flavors.me

We’re excited about EVERY SINGLE one of the following resources. We hope you will be too!

INDIE ON THE MOVE
Yes, we truly love these guys. We wrote about them a while back, but quite alot has changed since our original post in 2009! For one thing, IOTM is still the #1 place to get an artists opinion on a venue they’ve played. Was it worth the trip? Was the venue easy to work with? Or did they blow you off and treat you like trash? Its also the premier place to get booking information, discover venues you’ve never heard of, and find gig opportunities in a city you’re passing through.  IOTM is the answer to a touring artist’s empty calendar.

ARTISTDATA
You have no excuse not to be using Artist Data. Its the cleanest looking web calendar there is – giving you html to embed within your website (example), and your own page on their server to host your calendar (example).

NOISETRADE
Honestly, who hasn’t heard of Noisetrade by now. It’s the go-to place for downloading free music from artists you love, and artists you’ve never heard of. Make your music available on NT and get emails in return. It might not seem like a revolutionary idea, but when you collect hundreds or thousands of emails from new fans that you wouldn’t have had otherwise, Noisetrade turns out to be a pretty genius idea. You increase your fanbase exponentially. A few friends and I did with our December Christmas EP and we were able to collect a few thousand emails.

FLAVORS.me
These guys are the answer for every artist who doesn’t yet own a website, doesn’t have the money to invest in one, or hates WordPress.  Flavors.me keeps it simple, clean, and fun. Integrate your social networks, upload a background image, choose a layout and colors, and you have a website.  If you want to customize and personalize your link, its as simple as buying a domain name and forwarding it to your Flavors account.  Check out this example from Grassrootsy reader Michael Natrin.

ROOTMUSIC
It’s the missing piece of your Facebook Band Page. RootMusic is a classy, simple music/video player and show calendar for Facebook (example). Yea, there are tons like it, but these guys do it right. I’ve seen my fair share of audio players and calendars and most are cluttered (bad design) or just straight up ugly. As an extra advantage, RM syncs with ArtistData, so when I plug my shows into AD, they appear on RM. Maaan, I love this stuff!

NEXT BIG SOUND
These guys are like your virtual accountability partner.  They help you make sure you’re doing your job. simply type in your name and see how how your fanbase is growing across all of your social networks. NBS will tell you how many fans you made last month and then tell you whether or not if it was an improvement from the prior month (example).   Why do we like this site? Because its the perfect way to gauge what social networks are most effective for you and which ones you need to improve on.  Give it a try!  If you don’t see your information, create an account, plug in your social networks, and start tracking.

STORENVY
Looking for a web store to sell your band’s merchandise?  There are so many wonderful sites out there. It was hard to pick one. Actually it was pretty easy. We (I personally) love these guys and have been using them for my swag since 2010 (example).  They allow you to sell as many items as you want and don’t require any fee to host your store. They’re layout is super clean and easy to understand for shoppers. We wrote a whole blog on them several months back. You can read it here.

STOCK.XCHNG
As a singer/songwriter, I am continually creating artwork for posters, Facebook Events, flyers…etc.  I love stock photo sites that offer royalty-free images that I can incorporate into my artwork.  Stock.Xchng is just one of them. Create an account, search for photos and use the ones that you like. You also have the option of  paying for certain, “better quality” images. Its a great site that has come in handy many times.

HOOTSUITE
Do you have multiple twitter accounts? Or do you want a place where you can view all of your social networks in the same dashboard? Hootsuite allows you to keep track of everything in one place. Lets say for example that you run your personal twitter account and your bands twitter account.  Why not keep track of both via Hootsuite instead of signing out of one account in order to sign into the other. It minimizes the hassle.  Hootsuite supports Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Linked In, Foursquare, and more.

CRAIGSLIST
Hmmm…does this count? Yes!  Craigslist is the answer for all things unanswered. It’s like duct tape. Need to buy a boom stand? Need a photographer or designer to work on the cover for your next album?  Need to sell your amp?  Don’t underestimate craigslist

In the process of writing this blog, we’ve come across many other resources. If you have something you’d like to submit, put it in the comments or shoot us an email at grassrootsyonline@gmail.com. It must be a FREE-to-use resource.

