utter waste of money. And they will
take your $$ I can tell you.
I spent money on several programs that simply
could not report on how effective their program was, and getting
an honest response was like pulling teeth. A manager friend
said to me as I was deciding where to put my marketing dollars,
"It's unquantifiable as to where the profits come from.
You simply throw your money out there and hope it all adds up
to something". Well, my new response is: "Nonsense!"
Why? Because we are now living in an online world where each
aspect of our marketing efforts ARE quantifiable. Cost per click,
email blasts, google & Facebook ads. We can actually measure
how effective they are and decide whether to do them again or
not. I think the old school was such a scam 75% of the time
because they knew they didn't have to report the facts. And
the competition to get into those old retail programs was fierce.
So that was then. This new CD has been interesting
setting it all up. My first plan of attack was to make sure
I had an online aggregator to take care of every online shopping
portal. Retail distribution has been a very low priority but
as there are still some stores out there buying in, why wouldn't
I distribute to them? So I am about to sign a new distribution
deal for retail only. Most distribution companies would not
do this without having digital distribution but I got lucky
and have known this one company for a while and we are working
it out. I will not be spending frivolous money on wasteful programs
this time however, and if some insist in order to 'buy into'
their store, I will most probably bow out. My current single
is doing well at radio, my efforts in marketing this CD will
be online, not off.
So what WILL I be focusing on with this release?
Well one thing I have finally figured out, is a very effective
web page that converts into sales. It is based on Radiohead
and Trent Reznor's 'option' idea, where you present a series
of products that visitors can purchase. Essentially giving a
customer the potential to give you more money if they want to.
The first button option would be free, the second perhaps just
the CD, the third, perhaps the CD plus bonus tracks + signed
photo etc. The options can go as high as you like but I do urge
that you keep it all realistic and inticing to the visitor.
You can see my sales page with my 6 option buttons here at www.bluebolero.net
So, now I know I have a very effective web
page, ostensibly a whole world dedicated to this new CD, so
we now need to get dedicated traffic to it. And to do this I
intend to target large external subscriber lists and buy ads
in their newsletters with a seducing link pointing to my sales
page. If they don't buy, the very least a good amount of folks
will do is to download the single free, but they have to give
me their email address to do that. Buying ads in 'targetted'
subscriber lists is key.
The secret is to not only sell merch, but
to grow your list so everytime a CD is released the potential
for your direct sales is greater.
But I can't insist enough that your web sales
page be so thoughtfully put together that it is unbelievably
easy to seduce the visitor into either giving you an email address
or preferably buying your product. Otherwise the traffic that
you drive to your page is simply wasteful. If I go to a site
and I have to hunt around for a 'buy' button or a listening
station I am gone in seconds. Get it all laid out on one page.
Spend more than enough time designing this page. Go the extra
mile, this is where it will be worth your time.
Distributing the single with a video all over
social networks sites is also a great way to get the word out
and I have done that here with my 'Bossa Blue' single.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OT3uNIeYTk
One other thing I am doing again that worked
wonders on my last release is adding a little baseball card
insert in each CD that offers extra bonus tracks. They simply
go to a URL, enter their email address and download them. This
is great in grabbing new fans that didn't buy from you personally.
If they bought from a store, or say Amazon.com - you can now
direct market to them.
And with that, we will see how this one does.
