Madalyn's Music Biz Blog

Available only in the GoGirls Music Store!

Need tips on getting more out of your Myspace marketing efforts? Madalyn Sklar breaks it down and explains image and branding as well as getting the most out of music conferences. Plus tips on simple HTML code for your comments, bulletins and blogs.

This e-Book is designed for beginners or those looking to gain a better understanding of Myspace Marketing as well as those who would like to learn some basic HTML code.

Click here to order your copy!

Labels: e-book, ebook, marketing, music, myspace, promotion

by Madalyn Sklar

I've been on the Social Networks bandwagon for sometime now. I can't help it, I'm a techie geek. I love new technologies. I get it. It make sense to me.

It's so cool how my two business worlds have collided by being a techie in the music business. On the flip side I find it interesting that there are plenty of music biz professionals out there who seem to think they get the techie stuff. Many don't. You can't just read about it and decide you're an expert. You have to do it, live it and teach it. And for a good while, no doubt.

So let's discuss my favorite social networks for musicians and why.

Myspace:

I have been a big fan of Myspace since early 2005. I will admit it was much easier to use up until earlier this year. Seems people have really bogged it down with their image heavy pages. Some take forever to load with their backgrounds, photos, videos, etc. I have been an internet marketer and web site developer since 1996 and I have to say download time on a homepage is critical. It can make or break a site. We live in a "hurry up and give it to me now" age. We don't have time to wait 45 seconds for a page to load. You have seconds to make a lasting impression. Sad but true.

What's so great about Myspace today? Well it's still a valuable site to gain new fans who will come to your shows and buy your music. Fans who will become your street team members, advocating your music. Like any social network, it doesn't work unless you work it. You have to spend consistent time on it.

Check out my Myspace pages:
http://www.myspace.com/gogirls
http://www.myspace.com/indiemusiccoach

Facebook:

I will admit that like most of you it took me awhile to like Facebook. We all got comfortable with Myspace so when we tried messing with Facebook it was so different. So confusing. But I soon found that I could have a really great presence on Facebook with little effort. How? They provide some great applications that shortcut things for you. I could set up Notes to automatically import my blog posts. Every time I blog it shows up on my Facebook page. Awesome I know! I also set up my Flickr photos to do the same as well as my Twitter posts. I then added ReverbNation's music application. And the mobile photo upload feature is great. I can take a picture with my iPhone (or any camera phone) and email it right to my Facebook page. Only takes seconds! I figured out so much that I recently put together a FREE "Facebook Marketing Tips for Musicians" e-Course at http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/. I would love for you to enroll in my free course and then let me know what you think.

Check out my Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=696545329

Twitter:

This is a techie favorite. It's taking longer for musicians to embrace Twitter but it's slowly happening. I think the biggest problem is that musicians are saying, "do I have to join ANOTHER site??" Um, no you don't... just the ones that matter is what I say. And you know what, this one matters in my opinion. Twitter is micro-blogging, plain and simple. You can only type up to 140 characters so you have to be concise. I love that! I've watched musicians use Twitter to let their friends and fans know what they are up to whether it's busy recording in the studio, being out on tour or just sharing a bit of their everyday life. What I love about Twitter is that it's a great resource for news and information. So many people are using it to share articles, blog posts, etc. And like Facebook I can email photos from my iPhone using Twitpic. Last night I was at the Melissa Etheridge concert here in Houston and Twittered photos in real-time. It's super cool and easy to do.

Check out my Twitter pages:
http://twitter.com/gogirlsmusic
http://twitter.com/madalynsklar

I recently polled our GoGirls Elite members, asking them what was their favorite social network and why. Interestingly one member said it was GoGirlsMusic.com. Funny how I started an online community for women in music 12 years ago not realizing that I had created a social network. There just wasn't a name for it then other than online community.