Amanda Duncan

It’s no surprise that the more content you create, the more interest you generate. The two go hand-in-hand. Without a weekly dose of photos, videos, and/or blogs, you are missing out on new fans, engaged fans, and the opportunity to make your music travel further than your immediate network. Let’s break it down.

PICTURES
What’s the first thing you see when you’re searching for someone on Facebook? Pictures!  Where’s the first place you go when you come across the profile of a long lost high-school buddy?  Photo Albums!  Pictures speak a thousand words and every website operates off of them -whether they’re advertisements or “pretty stuff” that makes a site “pop”.

People need something easy to draw them in and pictures require little effort. No reading. No watching. Just seeing. We learned this in the early stages of Grassrootsy. Our first few months of blogging were picture-less and the site looked boring as ever! Lets just say, we noticed our readership increase when we changed that.

• post photos from live shows.
• take off-stage photos (you can only have so many pictures of yourself holding a guitar).
• snap images with the people you meet while on the road. This also happens to be smart marketing especially when you take photos with groups. Tag individuals in the photo and the image appears on their Facebook walls…which in turn gets them to visit your page, add you, and then tag their friends who have not yet been tagged in the picture. It works. Trust me.

VIDEOS
Videos come in close second to pictures. They require much more work on your end and a little more commitment from viewers.  Even if your videos aren’t professional, they’re still necessary. They allow your fans to get a feel for the person behind the music.  Yea sure, record videos of live shows, but take the opportunity to occasionally talk directly to your fans on video.

• Take your camera to radio interviews and  set it in the corner of the room. Capture the whole interview on tape so that you’ll have both an audio and visual representation to post for your fans.
• Take your camera on tour and shoot life on the road.
• Create funny spoofs and videos with reoccurring themes to keep fans coming back for the “next episode”.

Be creative with the things you post and take a little time to learn how to edit video.
Note to the video-maker: put your most important content in the first 60 seconds of a video.  Most people never make it to the end.

BLOGS
This probably takes the most commitment from both you and your fans. Most people wont commit to reading a 5 or 6 paragraph blog post, which is one of the reason why Twitter is so popular (short posts for the ADD generation).  But  blogs are great…especially for committed fans who eat anything and everything you feed them.

One of the reasons why blogs are is because they can include any or all of the above – words, pictures, and/or video. You can simply write a paragraph, post a video, upload a photo, or any combination of the three. There are no fixed rules.

Throughout 2011, Amanda Duncan, one of our Contributors, wrote a Blog-A-Day on her music website.  She’d doing it again this year. A few months back she wrote an excellent post about what she learned from the process: WEB PRESENCE: HOW I’VE BUILT IT AND WHAT I’VE LEARNED. This’ll put blogging in perspective for you!

Happy Media Making!

Today’s post is a contributed article from Pittsburgh-based folk musician, Michael Yolch. I think this is one of the most intelligent, “Grassrootsy” ideas I’ve ever heard and I hope you’ll read it all the way through. It’s not only a great idea, but it’s a good read!

______________________________________________________________________________

Today I had a rather radical marketing idea and followed it all the way through. I wanted to share it. It doesn’t matter what your genre is; this can work for all of you! It went just like this:

Chris Smither is an international folk, acoustic, singer/songwriter.  My music pretty much fits in the same genre as his. It turns out that Chris Smither played in Pittsburgh tonight at a very intimate and well-known venue. For a few weeks I wasn’t sure if I would even attend the show because, even though he’s great to see, I had seen him before and I didn’t know if I felt like driving over an hour through really crappy weather into downtown.

And then it hit me. The audience that is going to see Chris Smither is EXACTLY the same audience that “should” like my music too! Since I don’t have the distinct honor of opening for Chris Smither just yet, I can at least promote myself to him and his fans! Why not?

THE PLAN PART 1:
First of all, I assumed that Chris would be eating at his favorite place across the street from the venue. I would find him and very kindly offer to pay for his dinner for just 5 minutes of his time. I would be incredibly respectful and not intrude if he was with other guests etc. But Chris is very down to Earth and very accessible that way. That helps.

THE PLAN PART 2:
Since I have just finished up my brand new album “Smiles and Tribulations,” I have nearly 1,000 of them sitting here ready for my upcoming LIVE shows. Plenty of those are ear-marked for promotion purposes (being sent off to radio stations, reviewers, promoters, coffeehouses and the list goes on). Bottom-line-wise, these CD’s only cost about 80 cents to be professionally reproduced by DiscMakers at this quantity. So… I grab 80 CD’s and head out to the show with the intention of GIVING every single one of them away for FREE to Chris Smither’s fans. The actual (cost) to do this? $64.

