39 ways to sell a lot more of your CDs, DVDs and music merchandise (III)

Continuing from last week’s article;

8) Give away something when you run paid ads

Likewise, when you are paying for advertising (whether in print, on the radio or online), don’t waste the chance to connect with more fans. Offer that same free item mentioned above in all of your ads.

Lesson: This strategy gives you more control over the marketing process. Most artists and record labels simply throw their name out into the public. Then they hope and pray someone will take notice and be intrigued enough to drop everything else they’re doing, hop in the car, drive to the retail outlet, and purchase their record. I ask you: What percentage of people interested in your ad are really going to do that?

Therefore, you – being the creative music promoter that you are – won’t take that roll-of-the-dice approach. From now on, you’ll take control and gather the names and addresses (both street and email) of people who are interested in your style of music. And you’ll gather those details by offering potential fans something free in exchange for revealing their personal contact information.

Once you have these vital fan names and addresses, you have the power to gently prod and directly inspire them – through your regular follow-up communications – to take the next logical step: buying your CD, DVD or other piece of merchandise.

Key insight: Don’t be a victim of chance when it comes to your music promotion. Grab the reigns and take control of the process!

9) Offer radio station free copies to give away

Media folks love to give away stuff to their audiences. So don’t be shy about asking your local college and community stations if they’d give away your new CD on the air. Of course, you should also offer to come in, do an interview, and play tracks off the CD (or perform live) to tie in with the giveaway.

And be sure to let listeners know where they can go (online and off) to purchase your CD. Radio exposure of any kind can be good for your notoriety and the sales of your recorded music.

10) Give copies to record stores for in-store play

This may seem obvious, but a lot of musicians overlook this important marketing technique. A record store is the perfect place to capture the attention of music fans. Customers visit these establishments to do only one thing: listen to and buy music!

Ask any record store clerk how many times customers come up and ask, “Who is that playing over the speakers right now?” Meet with store managers and give away free promotional copies to stores where your release is available.

11) Set up record store appearances, autograph sessions, and unplugged performances

I know what you’re thinking: “Record store appearance? That would be awfully pompous of me!” Not so fast. The national touring acts aren’t the only musicians worthy of such events. Setting up an in-store appearance gives you weeks of exposure in the store in the form of fliers promoting the date. In-store events also get people talking and, in the case of unplugged performances, get your music to the ears of record-buying consumers who might never have heard you otherwise. Remember, consumers have to hear you before they’ll buy.

12) Offer local record stores a free package-stuffer

Many retail businesses stuff a flier or discount coupon into customers’ bags along with their purchases. Wouldn’t it be great to get a record store to put your small flier into all of its customers’ packages? Your message would go directly to the music-buying public!

Print some professionally designed inserts promoting your CD. Visit record stores and ask managers to use the inserts. You might find sympathetic owners who will do it simply to help you out. But you’ll quite likely meet resistance with this unusual request. What then? Call it quits? Hardly.

Hot tip: make the package insert two-sided. Offer to put the store’s message on one side and your message on the other. You pay for printing the whole thing. That way, the store gets free promotion and an incentive to stuff them – and you get lots of direct exposure for very little cost.

13) Find alternate ways to market your band

Is there a non-music publication or offbeat type retail store that fans of your musical style might patronise? If so, you might consider reaching potential new fans through these unlikely means.

Example: Years ago BMG moved a lot of hard rock and metal sampler cassettes by advertising them through, of all things, comic books. The tapes featured cuts from such bands as 21 Guns, Babylon AD and the Rollins Band. Readers could order the samplers via a toll-free 800 number.

“There is a significant portion of the comic-reading and record-buying public that overlaps,” said a senior VP of marketing at BMG. A number of the comic book respondents bought full albums based on hearing tracks on the sampler – and that’s exactly what BMG wanted.

How can you do something similar with your music on a smaller scale?

14) Create incentives to buy

There are a number of effective ways to upgrade your fans and inspire additional sales. The trick is to dangle more alluring benefits in front of them while their interest level is running high. This isn’t being manipulative, by the way. You’re simply giving people an opportunity to get more of the great musical stuff you have to offer.

Example: Let’s say someone buys your band’s latest CD by mail. The average music marketer would stick the CD in a package and send it off. Period. Maybe later, he or she might send a flier of other merchandise. But why wait?

Better: The smart Guerrilla Music Marketer sends the CD along with a flier listing all available products (past releases, T-shirts, caps, posters, even CDs by other comparable bands). In addition, the package would include a certificate stating something along the lines of:

“Thanks for your order. To show our appreciation, please use this 10 per cent-off coupon on your next purchase of band merchandise. As an added bonus, order within the next 30 days and take an entire 20 per cent off. It’s our way of saying thanks for supporting our music.”

See how this works? You can do the same thing using email or your website.