“Marketing is for men in suits. I play music”

“Hey man what’s all this talk about marketing, bro? I play guitar dude, nothing more, nothing less!”

Well my friend you are in for a loooong ride if you are trying to make it as a professional musician.

Talent is definitely not enough. But these days, it is also a better time than ever for the independent musician.

You don’t have to be a famous MTV rocker to make a decent living doing what you live. But you do need to start thinking of your musical entity as a business. There is no better time to start than right now!

But don’t take our word for it. Read this article from the Associated Content about marketing plans:

The Importance of Implementing an Integrated Marketing Plan for Your Small Business

The Adoption of Integrated Marketing is Essential in Today’s Crowded Market Place By Michael Brito

The progression of marketing - moving beyond traditional to include interactive, consumer driven, social marketing has spread like Ebola. It’s often referred to as Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). IMC is ushering in a new era in which marketers blend communication messages across all available media channels into a continuous brand experience. As part of a successful integrated marketing strategy, IMC integrates public relations, advertising, online, social media, etc; and other communications elements into one cohesive entity all sharing the same message. Many organizations today are now embracing this concept of IMC. Instead of dividing marketing communications into separate groups that rarely communicate; organizations are now integrating all marketing disciplines under one umbrella; thus, making every communication consistent with one message, sharing the same strategy. This also allows marketers to execute marketing campaigns more efficiently without having to jump through hoops to get approvals for creative, content, messaging, etc.

The key to effective integration is the cohesiveness between various marketing messages, and the understanding that marketing is fundamentally a conversation between a company and its prospective customer. It is not one specific marketing campaign or press release; rather, how the blending and execution of such disciplines convey a message synergistically, and at every possible customer touch point. IMC includes the various tools such as advertising, public relations, personal selling, sales promotion, direct & database marketing, sponsorship, event marketing, social media marketing, and online marketing (search, banner advertising, affiliate, etc.).

Since the purpose of marketing is to generate revenue, increase market share, drive preference to purchase, and/or build brand awareness, marketers need to find ways to do this effectively; and embracing an integrated marketing strategy is the first step.

Integrated Marketing Examples

Nike is a great example of a company that has fully embraced the concept of integrated marketing. Their integrated approach includes traditional advertising (billboard, magazine, and television); sponsoring sporting events and players such as the Superbowl and Tiger Woods; and engaging in online marketing initiatives by allowing consumers to customize their Nike shoes. They also spend a great deal of money in search marketing. Nike’s approach allows them to communicate their message consistently across all media outlets; and at the same time share that message at every customer touch point; that is, use Nike products and you will increase your performance regardless of what sport you are involved in.

Another example is HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign. They utilized many forms of media with great consistency, and capitalized on each of the media’s individual strengths. Television shared real-life stories, print detailed many of the same stories and online extended each into a positive experience with which the customer could interact with HP. The campaign also used paid search to capture queries about HP products and services.

Conclusion

The adoption of integrated marketing is essential in today’s market place. As consumers, we are bombarded with thousands of messages from thousands of different advertisers each day. It has become natural for us to filter out these messages that don’t appeal to a particular need or interest. On the other hand, as marketers, we need ensure that we are doing everything we possible can to reach these consumers at a time when they are interested in our value proposition. This means that our message has to be where the consumers are looking all the time.

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2008 © Associated Content, All rights reserved.
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Marketing is for Musicians, too!

Just like any other business, you and your music make up your own personal brand. You may have the talent required to be a pro (If not then learn more about how we can get your there here), but if you aren’t spreading the word about your talent effectively, nothing is going to happen for you.

It’s OK if you aren’t a savvy marketer. It’s not OK if you sit there and blame your lack of marketing knowledge for your unsuccessful career.

Asking for Help is NOT a Sign of Weakness

When you first started learning guitar, I’m sure you annoyed the hell outta your older brother, lesson teacher, or father with questions. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign that you are serious about making improvements in your life, which is quite positive!

If you aren’t knowledgeable about Marketing & Business Strategy, you can either

• A) Read and Learn about them (spending a lot of your time, creating extra stress)
• B) Get help from an Expert (Saving a lot of your time, stress free)

GPZ & Jeffrey Shawn Music Consulting Can Help!

GuitarPlayerZen understands the needs and wants of guitar players. That’s why we are experts on helping guitar players and bands market their music, their identity, and their brands. By creating customized “business plans” for each individual, we can help guide your music career in the right direction. You don’t even have to worry about learning marketing terms. Our Integrated Marketing Plans are simple to understand, yet packed with value. Your plan will cover:

1. Branding
2. Marketing Strategy
3. Marketing Implementation
4. Promotion & PR Strategy
5. Finding Gigs
6. Financial Outlook
7. Musician Resources

Don’t waste another day of not being on the right track! Get on the Path of Success!

Option Plans

Here are the various options that you can choose from, each one being more detailed, lengthy, and expensive:

1. An executive summary. An executive summary is essentially a business plan in miniature and about 1-2 pages. It covers the main components—strategy, the market, the product or service, the marketing plan, and the finances. Integrated in a cohesive way that is easy to understand and implement.
2. A summary business plan. This is a document typically 5-10 pages. It includes an executive summary, and then a page or so of explanation of each of the key components of the business plan. So it expands on what an executive summary provides.
3. A full business plan. This is the extensive business plan of 15 to 35 pages. Each section of the plan is explained in full—lots of industry marketing data to back up the marketing section, references to key articles, research, & expertise; Resources to help you succeed. Financial Outlook. Detailed branding and marketing, etc. The complete music success package.

One more reason to Have a Music Business Plan:

1. Funding- Starting off, most bands and musicians need a little funding support. Be it from their family, friends, or outside investors, having a business plan for your music really shows that you are serious, dedicated, and motivated, and not just some lazy, pot-smoking musician. It shows that you are a driven, pot-smoking musician! You will find it much more likely for someone to want to help you out financially if you can prove to them that their money is being put to good use.

Ready to get started? Sign up now to receive these Bonuses:

• -GPZ’s Band Success Outline: The Qualities and Traits of Successful Bands

• -Inclusion in our very own GPZ Member Showcase Directory

• -Free GuitarPlayerZen.com Bumper Sticker