THE REALITY:
I park near the venue and hop out of my car all excited… only to see that the restaurant I assumed Chris would be at has been closed down for good. Ugh! No problem. Surely he’s nearby! So now I’m walking up and down the streets like a weird stalker looking for Chris Smither through the windows of every eatery I can find. Lo and behold, I eventually peek inside the winning window and see Chris and his opening act, Ellis Paul, seated at a table together appearing to not yet have eaten.

I walk in smiling and head toward their table while maintaining a very unthreatening distance. Chris looks up to me and I say “Please forgive me gentlemen, but I was just hoping that one of tonight’s audience members could just say hello before the show starts.” Chris smiled, shook my hand, then motioned for me to pull up a chair. We spent a good 15-20 minutes talking about all of our music, his life on the road and things of that nature. I thanked him kindly for his inspiration to my own music and he was just incredibly gracious the whole time. I gave Chris and Ellis both a CD and headed on out of their way. Before I left, I let them know that their dinner was paid for and it was my pleasure to treat them. Cost? $40.

Now I head to the venue and the doors don’t open for another half hour. There are no less than 40 people standing outside waiting to get in. Perfect time to start handing out free CD’s! I begin smiling and handing out albums. Every single person is incredibly gracious and appreciative. I talk to everyone and make them laugh and before you know it, everyone’s in on the fun. They ask a lot of questions. “Where are you from?” “Will you be playing around Pittsburgh?” “Did you write all these songs?”

Notice what’s happening here… I am (personally) in front of A LOT of (potential) fans and they really enjoy it. All the fun ends when I walk in the door to buy my ticket. The lady selling tickets says “Sorry, we’re completely sold out.” She even refuses to sell me a standing room only ticket after great persuasion!

THE PERSEVERANCE:
I head back to the restaurant and Chris Smither is just putting his coat on to leave. He sees me and smiles. I say “Chris, it’s tragic! The show is so sold out that they won’t even let me in to stand there!” Chris smiles and says “Don’t worry about it; you’re a friend on my guest list. Follow me.” WOW! Thanks man!

Chris tells the crabby lady at the door “This is my friend Michael. He’s on the guest list.” Crabby lady actually replied “Is he REALLY or did he just talk you into it?” Chris says “He’s ON the guest list.” And we waltz inside. The venue was packed to the max. There were even people sitting on the stage! As people kept pouring in, I kept shaking hands and handing out CD’s. Fortunately, a lot of the people that came were couples. Otherwise, I would have needed a couple hundred CD’s for everyone to get one. As it turned out, I handed out my 80^th CD after a great show on my way out the door.

THE REWARD:
For me personally, this entire plan was a great success… even if just for the experience of it all.

• I hung out with a rather legendary musician while putting my name, face, and music in front of him
• I met a lot of great people and saw a great show!
• As far as finding fans, it’s a matter of odds. Some of those people will invariably not care much at all for my record. But I have no doubt that some of them will enjoy it very much.

ARTIST: Jonathan Wood Vincent (New York, NY)
QUESTION: Is there a house concert listing online. Like a reference of places offering these?

ANSWER: Hey Jon. The short answer is “Yes”!  There are a number of resources out there. Here are a few familiar and not-so-familiar websites that we suggest.

Concerts In Your Home
These guys don’t mess around. They’re definitely the most popular, well-known house concert resource on the web. They offer great advice and information to both artists and hosts; and they have hosts homes throughout the United States, a number of countries in the UK, and Australia. There is an annual membership fee (not sure how much) and you can only become a member through invitation.   There’s no doubt in my mind that, if you’re good, you’ll make that money back. If you use CIYH, let us know how its worked for you in the comments section.

SlowBizz.com
I just recently learned about this site. In my opinion its the “hipper”, younger, Generation X, social media conscious version of Concerts in Your Home.  Looks like they’ve only recently launched and are getting their feet off the ground. They are UK-based and I expect that they are also welcoming US hosts. They do not currently have a visible list of cities in which house shows are offered, but perhaps that’s something you’ll see after you sign up. Also, its free to join for both artists and hosts. If you’re familiar with Slowbizz and have some experience with it leave us your thoughts in the comments section.

