Hey John and everybody,
Lately I've been sharing some new songs with friends and getting nice feedback. These are songs I was a little embarrassed by , as they are softer and more vulnerable. I've been marketing myself as an Eccentric Bass Rocker, so this is a surprise to me too.
But I was thinking that this kind of direction, I guess you might call it"Urban Folk", might be good for reaching the hearts of new subscribers quickly.
I thought I'd just share some of this new music with you insiders first. I haven't set up a new ad set, squeeze page or follow up series for this stuff yet, but I envision targeting Ben Harper fans of some sort.
Any songs you feel are "hits" or that I should lead with, I am open to suggestion. And BTW these are just demos most of them. I'll probably re-record or maybe drive traffic by giving away the best one and run an album release campaign where fans actually help me produce the finals, by giving feedback on these demos.
Lol please listen to the last one first and work your way up, thanks!
,
Thanks in advance!
Brian
Hey Brian,
These all really sound great. They have a really nice quality and they all sound like a very cohesive style and brand. I personally think there is definitely an audience for what you have here. If I were to take a guess at targeting that would work I would start by targeting Jack Johnson, Dave Mathews, and Ben Harper fans. I would probably experiment with including a player on the squeeze page as well. Not sure if it would help or hurt, but I think the music is so spot on for a fan of this particular sound that a player just might help. I'd also try customizing the squeeze page a bit to help reinforce the branding a bit.
As for which tracks stood out to me... I'm a big believer in the 20 second listen. Sp that's all I did with each son. Having said that (counting up with the last track being #1), I liked 1 and 4 the best, with #6 also having something sweet about it. Those are just my quick impressions.
Really good stuff. Not for the "bass" audience per se, but I think you have an album here.
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Thanks John, that really means a lot coming from you.
It's cool to know which ones popped, it really is valuable to get that kind of feedback. Yes I'll definitely customize the squeeze page and write some new copy, share some new quotes, and feature a new pic which I'll rustle up soon and share a couple options in here first.
As for the ad, I'll create an ad set for each of those target audiences you mentioned, and have like 3 or 4 pictures in each ad set to test.
Alright I'll touch back soon, thanks again! Oh yeah and the first element I'll test on that squeeze page (after I settle on an ad), is a player verses no player. But maybe I'll just be bold and default with the player while I'm testing ads. I'll have to feel that one out, thanks man.
Happy to help Brian. Make sure whatever new images you use really speak to that audience. You have a couple of different vibes going. I'd lead with something that had more of a mellow, "you with your guitar by the beach as the sun goes down" kind of feel 🙂
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Totally, I can see that sun going down beachy vibe- just took a couple pics kind of like that down in San Diego last week. I'll share some of them in here soon.
I'm really excited about the record release formula workshop- when do you estimate the release date to be?
Nice chatting with you during the live lesson yesterday- I dig that format.
Awesome. Great to have you in the session.
The RRF is not set in stone yet. I'm working towards late October but early November is a possibility as well. I should know more by the end of next week.
Cheers.
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Sweet. Any knowledge of possible RRF live sessions, like the ad workshop?
Also, RE something you said a couple of posts up: “you with your guitar by the beach as the sun goes down” kind of feel " You were talking about the kind of picture I should take. Do you have a specific album cover of another artist that you were thinking of when you said that by chance?
Absolutely no worries if not, I know exactly the vibe you mean
Hey Brian, yes, my plan with RRF is to make it almost completely live. Nothing is certain and it's possible it will end up being just half and half, but it will have a big live component no matter what.
Re: the image: I didn't have any existing image in mind. Probably something with this vibe, but in which you can actually see your face and everything...
Or this...
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Nice, I'm sure it'll be a great course. I might miss it because I'll be out of country Nov. 10th-23rd but there's always playbacks.
Thanks for the photos! The 1st photo doesn't appear but I can see the second one and it's a great shot to give the photographer as a reference.
