Make a mock promotion/sales strategy for an Album

[G.T.]

Ok,

Did you ever want to wear the "Marketing" hat and explore your inner-business man, and creativity?

Do so here, and it may actually lead to being put into practice.

I'm releasing my album this Christmas, and hope to sell roughly 2K copies, keeping to just a local-level.

It's a Rap album, hoping to have a really home-grown feel for the Capital District of New York State.

The obvious answer is to play open-mics and sell albums out of those, but I'm hoping for a bigger lead-up to the album dropping so I'm not focusing on that right now. Posters/Tee's/etc. You'd have to find web-sites/businesses that create all of these things and also have a plan for a good promotions MySpace page with a couple sample-snippets.

Pressing the album is going to cost roughly $.79 to $1.00/copy, but I will start with 300 or-so and the take my profits to have more pressed as I go.

Kitty Kodder is designing my album cover, and she's doing a great job.

My budget is roughly $800, with $300 of it going twrd buying those first copies. I could sell the tee-shirts for-profit, though, and the budget might pay for itself eventually and then-some. (well duh, that's the goal lol).

So posit your strategy here.

I wonder, would local businesses sponsor the album in-return for their logo on the inside cover/credits? How do I approach that situation?>

For the album itself, what kinds of diversity do you look for in an album? I was thinking ... few club tracks, few mellow/driving tracks, couple skits, couple story tracks, couple hard-core lyric tracks(really colorful).

Anyhoot, enough of me...let's see what you're feeling.

Lastly, if anyone wants to get REAL SERIOUS, and become a small-time manager for an artist who only aspires to sell locally, smaller-time, let me know.

My artist name is GT. Genius Tracks. The album is self-titled (Genius Tracks) and the cover-design is about done. I'm doing a lot of recording in the September/October area, so I have time now to focus on a whole out-line/game-plan. My recording is free.

 

[editec]

One word of advise for ya' if ya want your record to go platinum

Payola.

 

[G.T.]

One word of advise for ya' if ya want your record to go platinum

Payola.

As stated in the OP, I've got no desire to go platinum. This is just for local, and just for some side bucks.

 

[JBeukema]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtIOup0nFhs]YouTube - Airheads Trailer[/ame]

 

[G.T.]

Being Straightforward. A quality that defines an individual, their confidence and their drive for power and success.

 

[Care4all]

Ok,

Did you ever want to wear the "Marketing" hat and explore your inner-business man, and creativity?

Do so here, and it may actually lead to being put into practice.

I'm releasing my album this Christmas, and hope to sell roughly 2K copies, keeping to just a local-level.

It's a Rap album, hoping to have a really home-grown feel for the Capital District of New York State.

The obvious answer is to play open-mics and sell albums out of those, but I'm hoping for a bigger lead-up to the album dropping so I'm not focusing on that right now. Posters/Tee's/etc. You'd have to find web-sites/businesses that create all of these things and also have a plan for a good promotions MySpace page with a couple sample-snippets.

Pressing the album is going to cost roughly $.79 to $1.00/copy, but I will start with 300 or-so and the take my profits to have more pressed as I go.

Kitty Kodder is designing my album cover, and she's doing a great job.

My budget is roughly $800, with $300 of it going twrd buying those first copies. I could sell the tee-shirts for-profit, though, and the budget might pay for itself eventually and then-some. (well duh, that's the goal lol).

So posit your strategy here.

I wonder, would local businesses sponsor the album in-return for their logo on the inside cover/credits? How do I approach that situation?>

For the album itself, what kinds of diversity do you look for in an album? I was thinking ... few club tracks, few mellow/driving tracks, couple skits, couple story tracks, couple hard-core lyric tracks(really colorful).

Anyhoot, enough of me...let's see what you're feeling.

Lastly, if anyone wants to get REAL SERIOUS, and become a small-time manager for an artist who only aspires to sell locally, smaller-time, let me know.

My artist name is GT. Genius Tracks. The album is self-titled (Genius Tracks) and the cover-design is about done. I'm doing a lot of recording in the September/October area, so I have time now to focus on a whole out-line/game-plan. My recording is free.

Your initial marketing advertising budget should be 6 to 10% of your initial planned sales...see if you can get a sponsor to help you with advertising....maybe Pepsi, Reeses pieces will pay you to have you holding a can or bag in your initial album cover....maybe it is the maker of your guitar that might help with your advertising or production costs for exposure on your cover, or what advertising you choose....if your guitar gets some focus in the shot?

with any kind of direct mail pieces, only expect a 1%-2% return on who you mail to, to make a purchase....even with a target specific mailing, you may only get an excellent 5% response/purchase.... Newspaper has better immediate response/purchase results.... you probably can not afford either of those unless you consider advertising your album in college newspapers...which are much more reasonable and also your target audience.

Advertising and Marketing is where the term, "If you want to make money, you need to spend money" fits perfectly.