Facebook & Google
Do a simple search with keywords “house concert”. Feel free to stick in the city you’re interested in. For example: house+concert+baltimore (or something of that nature). You’ll be surprised with what you come across. Seriously, give it a try.

Meetup.com
This option is a bit less conventional but just as effective. If you’re not familiar with Meetup, you should be. People all over the country “meet up” to participate in activities they are mutually interested in – from hiking to salsa dancing to wood carving. And yes…if you do a simple search for “house concert”, you will find a handful of results.

Your Fans!
The most likely suspects.  Never underestimate the people who already love your music, subscribe to your newsletter, and follow you on Facebook and twitter. In your next newsletter, tell people you are currently booking house shows. Some people honestly don’t understand what a house show is or what it involves; so make sure people know they can contact you even if they just want to ask you questions.

And remember…house concerts can happen in living rooms, basements, on decks, and in backyards. Don’t limit yourself.

We also suggest reading guest contributor, Jason Mundok’s “4 TIPS FOR KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF A HOUSE CONCERT”
Happy House Show-ing!

The most computer illiterate person should
be able to maneuver through your website easily.
If they can’t, then your site is unnecessarily complicated.

…just sayin’.

.

#1 RECORD DEMO
Other than your parents and your friends, nobody knows what you sound like. Get some audio recorded.  This will not be a full-length CD and it might not even be a full-on professional recording, but it will need to be a sampling of songs (maybe 2 or 3) that you can eventually stick on your website (s).

#2 UPLOAD VIDEOS
Start a YouTube account and take video of yourself playing a song. It doesn’t have to be uber professional but try to avoid the situation where viewers can hear buses and car horns in the background. If you can get someone to record a professional-looking video, do it.

#3 WEBSITE
Do it!  You need a website. So many artists are using services like Bandcamp, Reverbnation, and Sonicbids in lue of a website. Sure, I guess that’s fine while you work on getting your own domain and hosting…BUT get your own site as soon as possible.  It doesn’t have to be something elaborate, just a place where you can stick your information – a place that allows you to have your own personality and present content as you choose.

And this is where you’ll post those demos and videos.  Don’t start a website and say you’re a musician if there’s no music on your website. This doesn’t make ANY sense but people do it all the time. There better be music on a music site.

#4 SOCIAL MEDIA
Start the Twitter, Facebook Music Page, and the aforementioned YouTube  accounts. Make sure they each match.  If you’re band name is The Jaggers, your sites should be as follows:

• www.thejaggers.com
• www.facebook.com/thejaggers
• www.youtube.com/thejaggers
• www.twitter.com/thejaggers

note: feel free to put added steps in the comment section.

Here it is! The top 10 posts of 2011. The below is a cross between most read posts, most commented on, and most engaging.  We encourage you to check out reader comments below each post because you all had alot to say.

1. TURNING FACEBOOK LIKES INTO LOVES
Just because they happened to like your page one day, doesn’t mean they’re reading your status updates, visiting regularly, or sharing you with their friends. This post, the most trafficked entry for 2011, gives some practical advice on how to change that.

2. CD BABY OR TUNECORE?
Who isn’t trying to figure this out. Both companies offer a fairly quick service for getting your music on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and other mp3 download sites. This post goes into detail about the submission process and pricing.  It also started a heated discussion with readers sharing their firsthand experience and dissatisfaction with various aspects of each company. Check the comments section for that.

3. LIKE, SHARE, RETWEET
3 simple words with so much power. In this post, we talk about how each action has a distinctly different purpose. Simple explanations for simple buttons that do amazing things!

4. DON’T DO THIS: 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO WHEN PROMOTING YOUR MUSIC
Most of these were common knowledge…for some people. Make sure you read this one because sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know.

5. ARE YOU INDEPENDENT OR SELF-SUFFICIENT?
Is one better than the other? Are they even all that different. This post is great for the DIY musician who has a hard time distinguishing between the two.

6. SHOULD I RELEASE A SINGLE BEFORE MY ALBUM COMES OUT?
This question posed by Grassrootsy reader Brooke Annibale, prompted some ideas on how artist can build anticipation for an album before it releases. Check it out and get some ideas.

