Constant Contact and Aweber and more…

I have been trying to decide which platform for email marketing to use, so that I can deliver to my fans, timely information they want delivered in their email box about my music, my shows, my life. I want to be able to provide an easy to read newsletter and autoreponder using either Constant Contact or Aweber.

I’ve used Constant Contact in the past for another project that I worked on, and it was really easy to format for building a newsletter. The templates were also very “pretty” and looked extremely professional. Even though I knew nothing about programming or writing HTML, my newsletters looked great.

The templates were set up with a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) format, just like a word processor. It was like I was typing a MS Word document. I was able to cut and paste my images into the newsletter, as well as place any hyperlinks back to my website with ease. I just read that they have integrated a way to incorporate a paypal button into the newsletter itself, so you could always have your music for sale with every newsletter that email out.

Both Aweber and Constant Contact have simple newsletter or report sign-up forms to integrate into your website. The difference with Aweber, is that that have pretty decent templates, not as many to choose from as Constant Contact, BUT, they have this awesome autoresponder system that allows you set unlimited number of email marketing campaigns that stay on auto-pilot after you set them up. This makes sure that a flow of information about your indie music, is consistently being delivered to your fan’s inbox. You can stay on top of providing them with great service. Aweber also has a function that allows you to Twitter your newsletter subject matter.

Which email marketing system works for you? Which one have you used and what was your success like?

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.

Marketing Indie Music – Gotta Set a Schedule

Time blocking!!! The one thing that we can never get back in life is more time. After one hour, one minute, or one second passes, we can never go back to it. Does it feel like you never have enough time in the day to get things done…I mean things that are truly important to you?

Really take a look at all of the “things” you are placing on your plate daily. Are you checking email for hours at a time, replying back to people who have sent you email chain letter…”If you send this to 10 of your friends then…” Are you on the phone, talking small talk. You have got to prioritize what is truly productive for you during the day and then fit in those things that are not as important for you.

Here is one solution for you to be able to fit in the things you really want to accomplish in life. I’m not talking about all work and no play…you’ve got to schedule that in too. We want to focus on scheduling a balanced lifestyle.

Take a piece of lined writing paper and write at the top the days of the week from Monday to Sunday. Draw a line vertically in between each day. On the left side of the paper enter in the time from 6 am to at least 8 pm in half an hour increments…so you’ll see 6:00, 6:307:00, 7;30 etc. Then for each day write in schedule what you would like to accomplish for the week and block out the time that you think it will take to do it. Include working out, drive times, time doing your dream, a little time for responding to those important emails, phone call return times, family time, cleaning time etc. Focus on the things that really matter and try to stick to your schedule. If something doesn’t get done one day, don’t kick yourself, just add it to another day and see where you can fit it in.

After a week, look at all that you have accomplished…things that you thought you couldn’t get to, but you did. You’ll feel sense of satisfaction, and relief that you don’t have certain things on your schedule still not done. This “time blocking” method really works if you have a hard time with procrastination. It will also help you get in a little or a lot of time on working on your dream or setting aside some “me” time to replenish to start the next week all over again. Don’t forget to pencil in the “me’ time….which makes for happier “we” times with your family and friends.