Social Media
LIVE Q&A on Music & Marketing with Brian Thompson
Aug2501:25 PM
Filed in: Indie Advice
Hey folks, I had a random little idea this morning and decided to waste no time and throw it into action immediately. And that's the beauty of the world we live in today, you can make anything happen almost instantly!
So, here it is. Starting this coming Tuesday, August 31 at 7pm PST (10PM EST), I'm going to launch a weekly Live Video Q&A Session on the music industry and marketing. And of course, it's 100% free.
So in order for this test to work, I need you to mark down this date and time in your calendar and show up on time...otherwise I'll just be sitting there staring blankly at an empty chat window, twiddling my thumbs.
It's an open forum, so feel free to ask me anything you like: advice, tips, suggestions, experiences, thoughts, ideas...you name it!
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Band uses recyclables to finance new recording
May0702:59 PM
Filed in: Music News
It's often been said that people look for hope in the bottom of a bottle.
But if you're assuming that Fredericton's own Ross Neilsen and The Sufferin' Bastards hit the bottle looking for inspiration behind their smokin' new record, Redemption, you ought to think again.
To cover the costs of producing their new record, Neilsen and the Bastards relied upon the generosity of fellow New Brunswickers, who donated their returnable beverage containers so that the band could claim the deposit money to put towards their recording fees.
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Watch It Grow: An Experiment In Digital Busking
May0702:59 PM
Filed in: Indie Advice
If you're a regular reader of The Bleeder Blog, you'll remember a blog we posted in late April titled: Vancouver Musician Cultivates Earth Day Interest. On Earth Day, April 22, Victoria singer/songwriter Scott Valentine hit the streets of Vancouver and handed out 19,000 digital songs via free download cards.
It's a little grassroots street level marketing campaign which I've decided to call Digital Busking (or if you prefer, Busking 2.0). So if you happen to hear this term pop up anywhere in the next couple of years, remember that you heard it here first!
Continue reading for exclusive photos and feedback from the event...Click To Read More...
How To Break Your Band: Social Media
Apr0210:22 AM
Filed in: Indie Advice
The following video is from social media marketing guru Gary Vaynerchuck from Wine Library TV, who I've mentioned before here. This guy is doing everything right with social media and he's created an amazing brand for not only himself, but his company too.
In only 4 minutes he successfully explains why you must embrace and exploit social media now to grow the profile of your business. While his thoughts are directed towards businesses, we all know that as a DIY artist in an independent band you face the exact same hurdles; reaching a new audience, gaining new fans, and monetizing your new followers to grow your business.
Watch this video, there's some important lessons here for everyone!
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Top 31 Ways To Suck At Social Media Marketing
Mar2912:46 PM
Filed in: Indie Advice
If you want to truly SUCK at using social media, please follow this list closely and you'll be guaranteed limited exposure and zero online buzz!
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Need a New Bio, Website, or Social Media Help?
Jan0510:57 AM
Filed in: Opinion
Do you need a new Biography that effectively communicates what you’re all about?
Are you relying on MySpace for your web profile? Don’t. You need your own Website and now’s the time to get one.
Do you need help on figuring out how to use Social Media to spread your music?
Do you need some help brainstorming a unique marketing plan for the next phase in your development?
If so, we can help!
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10 Ways To Make The Most Out Of Social Media
Nov1707:47 PM
Filed in: Opinion
I've mentioned it before on these pages, but it needs repeating...as an artist, you are an entrepreneur. And as an entrepreneurial business, marketing is one of your biggest hurdles. It's marketing that brings fans to your website, to your concerts, and ultimately end up buying your music and t-shirts.
So what's your marketing plan? What are you doing online to get noticed and to spread your personal brand? And perhaps even more importantly, how are you delivering that message?
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How To Make Successful YouTube Videos
Sep0411:18 AM
Filed in: Indie Advice
I had a conversation with someone this morning about how to create successful viral vidoes for your band, so I figured I might as well share my thougths with everyone on The Bleeder Blog since it's something that most artists can improve upon.
In a world of expensive marketing and promotion campaigns, creating online video content for your band is a no brainer. It's inexpensive, quick and easy, and more often than not it leads to a source of discovery for new fans.
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Persistence Leads To Success
Sep2302:00 PM
Filed in: Indie Advice
As an artist you are just like any other entrepreneur, hoping that your passion and talent will lead to a sustaining career. But as with any entrepreneur, simply having a great product isn't enough.
How will people hear of what you have to offer? How will you develop a buzz around your music?
Creating a solid business and marketing plan with a clearly defined goal is the first step. But as you work through your plan and make all of the necessary calls, you'll undoubtedly be confronted with many closed doors and unanswered emails. This is where the majority of bands falter and begin to lose their way. They give up far too early and aren't prepared for the countless hours of working the finished product...your album.
So what sets successful artists and entrepreneurs apart from the rest of the pack? Persistence and perseverance. It may sound like an overused cliche, but it's the truth: Persistence leads to success.
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Scott Valentine Presents: Choose Your Own Price
Apr0302:52 PM
Filed in: Music News
As with everything Scott Valentine does, he's challenging the status quo and music industry standard, and has come up with an incredibly generous and original offer for his fans to buy the Seasons album. If giving away every track on the four CD album wasn't enough, Valentine is now letting you buy the album by Choosing Your Own Price.
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How To Get The Most Out Of The Bleeder Blog
Mar2708:18 AM
Filed in: Opinion
You're not getting the most out of The Bleeder Blog if you haven't done these two things yet...
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Concert Junkies Rejoice: Setlist.fm
Feb2609:10 AM
Filed in: Music News
A really cool new social media website has just launched that any serious music fan or collector of live bootlegs needs to check out. Setlist.fm is a free wiki-like service to collect and share setlists.
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Twitter Meets Music Blog: Blip.fm
Feb2210:45 AM
Filed in: Music News
Are you on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 and like to be part of the latest social networking sites?
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$99 Music Videos
Feb1909:54 AM
Filed in: Music News
$99 Music Videos is an independent music channel of music videos, all made for $99 or less.
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