What if every post or Tweet cost money?
What if it cost you a penny–or a nickel, a dime, a quarter, a dollar– for every post you do on Facebook or tweet on Twitter? How would your posts change?
My guess is we would post less and/or adapt our messages to be more meaningful.
Why not operate that way, now?
* * *
(And yes, I recognize that Facebook is making us pay to boast our Page posts to get any impressions anyways.)
For attendees coming to the Musicians’ Coffee Talk, listen to these Godin talks, take some notes.
Listen to:
1. 2016 talk at Carnegie Hall:
https://vimeo.com/155069902
2. 2008 talk with CyberPR:
Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXmcxuckvsA
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndZdEsM-xi8
Godin’s point in part 2 (2:49) about dismissing the Spotify payouts is a major discussion point for the talk.
How long can music companies be in the red?
Streaming sites are inevitably the future (actually the present), but will they be inevitably profitable as companies?
Here’s a rundown of some streaming companies’ profitability:
- Rdio went bankrupt and sold off a portion of its assets for $75 million to Pandora last year. (As a songwriter, I was never was paid any royalties in 2015, by the way, even though I was paid some small royalties in 2013 & 2014.)
- Pandora spent $75 million on assets of Rdio, but “[i]ts revenue growth rate keeps increasing as its income keeps falling.”
- Hypebot reports that Soundcloud reported a $56.5 million loss in 2014. Update: Soundcloud’s end near?)
- Spotify is bringing in a large amount of money each year, but it still doesn’t turn a profit after being in the United States since 2011.
- Google’s just about breaking even with Youtube.
While I understand a need for investment before a company hits its stride, as of 2016, I’m scratching my head wondering if this system is working for anyone other than the grazing consumer.
Oh, and the CEOs in their 14 bathroom mansions.
Bandcamp and Patreon might be the only companies that really put creators first.
But the public hasn’t embraced these companies in larger numbers as it has Spotify, Pandora, iTunes (now Apple Music) and Youtube; and the obvious reason for this is the major labels’ artists aren’t found on these sites built on Indie-creed. Popularity breeds popularity.
But this time, popularity is not breeding sustainability.
As an artist, sending spam is like throwing a Hail Mary football, in the wrong direction.
What’s the opposite of spam? Leading with your art, letting folks opt-in if they want to connect, then repeat.
We don’t need sports metaphor to remind us of the better option.
UPDATE:
Dear, FAI Folks adding everyone in the directory to your newsletters without permission. First off, I don’t use my business email for newsletters. I probably would have signed up at the conference with my specific email I do use f
or newsletter; but second you might want to read the top of the directory:
My wife who’s a journalist once told me, “The more established the person, the easier it is to find their contact info for an interview…”
I’ve been volunteering for a music festival and music venue this year, which has been a great chance to get perspective from the other side of booking and promoting.
(If you do work for a venue, I now “feel” how difficult it is! Thank you for what you do!)
So here’s a little tip: Put your email and phone number on your websites.
Quit using a submission form like you are famous.
If you are worried about spam, think about missing out on legit emails instead.
I honestly get very little spam that isn’t filtered out through my Gmail account, but I’ve had three booking representatives reach out to me this year that said, “We found your contact info on your website.”
If you want to be found, make it easy for others to find you.
Here’s another example: When Lefsetz reposted my blog last year–a surprise to me– I had multiple musicians and readers email saying, “Hey! I found your email on your website, and I wanted to write that I liked your blog.”
I actual found out from a famous country musician’s mandolin player who emailed me first, before Lefsetz’s newsletter got to my email address.
Tigers, Lions and the Bear of Social Media Links, Oh My!
Picture being a volunteer for a venue, and having 100+ shows a year to promote, trying to find every acts’ Facebook pages and Twitter account for tags with PR.
You can save a volunteer’s time by having all of your social media links in one place. I want to help promote bands booked at the venue, but picture trying to find 100+ acts accounts as a volunteer! It’s a time suck!
Last Point – Booking Isn’t Done Via Facebook
It’s amazing how many acts are still sending Facebook & Twitter messages to attempt to book shows.
Seriously, what’s the percentage of successful bookings you’ve done doing this? Single digit success rate?
That’s because booking isn’t done by Facebook.
Venue owners already are time crunched, so they might have an intern run social media. Do you think that college student has anything to do with booking?
If the festival is volunteer-run, they probably have a volunteer helping out with social media. That volunteer doesn’t do the booking, and will simply direct you to the booking directions on the website.
Plus, email is more organized on your and the booking agent’s end! As a musician, I can search my past email box to see my previous messages quickly. I can re-send from the previous message. It’s way easier for the booking agent or representative on their end, too, to see the email exchange.
