5 QUICK TIPS- Make the holidays work for YOU

If your like many, the holidays seem to sneak upon you, with little warning, you suddenly find your inbox and social media friends announcing cool shows, and you feel like your left out in the cold? 

Here are 5 quick tips to help each of you "Make the holiday's work for YOU!

1) Book Your Holiday Shows Early 

 There are plenty of high-paying holiday events that need live music.

Get in on some of that easy money, or host your own show. It doesn’t have to be holiday related, either.

December is a very slow month for music journalists and they tend to have far less interesting news to cover, so it is also the perfect month to book a big CD release show and get some press coverage while you’re at it.

  2) Record a Holiday Single  This is a terrific way to stay connected

With your fans, (and exercise those songwriting chops).

It also makes a nice gift for your fans.

*You can participate in a free promotional contest like this:

http://on.fb.me/dw5f8Z

|    3) Download Cards Make Great Gifts What’s  green, small, inexpensive, and come customized with your album art ?  CD DOWNLOAD CARDS ! 

     You can pick up 100 cards for under $60.00 what are you waiting for!

There are also  a number of promotional uses for your download cards. 

You could do a Twitter contest and use them as prizes to generate excitement for your music around the holiday season. 

Give them to particularly awesome fans- Spread the gift of YOUR music!

4) Leverage Social Networks Social networks are the perfect place to get people talking about your music. Share some of your own personal picks for the season. Stir a little excitement with a giveaway contest. Encourage fan involvement. Remember, social networks are most effective when you converse with your followers, so don’t just shout at them like a desperate street vendor.0

5) Holiday gift bundles: Limited-time only sales!

Bundle your cd with Tshirts, stickers, or other merchandise items to create holiday “gift packs”.

(price them to sell- ie: buy my Tshirt gift pack and get my EP for FREE)

Promote this on your social media sites and in your monthly newsletter to fans.

Are your interested in having consistant results creating more awareness, and selling more product ?  Then let’s talk!

Tamra Engle is a performing songwriter and business strategist who offers business solutions for creative minds to help them succeed in the evolving music and entertainment industries. As a performing singer-songwriter she has worked as a studio musician in Los Angeles; toured the U.S. and enjoyed the placement of her songs on television and nationally aired commercials. Her recent album was on the final round ballot for the 2008 Grammy's in the Best Contemporary Folk Album category.

Holiday Song Contest | Local Music Vibe

Holiday Song Contest | Local Music Vibe

guitartam

11/10/2010 - 11:51am

CLICK HERE TO PARTICIPATE

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During November I will be posting Holiday themed songs/spoken word/ video's from each of you. (to enter your own compostion or to vote)
This is a fun way to showcase your work and get some free promotion to new fans.
The winner- will also receive a FREE one hour business strategy consultation with me.

TO SUBMIT A SONG/VIDEO/SPOKEN WORD:
Submissions accepted Nov 2nd-Dec 3rd at 12 noon!!
Voting ENDS on SUNDAY DEC 5th at 5pm!!!

1) Click on the event link and RSVP that you are ATTENDING

2) Email me @guitartam@gmail.com
Email Subject: Holiday Contest

4) Include the link to your video or mp3 to your song in the email.
(In a format so I can post it on the event FB wall )

5) Send this event invite to your creative friends to enter & Fans to vote on your songs (post it on your wall)
*have fun with this, and engage your fans to participate!
Remind them they will win a free play list by rsvping YES and voting for YOU!.

IF YOU ARE VOTING: RSVP YES

to vote LIKE next to the submission
Each LIKE counts as a vote, and the MOST LIKES WINS!

I will post a song/video and everyone can vote on their favorite.
The songs will be put into a Holiday playlist everyone that RSVP'd YES will get a link to.

This is a great way to stretch your songwriting / spoken word or video chops / get free promotion! (collaborate with another songwriter and see what happens!)

