Even Donald Passman agrees, “the common denominator to all successful people is a blend of talent and drive, with (frankly) drive having the edge.” Translation: just like any entrepreneur, you’ve got to drive the ship. You’ve got to lead the way.
The question then is… how? That’s what everyone wants to know. For sure, owning a compelling product is only the beginning. What you do with it is then the challenge, creating a sense of more-than-music for your fans, leading them to/through it.
So, how do you attach meaning to your music? How do you assign value to it, above and beyond the music itself?
The easiest answer: exploit like-tribes. Your first instinct here might be other artists (co-bill, both sets of fans get introduced to your respective bands, etc.). Fine. That works. No harm. But everybody’s doing it. Burnout factor: high. And still, you’re limiting yourself to “just” music. You’ve got to be more inventive. You’ve got to lead. You’ve got to think outside the tribe.
Start by looking at what already exists: other than your music, what else do your fans have in common? Anything from microbrews to hybrid vehicles to Guitar Hero to pizza. It doesn’t matter. Identify peripheral tribes. Leverage the common threads. By recognizing that your fans have other interests and associating those interests with your music, you reinforce your role as leader. And by attaching music (sadly, now so free it’s virtually worthless) to stuff with a higher value, you create instant more-than-music. Example A.
You can do it.
Tags: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, Donald Passman, KATE BRADLEY, MASOKO SOCIAL, Michael Miller, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, Seth Godin, The Value of Emotional Value, Tribes —
11/9/09
Categories: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE • KATE BRADLEY • MASOKO SOCIAL • OUTLANDOS MUSIC
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