Have you tried email campaigns with venue bookers? Do you have your fan list, your media list and your venue booker list all lumped into one. Talk to your audience about the things they are interested in. Have your messages be specific to each specific audience. It’s fine to send your whole list a newsletter; but now let’s focus on each of your audience members and create a strategic method of using emails to have an effective conversation with each separate group. This week, let’s focus on getting gigs and a creative way to use an email campaign to maximize…

Are you maximizing your email campaigns? Are your emails getting the response you want? Are your emails being opened or deleted?  Are your readers acting upon your suggestions in your emails? Here are a few tips to help get your emails opened, read and acted upon: Personalize your emails. Too often an email arrives addressed to Hi Everyone, or Hello All, or Dear Friends. This is a sure fire way to get your email deleted. How do you feel when you get an email with a greeting, Hi Everyone?          If your goal is to nurture your…

The idea of fitting in or standing out was once again sparked by re-listening to Seth Godin's book, The Purple Cow. So often I speak with artists who are working so hard to be just like someone they admire or who has already reached a level of notoriety. As I dig more deeply into the artist's life and career during coaching sessions, I begin to discover their uniqueness, the thing that sets them apart from the rest of the artists in their field. As we explore these talents or personality traits or mannerisms or performance methods, it becomes clear to…

Do you experience gig satisfaction or frustration? Do you feel a sense of satisfaction when the gig is over? Did you have fun playing? Was it a meaningful gig? Did you really make an impact on your audience? If you answered "yes" to the above questions, then you are hitting your stride and are finding the right gigs and playing to the right audience. Congratulations! Or are you frustrated with your gigs lately? Is there a disconnect with the audience? Do you feel like perhaps they may not even be YOUR audience? Then perhaps you have not identified your true…

It's time to approach bookings like creating a recording. There’s always a lot to take care of when you are managing your career. There’s also a ton of stuff to do when setting up tours. I know all of the to-do’s can get to be overwhelming. I can talk about planning ahead till the cow’s come home and perhaps it might be something you’ll get into and do on a regular basis. So this week I thought I would bring home the point by making a comparison for you. Since you may be familiar with making a recording and the…

Are you asking enough questions during your gig negotiations? No matter what kind of gig you are attempting to book, you will make a better deal if you ask more questions. It's always a thrill to receive an incoming call or email from someone who wants to book you. But, let's not jump on board too quickly, at least not until you are satisfied that the gig is right for you. You do that by asking lots of specific questions that allow you to both understand the venue's needs and make sure you will be placing yourself and your act…

             I cherished every minute of my 15 years that I shared with Mr. Ripley—a mixed breed Terrier. At 16 years old, sadly, he passed on Wednesday, May 30th.             The ASPCA in Charlottesville, VA listed his breed as Benji Dog. He had Wheaton Terrier eye-lined eyes and a true Wheaton disposition. His rear though, seemed more Golden Retriever with a large swooshing tail that curved to the right. He was calm, smart, giving and filled with joy.             Lost during Hurricane Isabel when it passed through Virginia in 2003, he was found the next day behind the Keswick post…

The decision of whether to outsource media campaigns or not may weigh heavily on you when you are about to promote a new CD, a tour or other projects. Most artists I speak with cite cost as a main factor in their decision-making process. I would like to offer a few additional considerations for you to add to your process before launching into your next campaign and spending huge amounts of money. Clarify Your Goals:  Of course you would like the broadest recognition for your project. But, let's examine what that means given where you are right now in your…

How do you bring great ideas to fruition? You've come up with a great idea and you want to jump on it right away while your enthusiasm is still hot. Now you must create an effective communication vehicle to pitch your idea to the intended recipient. But wait! Do you have all the important pieces on hand to be effective and make your pitch work the way you imagined?  What do you need?  First and foremost it might be good to make sure that your idea is clearly thought out. Writing it out a few times will help you edit…