The selected winner AND 1 VOTING PERSON will win 1 hr Artist Consultation w/ me-

I am really excited to hear your submissions, and what everyone thinks of the songs!!!! HAVE FUN

More info about my services at:

www.tamraengle.com
"providing business solutions for creative minds"creative minds"

GROWING YOUR NETWORK / FANBASE:

 Host a holiday song contest:

Scenrio:  You are a performing songwriter, producer, DJ looking for collaborative opportunities,

Craigslist ad’s are not bringing in any good collaborative prospects.

 Your feeling  stuck not meeting anyone.

The great news is, in a evolving market you can get VERY creative with ways to meet, and share music- This is a really simple way to grow your network.

If your like most artist you have VERY LITTLE money.   (this is where getting creative comes in).

 

Look at  the tools you have available to you.

Social media tools like reverb nation, facebook, twitter, bebo, some folks may still use myspace… and on and on and on.

Beside posting endless gig announcements, and endlessly “FRIENDING” that does nothing to grow your fan base, (did all of your 2472 "friends" buy your cd or artwork?) What ways have you used your social media sites to grow your fan base with cash spending customers?

if your like most people probably nothing.

  That is about to change.

Host a holiday themed song contest:

• 1)    Engage with your fans
• 2)    Leverage other artists networks to jump start your social network. Share your networks, combine your fans, grow both of your fan bases!
•     Meet other artists to collaborate with, or  share a show with you.
• 
  
•  Make it interesting for your fans so they WANT to come to one of your shows. 
• Remember, in even a medium sized metro area  there are only 47 different shows for fans  to choose from on a Saturday night, and  most fans probably only have  the cash to go to  just ONE show.  You bet they  want to be ENTERTAINED! 
• Give them something fun to watch and listen too!

Bring on the  Punk / symphony players, and the Jazz metal polka tunes ;o)

4)    Combine your audiences to expand the # of new people coming to your show who will buy your cds and merch- Do merch bundles with the artist your playing with (together you’ll make more $$ that way!)

5)    Expand your Songwriting portfolio

6)    Get YOUR music into other artists hands

These are all great reasons to give this idea  a try right?

I used facebook to host a Halloween music contest.

http://on.fb.me/cXZnZO

Songwriters were invited to submit a track that fans could then vote on to select their “favorite” Halloween song.

Everyone that submitted a song, and voted would be given a free Halloween playlist for participating, and all the smart artists were able to add 10 new potential songwriting partners to their network, AND get their music into the hands of thousands of new people. (Something for EVERYONE).

After the contest:  What were the results?  It was fun to host,  I gave away a 1 hour artist business consultation  to our winner.  Kerry Grombacher: http://www.reverbnation.com/kerrygrombacher

Even though this was a small contest (by social media standards) here are some of the results that I have learned about :

2 of the songwriters,  have planned a tour,  and have scheduled  songwriting sessions with one another 

(you don’t have to live the same part of the country to do this!) 

1 songwriters daughter submitted a song, (which was picked up for a licensing opportunity with NPR THE AFTERNOON  was posted, the song is that good! )  AND, this song 

is raising money to help other kids, the song (if you download the song you pay $1 which is donated to  Smile Train, who helps children with cleft palettes obtain surgery, and smiles!  

Listen to the song, and buy the download, it's a great cause!

http://alexisharte.bandcamp.com/track/mias-halloween-song

So what are you waiting for?

Use your social media network to grow your network-

If you want to wade in slowly:

I am hosting a HOLIDAY MUSIC CONTEST to continue the fun:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=172444822771698

I am looking forward hearing your submissions, and helping you make some new fans, and perhaps find some collaborative partners to work with.

If you enjoyed this blog you can subscribe to it (great for you Kindle users).

Another GREAT way to invest $1.00 and get so much!

Tamra's Kindle Blog

Lots of great tips and tricks for pennies!

& if your ready to dive in, 

Let’s set up some time to talk!

=Tamra=

Providing business solutions for creative minds

www.tamraengle.com