10 Tips To Get New Fans ...

1. Promote on YouTube - get some good sounding acoustic video's of your music up, keep them interesting. Also video 'behind the scenes' footage and upload that - give fans a glimpse into the 'Rockstar Life'!

2. Social Networking - Get involved in the online social networking buzz e.g. MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, MOG etc - promote your music, upload some tracks and comment on people's profiles. Remember to always reply to every comment or message.

3. Blogging - Yep, it's the new buzz, and another great way to show people the 'behind the scenes' of it all. The good, the bad and the downright ugly - blog it all!

4. Live Gigs - Go out and play live as often as you can - your first gig might start off with a small amount of people (friends and friends of friends), but if you have put the work in and put on a great show, then next time those friends will bring along another friend etc and so on...

5. Internet Radio - Don't underestimate the power of internet radio. It's a great source for getting your music to people that are keen to hear new indie music! That's where they go to get away from the commercial mainstream music that's shoved down their throats.

6. Opinion Leaders - There are internet-only publications with readerships in the tens of thousands, whose writers may wish to say nice things about your music - find them and contact them! Their readers rely on their opinion and it will drive traffic to your site.

7. Local Press - Don't forget your local music magazines/newspapers - they will generally be pretty supportive of local talent, so ensure you develop a great relationship with them. Let them know about your album and any news that you wish to announce - they may even have a music section that will review your album.

8. Website - Ensure you have your own website up and running! Not just a random little website that's like a publication - that was Web 1.0 - make it fun, interactive and keep people coming back for more - Google 'Web 2.0' to get an idea of what your website should have!

9. Email List - Whatever you do - ensure that you have an email list!! Those that sign up for it want to hear more from you!!!! So... make it easy for them - it's simple, just name and email space - if you're not sure how, or aren't html literate - visit Freedback Forms, easy as!

10. Promowhoring - Now you're sitting there wondering what the hell this one is?! Once your MySpace and other social networking sites start developing - head to bands sites that have a similar sound to you (that reach the same target market), check out their friends lists or those that leave comments on their page - recommend them your music. Ensure that it's done in a polite manner..! And you're on your way!

Promote Your Music .. but where to start?

Let's face it, with the millions of bands (and there's some damn good ones) out there, and the likes of platforms such as MySpace, YouTube and Facebook etc how does one rise above the rest to stand out?

Yes, getting your music out there is damn hard. But I believe it's by winning over one fan at a time. There are so many questions and so many opinions - neither necessarily right or wrong. For example: do you offer free downloads? Do you stream music? If so, just a couple of the songs, or a full album? If people have that so freely, will they bother to buy or download them? There are so many different opinions on these questions that you have to just do what fits right for you and what you're comfortable with. There are pros and cons to it all.

For my artist, I allow all tracks to be downloaded individually - this is because I can remember how often I have been put off buying an album because I was really only loving one or two tracks. This way, people can pick and choose - and if they don't want to buy a full album, they may buy up to half a dozen tracks - but at least it's songs that they really want. I only stream 3 songs across all mediums as I feel that it's better to leave people wanting more. If they want to hear more, then there are previews on the website.

I also decided to sell the album via CD Baby as after reading up about them, it's a great way to sell worldwide and not have to worry about the posting of CD's etc. They do it all for you - and you still get all the information of who buys your CD. They also provide great digital services with the companies they have partnered up with. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. My artist's album was up there 2 days (I hadn't even confirmed the setup for digital distribution) and we already had a sale!

What you also need is one really good song - get that really good song out there, on every medium you can - YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Mog etc. Use something like ReverbNation's widgets to collect fans. These are little widgets you can place on many social networking sites, as well as your own website, where people can input their name and email and ReverbNation collects the details for you. Then you can mass email your fans with news, updates, new tracks etc.

Once you start getting your fans - look after them!! The single most important rule! Personally write to them - don't use formal, corporate language, talk to them like you would a good mate, let them feel part of what you're doing. Continue the fantasy that they have that they are hanging with a 'rock star'. Answer every comment you get on YouTube or MySpace etc, don't let them go un-noticed. They will really appreciate it. I have had a few fans really surprised that they got a reply from the singer!! They were really taken aback, and I know that they are now a fan for life.
Now, I have an awesome resource that has really helped me - I don't agree with everything in it - but like I said, take what you want out of things and do what fits for you. It's a 96 page e-book, so if you're keen for help with new music strategies for the online world, just get in touch.

Ok, well I'll be back!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Opportunity is like a door; when it swings open, you quickly enter because it will not be open forever"