In today’s hyper-connected, social-media world, Indie musicians are asked to do more than ever in promoting their wares. It’s easy to get lost in a maze of websites, platforms, tactics, and systems when what you care about most is your music.
Now you can approach your marketing from a more centered, passionate, and well-informed space. Become guru-like in your ability to see the big picture when it comes to marketing your music, band, and recordings. Save time and money that you could be investing more wisely.
The author bases this exploration of marketing from a new perspective, building on and applying the work of Ken Wilber. Wilber is a popular American writer and psychological “guru” who defined a new way of viewing the world in terms of quadrants. His famed “theory of everything” seeks to integrate all human experience and knowledge into a coherent “All Quadrants / All Lines” (AQAL) model. Find out how this theory is applicable to business and marketing and your own success and development as a musician.
In this short read (56 pages), you will take a deep dive into this new perspective on music marketing and learn how to sort through the four main “quadrants” of your life. Along the way you’ll eliminate any fluff and become extremely focused and likely to succeed.
Beginning with your “why” quadrant, the author — a musician and full-time marketing and sales professional — takes the reader into the latest thinking on finding purpose in your life and music career. You’ll see examples not only from music but from giants like Southwest and Apple who follow their “why” to great success. With guidance from the author you’ll be convinced that your purpose is essential to breaking through as an artist no matter what level of achievement your aspire to achieve.
The book then guides the reader through a practical discussion of social circles and how you can identify which one you’re in and which ones you can hope to influence. Rather than a one size fits all approach, you will soon find the social circle that will resonate with your mission and unique perspective.
No more getting lost in the noise of social media. By getting extremely focused and clear about who you are and which tribe you belong to, you can reduce or eliminate social media fatigue and get directly to your fans.
The next step in your journey is to understand the product or service you are hoping offer. Here the author seeks to support the many “hybrid musicians” who have musical aspirations along with day jobs. Rather than advocating a black and white approach, the author acknowledges the necessity of honoring our outside obligations and working within a realistic framework. Doing so will lead you to certain products which serve you needs rather than other less realistic ones.
Finally, the author provides an overview of the wide-range of marketing systems. Perhaps the most innovative section of the book, this portion of the book attempts to show how various marketing platforms and approaches can be placed in categories. Once you know your why and your social circle, you can then “map” the marketing system that meets your specific situation more easily.
Taken together, the integral approach to music marketing follows a very logical scheme which will allow you to get down to business and achieve your goals with less headaches than before. Rather than getting pulled in many directions and dinged by membership fees from many sites and online services, the Music Marketing Guru will leave you with a clear-eyed approach to your career.