7. “PAY WHAT YOU WANT?” DOES THAT REALLY WORK?
We’d like to think that this post was the shining star of 2011. Submitted by contributing writer, Atlum Schema (UK), he gave an in-depth look into why offering your CDs at the price of “Pay What You Want” actually makes you more money at the end of the day. Check out the comments section for some great reader input.

8. WHAT’S YOUR MERCH SETUP? A SPOTLIGHT ON THE BAND “REILLY”
Their merchandise table is one of the most creative we’ve ever seen. We offer some thoughts on what makes it good and give you some  advice on how to sharpen your merch table so you can sell more band merch.

9. HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH A VENUE THAT SAYS THEY CAN’T PAY YOU
Many of us do this for a living…and we’re tired of being taken for granted. Here are some ways to bring up the money issue respectfully.

10. THE PROS & CONS OF PLAYING COVER GIGS – PART 2
This post was written by contributing writer, Dan Fisk (Washington DC). It’s the second half of a two-part series that went on to be republished on CD Baby’s DIY Musician blog. Apparently it struck a chord with the gigging artist.  Make sure to read Part 1.

If you have a favorite post from 2011, that doesn’t appear above, be sure to stick it in this comment section and tell us why. Happy New Year!

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 AND YOUR FRIENDS
Nothing like being held accountable by your friends and fans. In your next newsletter, send an update to your all your fans listing your plans for the new year. Tell them you plan to play at XYZ, learn ABC, and get coverage in RST. Tell them you need their help to keep you on track. This is slightly scary because telling people your dreams means you actually have to accomplish them.

3.  THINK TWICE
Before you jump on a bill, before you purchase a new drum kit, before you send $60 bucks to get your music reviewed by Mr. Anonymous on the other side of your computer, think twice. Take time to make wise decision for your music – decisions that will prevent you from going in debt, from wasting your time, and from advancing in your career.

4. COME UP WITH A STRATEGY
Pick a few cities to work on fanbase-building. Decide on the types of shows you want to play  Come up with a strategy specifically for your social media. Stick with your strategy and only make exceptions when its worth it. Read “Think Big, Start Small.”

5.   FIND A PARTNER IN CRIME
Are you a singer/songwriter. Find another singer/songwriter that you can run ideas by. You two may never play shows together or even live in the same city. BUT who doesn’t need someone they can blow off some steam with, and share music leads. Skype your fellow musician friend and talk about some promotional ideas, run new songs by them, and share your thoughts on venues you think are worth playing. Believe me, its great to have a freind or two that you can call and say, “Yo, was that gig even worth it for you? Do you think I should contact them or just forget about it?’

6. PLAY AN OCCASIONAL NON-PROFIT SHOW
Why? Because its fun, and you’ll remember why you got into music: because you love it.  Play a benefit for a charity you really care about and do it just because.  Don’t think about making money or having to pay your bandmates. Just get together and play a show because you like music.

7.  HAVE A LIFE
This is the best thing you can do for your music. Don’t let it take you over. Give it room to breathe. Whether you’re living as a musician or not, devote a number of hours (office hours, if you will) to booking/promoting/website updating and more.  But when evening comes, take a breather. Go out with friends, watch a movie, take a walk, don’t look at your computer screen.  You will return with a fresh perspective. Promise.

9. USE MORE SOCIAL MEDIA
Yep, if you’re not already doing it, or if you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t been reading this blog for the last 3 years, use more social media! And do it well!  If you don’t have a Facebook Page or Twitter account, this is the year.  Work on ways to organically increase your followings and make sure your use social media  becomes second nature to your music promotion. See LIKE, SHARE, RETWEET.

8. TALK LESS ABOUT YOURSELF
And while we’re on the topic of social media, don’t be self centered. If all your tweets status updates sound like advertisements for how great you are, or how inexpensive your music is, your social engagement will be slim to none. It (as is everything) is all about proper use of social media. Make sure your comments are timely, engaging, and relate-able to the general public. The more “normal” you are, the more fans you’ll have.

10. BE MORE PROFESSIONAL
If you want people to take you more seriously, do more serious things.  Don’t send me a mass email from your personal email account. Don’t send mass emails on Facebook. Get a website. Use any or many of the incredible reasources out there created for musicians. Don’t use social media to vent about how you hate the world…or your family members.  Read “WHAT’S WRONG WITH SENDING NEWSLETTERS THROUGH MY EMAIL ACCOUNT?”

