Gaining Support and Keeping it. How Do You Do It? [GUEST POST]
Rod B. Washington is with K.E.Y.S. to Music Success, a non-profit organization focused on the music business and self-motivation. This post originally appeared on their blog on January 20, 2011. Rod can be found on Twitter (@RodBWashington) and Facebook.
A lot of people have been hitting me up about gaining support and wonder why they do not get the support they need. Some are really frustrated and I can understand why. I’ve asked this question before and I’ve learned that if you do not engage or build a relationship with people then you will NOT gain the support you need for your career. A lot of us create great products, great services BUT fail to market it the correct way.
I remember just going around adding friends/fans on different websites like facebook, twitter, myspace etc randomly without communicating with them, and I was wondering why I wasn’t gaining support, even though I had a lot of so called “FANS/FRIENDS.” I’ve learned Communication is KEY to gaining support. So, whoever you try to connect with you have to STAY connected with them. Keep them involved with everything that you are doing. Talk to them directly, build relationships, (befriend them) do not SPAM their pages or email with things you are trying to sell/promote without talking to them consistently.
Avoid the sales pitch
Do NOT try to sell them something immediately without them getting a feel for you. The only way people will invest time and money in you is if they feel comfortable, so it’s your job to make them feel comfortable. Just think about how you would react to an email being sent to u saying “buy my album for $7 dollars on itunes, the hottest music you heard!” and you don’t know the person at all… most likely you are not going to purchase that because you do not know them, you haven’t heard their music, and they haven’t really introduced themselves to you.
Build relationships
So, with all of this being said, please build relationships. Connect with your “true” fans by telling more about yourself. Give something away for free like ringtones, maybe free single downloads so they can get a feel for your music. Get somewhat personal with stories about the meaning of certain songs you are about to record… be creative, make them feel like they know you personally and connect with you like a friend. Ultimately, consistent communication and giving away simple free items will get you the results you are looking for.
Remember this: Will you support a stranger or support someone that you actually grown to like? Support is not given, it has to be earned and it’s earned by communication and building relationships with people you are trying to gain support from.
[Image credit: Click here]