But since all of that is limited, your grass roots ideas of having your myspace slot with three of your songs uploaded so people can get a sampling is good for people that have heard about the site, but HOW will you get them there....?

can you stage a performance in a park or something so that your fliers about your albulm can be tied in to it? How about your local Barnes and Noble book store coffee shop...can you get a gig where you promote your album while there? Can you get a local restaurant or pub to let you sing/play for free...to promote your album? How about on college campuses? Is there a venue for local artists to perform?

Can you call the local radio station or go visit the disc jockeys to see if they will promote a song or two from your album....?

Is there any local tv stations that promote local artists?

Are there any Fairs that hire local artists?

Exposure to your target audience is the key....

care

 

[G.T.]

Your initial marketing advertising budget should be 6 to 10% of your initial planned sales...see if you can get a sponsor to help you with advertising....maybe Pepsi, Reeses pieces will pay you to have you holding a can or bag in your initial album cover....maybe it is the maker of your guitar that might help with your advertising or production costs for exposure on your cover, or what advertising you choose....if your guitar gets some focus in the shot?

with any kind of direct mail pieces, only expect a 1%-2% return on who you mail to, to make a purchase....even with a target specific mailing, you may only get an excellent 5% response/purchase.... Newspaper has better immediate response/purchase results.... you probably can not afford either of those unless you consider advertising your album in college newspapers...which are much more reasonable and also your target audience.

Advertising and Marketing is where the term, "If you want to make money, you need to spend money" fits perfectly.

But since all of that is limited, your grass roots ideas of having your myspace slot with three of your songs uploaded so people can get a sampling is good for people that have heard about the site, but HOW will you get them there....?

can you stage a performance in a park or something so that your fliers about your albulm can be tied in to it? How about your local Barnes and Noble book store coffee shop...can you get a gig where you promote your album while there? Can you get a local restaurant or pub to let you sing/play for free...to promote your album? How about on college campuses? Is there a venue for local artists to perform?

Can you call the local radio station or go visit the disc jockeys to see if they will promote a song or two from your album....?

Is there any local tv stations that promote local artists?

Are there any Fairs that hire local artists?

Exposure to your target audience is the key....

care

Hmm,

These are all really good ideas. I especially like the marketing in college newspapers, and have a few inside people to make that come to fruition. Great idea.

As far as "how will they learn of the myspace," that's where I envisioned posters, business-cards, etc. coming into play but wasn't sure if someone knew of great sources for a cheap price. I can paste them all-over town.

 

[Care4all]

Your initial marketing advertising budget should be 6 to 10% of your initial planned sales...see if you can get a sponsor to help you with advertising....maybe Pepsi, Reeses pieces will pay you to have you holding a can or bag in your initial album cover....maybe it is the maker of your guitar that might help with your advertising or production costs for exposure on your cover, or what advertising you choose....if your guitar gets some focus in the shot?

with any kind of direct mail pieces, only expect a 1%-2% return on who you mail to, to make a purchase....even with a target specific mailing, you may only get an excellent 5% response/purchase.... Newspaper has better immediate response/purchase results.... you probably can not afford either of those unless you consider advertising your album in college newspapers...which are much more reasonable and also your target audience.

Advertising and Marketing is where the term, "If you want to make money, you need to spend money" fits perfectly.

But since all of that is limited, your grass roots ideas of having your myspace slot with three of your songs uploaded so people can get a sampling is good for people that have heard about the site, but HOW will you get them there....?

can you stage a performance in a park or something so that your fliers about your albulm can be tied in to it? How about your local Barnes and Noble book store coffee shop...can you get a gig where you promote your album while there? Can you get a local restaurant or pub to let you sing/play for free...to promote your album? How about on college campuses? Is there a venue for local artists to perform?

Can you call the local radio station or go visit the disc jockeys to see if they will promote a song or two from your album....?

Is there any local tv stations that promote local artists?

Are there any Fairs that hire local artists?

Exposure to your target audience is the key....

care

Hmm,

These are all really good ideas. I especially like the marketing in college newspapers, and have a few inside people to make that come to fruition. Great idea.

As far as "how will they learn of the myspace," that's where I envisioned posters, business-cards, etc. coming into play but wasn't sure if someone knew of great sources for a cheap price. I can paste them all-over town.

Make them yourself, off of your computer and find good stock weight paper to print them on, not cheap stuff, at a bulk or reasonable price from Sam;s club...if you have to buy reuseable ink cartridges off the internet for cheaper ink....

otherwise, if you have the layout or a computer generated layout of your ad or flier that you want printed, you can get 1000 fliers for less than $400 bucks...

your business cards, print yourself off the computer on good card stock....if you have them printed professionally...they are fairly cheap, call a printer from your yellow pages and get the estimate for different card stock weights...the heavier the weight of the paper/card stock...the stiffer or better, in general...you could save some money if the printer for your flier can do the business cards as well...

think about having some sort of gift for the first few people to go to your link to hear your music or for the first few people to buy your album or some sort of coupon of $5.00 off your album or 20% off your album, introductory offer type thing on your flyers...