11.  QUIT
Woah! Maybe you didn’t expect this one.  But, think about it, sometimes we work ourselves to the bone…to the point where we don’t enjoy this stuff anymore. If you don’t enjoy it, don’t do it. Pretty soon it will make you miserable. Take a step away…even if its only for a few weeks, a few months, or the whole year.

I thought I’d revisit a blog from last year: Money: Ask and You Shall Receive…Sometimes. There have been a number of really great reader comments on this post.

So yes, learning to ask for money is important. And whether you’re being contracted by an individual or an organization, it’s absolutely imperative to have something in writing.  Most of us have unofficial email records with correspondence on payment details; but here’s a post about taking it one step further.

Why Invoices Matter
I have to admit, I don’t do the best job at creating invoices on a regular basis. In many cases, an organization or college will send me a contract (with included payment information), which eliminates the need to create one. But occasionally, I’ll run into a considerably sketchy situation with someone I don’t know or trust. And in these cases, I put together an invoice. If you don’t know how credible your employer is, you should have something in writing so that they don’t cheat you of your money.

Invoice Essentials

1. Contact Information: Have your contact info and the info of the person/organization hiring you. Include your name, email, number, and address (not residential). Leave out your address if it is residential.
2. Performance Details: Include date, time, and location of  the event. Include the duration of your performance.
3. Agreed Payment: An invoice is a bill. Make sure your employer knows how much you are billing him/her. Make sure they agree on this amount.
4. A Signature: Email or snail mail a copy of this invoice to your employer before the event. Make sure you get back a signed copy before you hit the stage.

Examples & Articles

• ***Here’s a generalized example of one of my invoices –  Invoice Template (replacing the logo in the top corner with you’re own).
• ***Google “Invoice Template” and find something that works for you
• ***Article: Create Invoices, Get Paid
• ***Article: How To Create An Invoice

Things to Keep In Mind

• ***Consider putting a payment deadline on your contract. In other words, ask that you receive payment upon completion of your performance…or no later than 2 weeks after your performance. You decide.
• ***The contract doesn’t have to be cluttered with information. Just the need-to-know facts.
• ***You don’t have to have a logo on your invoice but it just looks more official.

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Emerson Taymor's pop-up doll business cards

Everyone knows our media-saavy culture suffers from information overload, but no one has driven the point home like MSN’s Bing Commercials.  There’s nothing new under the sun and everything’s already been said.  This is why saying the same thing in new ways is the only way to stand out from your competitors, catch people off guard, and suprise the unsuspecting.  Check out this Bing commercial.

 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jMt6saTqq4&feature=channel_page&FORM=MFEHPG&PUBL=YOUTUBE&CREA=userid1743ytfdef4742b4b53cf8e191b13813392c75]

Something Especially Clever
I randomly came across Emerson Taymor as I was looking for business card companies and now I am a huge fan!  Taymor is a photographer and website/graphic designer based in Los Angelese, CA. His business cards, pop-up dolls of his body, are the kind that people hold onto for more than a day…like collector’s items   Taymor says the following,

“Self promotion is something I pride myself on. I take advantage of the popularity of my initials (ET). My logo is a monogram, stylistically created to be modern, trendy, sexy, classy and clean. It can be set or placed over a wide range of colors. My business cards, which have become somewhat of a internet and real life hit, came to me somewhat at random. I really wanted to sell myself, not just as a designer, but as a person. Many designers are hidden behind their work, but I wanted to be my work and myself to work hand in hand. I want people to know they are not only hiring a talented designer, but a people person; someone that they would enjoy the company of. Obviously the cards come flat, but you can make them into a pop-up doll and sit them on your desk.”

 Innovative ideas from others (check out these posts for ideas on what others have done)
*Mitch Bell uses the pizza guy to include his flyers with pizza deliveries
*Allison Weiss raffles off a free CD at each show among the people who signs up for her newsletter
*Ari Hest lets his fans pick the songs to put on the CD & *Amy Kuney tours middle schools and high school
*Chris McDonald creates video shorts based on a fictional character – his alter ego

(these are just a few. there are plenty more on Grassrootsy)

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