You know the drill but indulge me for a little reminder here….
We know, for example, that fans prize souvenirs — a tactile take-away that reminds you of the feeling you have when listening to music. It’s kind of like what we’re doing with The Daily Dose — further enhancing the “sensory experience” with rock ‘n roll wine and cheese picks so as to emphasize “more than music.” Certainly, a recommendation isn’t exactly “tactile,” but it does bring us closer, drawing upon multiple aesthetic experiences and uniting them in one place. So, perhaps upon purchasing the wine or cheese of the day, upon tasting them, you’ll conjure up the associated songs, thereby giving the taste an added, well, taste.
All of that, the long way of saying: multiple aesthetic experiences rule the day. And things that you associate with music are likely the same things other people (who like the same music as you) might be curious about. It’s a Tribes-thing.
Hence, this month’s semi-random compendium:
Perhaps one for everyone you know this Christmas? Plus they have action figures, star mugs (sans Jim and Dwight), Office Clue… it was really hard for me to not buy one of everything. And it’s totally overpriced. I don’t care.
Ladies, it’s kind of irresistible. The furry casing complete with cat tail. I love love love it.
3. Empire, My New Favorite
No news here of course but all summer, we’ve been on a retro-blockbuster binge here at Outlandos HQ, to maintain sanity during all that insistent soggy weather. Highly recommend it.
Empire appeared late on the list and it had been ages since I’d seen it. So for the millionth time, we watched.
Of the three (let’s face it, Episodes I – III might as well not exist) this one always bummed me out. As it was supposed to. But as a little girl, it was the scary one and the sad one and the gory one (at the time, Luke losing a hand was gory to me). Now, it’s the one I love the most. Imperial Walkers, Laugh it up, fuzzball, that hot, hot, Han Solo kiss. If only they could get rid of that dreadful added footage.
xo
9/28/09 | Comments (0)Tags: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, IN SHORT, KATE BRADLEY, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, Seth Godin, shared experience, THE DAILY DOSE, Tribes —
Yes, being great at whatever it is you do has merit (for it). But quality isn’t nearly enough. You HAVE to huck it, kids. Every second of every day. Re: The Death of Marketing? Sorry Bob, respectfully disagree.
I don’t care how friggin spectacular you are… if you don’t have anyone to tell, it might as well not be true. It’s a chicken and the egg deal. Almost. Because, you CAN have real, passionate, loyal fans at every stage of your career, from fledgling to Trent; if I like you, I’ll help you. Period.
Think of it like this: the way you make me feel about your product handily trumps the actual product. In a heartbeat.
So… how do you do it? Um, it’s called MARKETING.
Singer-songwriter Seth Glier recently quoted a fan who said it best:
“You know Seth, I know we don’t see each other a lot but I consider you a friend…..Coldplay is JUST music to me.”
And Seth is hands-down one of the most spectacular self-marketers I know.
It works like this, in this order:
1. Make friends and fans.
2. Do/make something that’s meaningful to you.
3. Tell your friends and fans about it ASAP… DO NOT polish it to death or worry about it not being perfect (any successful entrepreneur will give you this exact advice). Get it out there as fast as possible. Make it pretty/hone your skills later.
4. Inspire and ask your friends and fans to help you/buy your stuff.
5. Rinse and repeat.
It really is that easy.
Don’t believe it? Here’s something I probably shouldn’t tell you. 21 people work for me for free. Our online views have increased 127% in four months. 6000+ people read our newsletter. And we’re in the black after less than two years. Certainly, I hope it’s because we’re doing great work but for sure, friends and fans made this possible. As in, 65% them. No joke.
Did someone say the value of emotional value? I’m just sayin.
9/21/09 | Comments (19)Tags: Bob Lefsetz, CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, Fans, Guy Kawasaki, KATE BRADLEY, MASOKO SOCIAL, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, THE iNSIDERS NETWORK, The Value of Emotional Value —
No one’s a bigger fan of social media marketing than me. But lord, lord, lord… it is motherfucking exhausting. Imagine running 2 companies (including 21 people working for free, miracle of God, I am beyond thankful every day) and still finding time for newsletters, status updates, and of course, blog posts. Let’s just say, more often than not, the basics (eating, cleaning, dressing, exercising, brushing teeth) take a backseat. Oh, priorities.
But the truth is, I count on YOU to help me keep at it. Your feedback (your e-mails, your retweets, your comments, your fandom, your forwards); that’s the FUN part. And I can’t do it without you. Just plain can’t.
So, thank you.
Now on to what’s been playing around Outlandos HQ:
1. One eskimO, One eskimO
Wow. Wow. Wow. Smart, clever and remarkably (I hate this word but it’s true)… fresh. And it takes a little bit creep up on you, which is my favorite. Seal/FYC meets 70s Stones meets Tom McRae, translation: singer-songwriter-pop-dance-rock. What? Really. Buy
2. Led Zeppelin, How the West Was Won (DVD)
Need a reminder of what exactly melt-your-face-off rock ‘n roll used to be? Arm hairs, beware: you’ll be standing on end for hours. Own
3. 7 Worlds Collide, The Sun Came Out
This one’s our Bang-for-the-Buck of the Month. I mean holy crap, it’s a Finn Fest (Neil, Tim, Liam), Wilco, and most of the members of Radiohead. Plus a ton more. Double album. And it’s a benefit to boot. It’s not gonna blow your mind but definitely worth your dollar. Straight up the Starbucks’ alley (if Starbucks had a clue). Do some good and buy
xo
9/14/09 | Comments (0)Tags: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, KATE BRADLEY, Led Zeppelin, Liam Finn, Neil Finn, NOW PLAYING, One Eskimo, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, Radiohead, Starbucks, Tim Finn, Wilco —
Half the battle of achieving anything is knowing when you need help (and let me save you a couple of hundred bucks in therapy here, you ALWAYS need help… think public radio model: “we’re all in this together/I can’t do it without you”). The hard part for some, then, is asking for it.
Obviously, shamelessness = a plus, i.e., just the simple act of asking is not for the tame-at-heart. SOL if that isn’t your bag; you’re going to need to acquire some assertive chops pronto. Because (say it together with me people) when you don’t ask, the answer is always no.
But asking isn’t even the hard part. First, you have to have people to ask. You have to have fans.
Whether it’s your mom (or mine), your friends, your coworkers — I don’t care — everyone has fans. What’s more is, everyone has fans just WAITING to help. They’re WAITING for you to ask, WAITING for you to lead them (don’t believe me? See: Tribes).
In short: you’d be surprised by the people who are willing to go to all kinds of lengths for you (for free!), people who genuinely want you to succeed… and, as Afterschool Special as this may sound, all you have to do is ask.
How you ask is a whole other ball of wax. But suffice it to say, not asking is like leaving money lying on the table. And that would be highly un-entrepreneurial of you now, wouldn’t it? Tsk, tsk!
9/7/09 | Comments (5)Tags: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, Fans, KATE BRADLEY, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, Tribes —