There needs to be some sort of urgency...

coupon or gift EXPIRES by dahdahdah date.....

Oh, printer will print your next thousand flyers cheaper the next time you order, because they already would have the "typeset" on file....even if you have to make a minor change for an expiration date of your special or coupon with urgency.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Buy this CD. It will drive your parents fucking nuts.


It'll go platinum in a week.

 

[Coloradomtnman]

Buy the new album by the heavy metal band: "Chopped Off"!

"Accidentally and Randomly Disembowled on the Beach"
with #1 hit tracks like:

Dislocated Aorta
Sucking Chest Wound
Why Can't I Feel My Legs
Momma, Momma, It's So Cold
The Dark Pulsing of Femoral Arterial Hemorrhaging
Pneumothorax
I got KIA in an accident in an SUV while getting a BJ on the way to DC for a Notorious B.I.G. concert but she only got TMJ.
and
Blunt Trauma

Available in stores now!

 

[Shogun]

I'd bring back the "satan is around the corner" 80s marketing. That shit was gold. Go dig up some Deicide lyrics and remix it with four on the floor beats and an image that accentuates all 7 deadly sins. Then, produce a viral video that shows grainy, hidden footage of your pre-studio seance where all of your entorage are dressed up with black robes, red candles and at least one sacrificial virgin. (pm David S if you need a virgin). MC Antichrist or some such moniker. You might have to get some pentagrams and inverted crosses tattooed on your forearms. On your facebook and myspace band pages make sure you let everyone know that by agreeing to be your friend they have accepted Satan into their lives as their saviour. Mix in the usual teenage anti-authoritarian angst. Figure out some kind of trendy fashion statement.. I'm thinking a MARK OF THE BEAST tattoo that your followers can identify with and show each other as they hang out at mall entrences and scare off blue haired old ladies. Better yet, since we've SEEN the 80s, manson etc already i'd shoot for making it a secret mark of the beast that fans can flash at concerts and such but keep hidden so as to stoke the christian paranoia. The idea being that regular people worship the devil in 2009 and only exposed tattoos and thumping car stereos convey who is us and who is them.


of course.. you can't be a musical chump either though. If you can't perform then all of this is a non issue.

 

[G.T.]

I'd bring back the "satan is around the corner" 80s marketing. That shit was gold. Go dig up some Deicide lyrics and remix it with four on the floor beats and an image that accentuates all 7 deadly sins. Then, produce a viral video that shows grainy, hidden footage of your pre-studio seance where all of your entorage are dressed up with black robes, red candles and at least one sacrificial virgin. (pm David S if you need a virgin). MC Antichrist or some such moniker. You might have to get some pentagrams and inverted crosses tattooed on your forearms. On your facebook and myspace band pages make sure you let everyone know that by agreeing to be your friend they have accepted Satan into their lives as their saviour. Mix in the usual teenage anti-authoritarian angst. Figure out some kind of trendy fashion statement.. I'm thinking a MARK OF THE BEAST tattoo that your followers can identify with and show each other as they hang out at mall entrences and scare off blue haired old ladies. Better yet, since we've SEEN the 80s, manson etc already i'd shoot for making it a secret mark of the beast that fans can flash at concerts and such but keep hidden so as to stoke the christian paranoia. The idea being that regular people worship the devil in 2009 and only exposed tattoos and thumping car stereos convey who is us and who is them.


of course.. you can't be a musical chump either though. If you can't perform then all of this is a non issue.

That's some crazy shit there, Sho. Interesting.

Although I do already have my name, I don't have my Marketing "gimmick" yet. I don't think I'd go Satanic, but I'd go really dark and different.

GT on MySpace Music - Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Downloads is my old myspace page. I wasn't promoting at the time but it is what it is, haven't logged in in quite some time.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I don't listen to rap because it isn't my cup of tea so I'm of no real help to you except to say, hope it all works out for you and GOOD LUCK.

 

[Shogun]

i dunno man.. I'm pretty sure the gimmick of a whitebread rapper has been done already. no offense. I mean, even 2 short had the misogyny gimick when he was selling tapes from his car. With fabricated street cred rampant in hip hop i'm just not sure the world is ready for the family man rapper..

I'm telling you. go strait up Gravediggaz on that shit.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPuGEKWiPGo&feature=related]YouTube - Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep[/ame]

 

[G.T.]

i dunno man.. I'm pretty sure the gimmick of a whitebread rapper has been done already. no offense. I mean, even 2 short had the misogyny gimick when he was selling tapes from his car. With fabricated street cred rampant in hip hop i'm just not sure the world is ready for the family man rapper..

I'm telling you. go strait up Gravediggaz on that shit.

YouTube - Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep

I'm not a whitebread rapper as a gimmick. I'm simply white, and I rap. I don't do family man shit. I'm just saying, the actual devil is not some idea I'm in accord with.