1. Posters Do not underestimate the power of a picture…especially when you’re playing in a new city. Posters work! Postage and printing costs can add up, but they’re a must-have and a great way to easily attract new ears to your event. Tip 1: Make sure the poster is simple, clean, and easy to read. [...]
STEP 1: Perfect your performance Play as many open stages as your can to network with others and solidify your stage presence. Become a familiar face and make sure you get to really know the people. Give this a 6-month time period. STEP 2: Book shows in your community Build your following little by little in [...]
Today’s post was written by a good friend and fellow singer/songwriter, Kurt Scobie. Kurt has written for Grassrootsy before: “What Exactly Does a Full-Time Artist Do All Day?“. In today’s article, Scobie gives you very practical tips on how to make your career last. Read and apply! _______________________________________________________________________________ I want to share what I think is [...]
1. WRITE IT DOWN Have some ideas on where you want to be by the end of 2012? Get a pad of paper and write it down. List all of your goals (crazy and sane) and isolate the most important ones. Tack it on your wall and hold yourself accountable. 2. TELL YOUR FANS [...]
If you checked out last week’s post, “PRACTICAL WAYS TO STAY ORGANIZED, EFFECTIVE, & PRODUCTIVE“, you probably realized that you’re either a Quadrant 1 person or a Quadrant 4 person. Quadrant 1 person – someone who is always “putting out fires” Quadrant 4 person - someone who pays more attention to the easier effortless things of life [...]
To read the first two posts in this series, visit Stand-out Artists and What We Can Learn from Them #1 Stand-out Artists and What We Can Learn from Them #2 Artist #1: Ari Hest Brooklyn, New York’s Ari Hest stands out for several reasons. Aside from his excellent vocals and simple tunes, Ari has found a way to engage his fans [...]
So Spring is practically here! I personally feel like things get crazier in the Spring. More touring, more planning, more emails in my inbox, more to do in general! A friend and I were talking about prioritizing and staying organized when you feel like you’re all over the place. She cited a book, “The Seven [...]
THE ARTIST: Ben Rothermel (Lancaster, PA) THE QUESTION: I recently played a show where the booking agent asked me to sell X amount of tickets. The amount was high on my fan draw but doable if I got almost every single fan to buy a ticket. I had an entire month to plan and promote for [...]
Do you make a good first impression on the people you meet? On first time visitors to your website? Consider the following thoughts and determine whether you’re hitting the mark. In a recent post I created for my friend, Ken Mueller’s, Inkling Media blog, I wrote: “Social media is all about making information travel to [...]
This post is an extension of last year’s: Tips & Tricks for the Holiday and Any Day. As mentioned in last week’s post, Creating a Black Friday Buzz, use the holidays to your advantage. I’ll likely be posting holiday-related marketing advice up until Christmas. What are You Doing on Dec 26th? Hurry…book a show in your hometown! [...]
Coming out of a short Ohio tour, I thought I’d write this post based on a few things I experienced. These tips also apply to your local shows. If you have additional reccomendations, please post them in the comments. Grab a City Paper in Each City You Visit There’s likely to be a major [...]
This is a simple post brought on by the lack of time to write something longer :) and the same question that several people have been asking me lately…”Can you give me any tips for booking college venues.” Ding Ding! Well you’re smart if you’re thinking about booking college venues. If you think about [...]
While visiting Artist House Music (and incredible music business site) today, I came across a really rock-solid marketing plan by Boston-based Band Convey. It prompted me to put up this post. Make sure to check out Convey’s Marketing Plan when you have a chance. The key to having a killer marketing plan is being practical. Yea…you’re [...]
New venues and fresh audiences are usually worth the hassle of touring but below are some ideas on how to get the most out of your trip. Do Your Research Nothing sucks more than playing for an empty audience in a new city…especially since you’ve driven so far. Do your research to find out the best [...]
This is continuation of yesterday’s post: “Starting from Scratch: What it takes to Release a CD“. Read that past to get ideas on CD recording, artwork, photography, and packaging. Now, lets say you don’t want to go the Dismakers or Oasis route (even though they handle digital distribution and other great hookups). Lets say you just [...]
