Video Helps You To Book More Gigs

I was reading about David Nevue, the pianist, who writes for the musicbizacademy.com website. He said that he does house concerts. I was looking at his website. One of the things he did was video tape one of his concerts. He then loaded each song that he performed, as individual videos that you could click on on his website. I am sure that this generates more interest in his house concerts. Some of the videos show him telling a little story about the reason or the story behind the songs.

As a matter of fact, I just remembered that I went to my friend’s house concert that was really “off the chain” great!. Her name is Raven Williams. I wonder if she has her performances up anywhere on the web. She held a concert at her house and invited people over…she created this little impromptu stage that looked great on video with shimmering curtains and performed with just a couple of acoustic players including a guitarist and a conga player. It was such an intimate experience…and the people she invited were real cool too.

I am going to do the same thing when I do my next house concert. I’ll post it up. When I do, let me know what you think. Have any of you already done this with some of your concert footage?

Marketing Your Music-Blogging Tips

One of the best ways to brand yourself as an indie music artist online is to create a blog. It can be about your experiences as the band, where you are going and what you are planning for the future, or it would be set up like a diary of some sort. It can also be set up to share information on how to produce music, or play an instrument using some original chord progression or something. Whatever your blog covers, has got to relay info from your experience or your opinion to really be good and intriguing to your readers. Here are few tips to great blog writing.

1. Be consistent with your Posts – You should post your blog regularly so that your readers have fresh content to look at, at least once week. One way to set up your blog so that you are not tied to it all the time is to write some of the posts in advance and then set them for the date you want them to post in the future.

2. Find Your Niche – Make sure you are targeting those people that you want to reach with the messages in your blog. Hone in on the audience you are addressing and make sure you are giving them the content that they are seeking. For instance, are they your fans, or are fans of hip-hip underground you write about, or are they guitarist who want to learn more about playing acoustic…you have to choose your audience and focus.

3. Refer to Other Blogs or Articles in your Niche – By referring to other blogs or articles that can give your audience the information they are for, you become a resource that they can come back to. While I’m on this point, there is great course called www.thenicheblogger.com, where this house wife, Amy, created a day by day instructional program to help you get started blogging, and shows you how to make money with your blog.

4. Become a Decent Writer – You should concentrate on writing well, gramatically, as well, as in how you relay the information that you are writing about. I learned from June Jordan, famous poet, that you should write how you would speak, and someone would understand you. Make it easy to read and not too stuffy. I’m not the best writer, but I hope I’m getting my point across.

5. Write About Things You Know – Write about this that you can back up with experience and stories about the experince you have. You’ll become some what of an expert as your blog grows.

6. Be a Real Person- Let people know that you are real by including a bit of your personality in your blog. Do you have any special sign off at the end of your posts? Can you share a little story that reflects the kind of person you are, that your readers can relate to? Do that and your readers will become more connected to your blog.

7. Make it Easy to Look At – Make the design of your blog inviting but don’t over do it. You want to make it easy for your readers to stay on your blog and read each post.

8. Blog, Blog, Blog – Sometimes blogging can get a little boring, but it can be so rewarding, financially, if you use it as a tools to market your music. You can also market affiliate programs you belong to as well. For instance, you can talk about certain books that you like and link people to them on amazon.com and make money if they buy it, if you are member of Amazon.com’s affiliate program. For more affilate programs check out clickbank.com

9. Use Tag Keywords – Use some great tag keywords. Maybe your blog can relate to something else that is “hot” going on. Use those “hot” tag keywords to attract more people to your blog.

10. Market Your Blog – Make sure that everybody knows the name of your blog. Allow search engines to search for your blog for relevant content.

Stick to it and you will be successful. For more help on blogging go to www.thenicheblogger.com and join the course.