RE music, here's a few more tracks below. In your opinion which one's if any pop as possible singles or ones to lead with? They're in no particular order.
Thanks John!
Hey Brian,
This was a tough one in the sense that for me they were all very similar in terms of strength. I just gave them the 15 second A&R test, but I think the ones that grabbed me the most were track one and track five (when counting from the top down). I think the production sounds a bit better on the tracks that are more stripped down though. Not that the production sounds bad on the others or anything. I would just be looking for a track that gets right into a melody, hook, or groove, within the first few seconds. Those two did it the most for me. Very strong and consistent vibe across the board.
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Right on I can see those two popping out. Thanks man!
Also, just got word the registration for the RRF will be Nov. 17th- Awesome! Looking forward. However I will be in Nicaragua starting Nov. 10th, with no internet access until Nov. 24th. That said, is there anyway you can allow me to register beforehand? I can pay ASAP.
Hears hoping 🙂 Thanks John!
PS will it be a 4 week course like MAW?
Hey Brian,
I really appreciate your interest in RRF. Nothing is 100% certain because I'm still completing everything as we speak. But yes, my plan is to run it as a 4 week course similar to MAW. I'm not set up to take orders yet, but I can hold a spot for you if for some reason you are unable to get access to the web before the doors close. No problem. Just get in touch. I'd want you to have a chance to fully review the offer before ordering anyway, and it's not even completed yet 🙂
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.
I appreciate you holding a spot for me should it come to that. I'll just get in touch right before I fly to the third world and check in on ordering status and full fledged offer access.
Sounds good Brian. Safe travels!
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Thank you sir, will do! On an unrelated note, http://www.johnoszajcamusic.com is super slick on a mobile phone- got the headline up top, picture underneath, quotes underneath that, super linear from the top down. Whereas http://www.brianrogersmusic.com is like a desktop layout. What are you using to create the mobile layout of your squeeze/blog pages of your site?
Sounds like you have an older version of the theme. The current theme in the course is mobile friendly. You may want to reach out to Steve for instructions on how to update.
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Done and Done. Thanks JO
Ok. great. Let us know if you have any issues.
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So I did my 3 RRF interviews. Very good exercise.
I'll summarize what 2 people said:
it stood out to them that I started music because I was forced to.. I didn't like music as a kid. I was quiet, awkward and nerdy. Into science and Taekwondo. But in 6th grade I quit Taekwondo and then for some reason Mom forced me to play an instrument. I instantly became hooked. Starting with clarinet and moving to drums, bass, guitar and finally singing.
It''s been an evolution. A journey of stripping away my awkward shyness to eventually sing and play in front of large audiences for the purpose of helping others strip away their awkward shyness and "feel safe, comfortable in their own skin, entertained and inspired".
"From a shy kid to in the spotlight" one person said.
2 of them said that "I'm committed to providing fans with a 'real' musical experience and not a 'rip off of the commercial bland music we hear too much of today."
1 person was touched that I'm bucking the negative perception of black male artists put out by the radio, by remaining true to myself, uniqueness, real feelings, and releasing "authentic music."
2 of them were hit emotionally that I grew from a "shy kid" into a man who can now help others with the "Magic of music."
Seems that all 3 of them would recommend me to friends as "surprising and fresh. Not your garden-variety singer/songwriter" as one put it. My "musicality on my instruments is thrilling to watch" and I "soulfully connect with the listener through real life experiences everyone can relate to in one way or another, no matter what musical style I'm playing."
I'm starting to catch the drift on how people view me, I might try to fit in a couple more interviews!
That's great. The stand out for me was the line "I didn't like music as a kid but was forced to play it". "From a shy kid to in the spotlight" is basically a "reluctant hero" narrative, which has been used successfully throughout the ages. It's Luke Skywalker, William Wallace, Bilbo Baggins, and a million more.
You didn't want the spotlight, it was forced upon you but you rose to the occasion, without being mellow dramatic about it.
I think there is a great "blog post of a lifetime" in there for sure.
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.