Here's some interesting responses to my poll:

"I thought I’d let you know about this new place I found called Reverb Nation. It seems a lot friendlier to musicians as far as downloads and such, plus it’s got this cool feature called widgets that they give to you and you can inbed in all your other pages (websites, myspace, etc) to make navigation and updating a whole lot easier. I’ve only just started using it but I can see a lot of potential for a non-geek like myself to be a little more in control of a my geek pages." -- Lojo Russo, http://www.lojorusso.com

"i am really loving facebook right now. i jumped into it a few weeks ago and every time i use it, i'm kicking myself for not joining sooner. why? lots of reasons, but for now, here's the top 3: unlimited photos; i can connect it to my blogs in the "notes" section, which saves a lot of time and work; the fans can interact with me and with each other, and that's especially cool. myspace is too massive to ignore and i'm updating there regularly but facebook feels like the next wave." -- Queen Esther, http://www.queen-esther.com

"MySpace continues to be my favorite social network because I've worked out a system that works for me. When it comes to networking with bands, industry people, venues and building relationships with potential new fans, MySpace is still #1 with me. Sean, my drummer, is our Facebook guy and he loves Facebook because it is easier to add friends and the ability to use applications that import your blog, schedule, etc. make it lower maintenance than MySpace. I'm just not sold on the rewards of Facebook in comparison to MySpace." -- Tish Meeks, http://www.3kisses.com/

Post a comment and tell me what are your favorite social networks and why.

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach & consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: Facebook, flickr, myspace, ReverbNation, social networks, twitter

First I have to say WHAT A GREAT CALL LAST WEEK! Thank you to those of you who were there with us. We covered a lot of ground. If you missed the call, no worries! I have a recording available to you free of charge.

The Social Networks Team:

Madalyn Sklar

Tracie Maloy

Tish Meeks

Carol Plunk

Here's a little bit of what we covered:

Do I really need to sign up for another social network?
I feel it's best to cast a wide net and reel people in. Once in you get to know them through one-on-one messaging. The goal is to turn your new, targeted friends into fans who then become buyers and possibly even advocates. Advocates are the fans who will post your songs on their personal myspace page, repost your bulletins and blogs and make the ideal street team member.

How can I use Myspace more effectively?
Spending an hour a day can make a huge difference! Consistently adding targeted friends, posting comments, post blogs and bulletins, etc. Spend time getting to know your friends. Take an interest.

I don't get Facebook!
Seems people either love, hate or just don't get Facebook. It's a great social network platform for one-on-one communication with lots of great applications especially Reverbnation. I spend the least amount of time on Facebook yet I have a great presence on there because I have set up several applications that automatically import my blog posts, twitter posts, flickr photos and youtube videos. I can even send up a photo from my camera phone in real-time to my Facebook page.

********************************************
Don't have time to figure it out? Why not hire Madalyn to walk you through this over the phone. In one 45 minute session she'll have you up and running! She can walk you through the process of setting up your Facebook profile to automatically import your blog, twitter posts, flickr photos and youtube videos. Or walk you through Twitter, Flickr or Blogger. Details at www.socialnetworksformusicians.com
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More on Facebook...
You can set up a band or business profile at www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

We cover WAY more on the call. Just head over to www.socialnetworksformusicians.com and take a listen.

On thing to remember...the bottom line when it comes to social networks is:
IT DOESN'T WORK UNLESS YOU WORK IT!

That's it for now! I hope you find all this information helpful to you. If you need additional help, please get in touch with me.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar

Check me out at:
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Myspace
Blogger

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant, blogger, social networks expert and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out www.indiemusiccoach.com for more info.

Labels: blogger, Facebook, flickr, myspace, social networks, social networks for musicians, teleseminar, twitter

"I love MySpace as it gives us a chance to do the one-on-one thing with people as well as make new connects that I can then go out and meet that person and form a real working relationship. I fear though that a lot of people are not taking it that far, especially bands- they think the computer is enough. I know sooo many musicians here that are constantly asking me, 'So how did you get a meeting with them?' or 'How'd you get THAT gig?' But they never GO anywhere! Not to see other bands, to take anyone out for a nice lunch or whatever. They just stay home with their computer, typing their fingers off and not really supporting anyone else's deal or showing interest in anything other than what they are doing. Life really is a two way street like you said! So many people don't seem to get that one. It's changing so fast, too- you never know what the wind will bring tomorrow. But, I know I have built quite a following by balancing computer and face-to-face networking so I am going to keep working on it."

Labels: blogger, Facebook, flickr, myspace, social networks, twitter

So I have to vent today. David Hooper’s opinion that “Myspace Is Dead” is one that I don’t agree with. He blogged about it last week. Well actually he didn't really blog about it, he posted a teaser in his blog to get you to his sales page so you'll buy his new eBook on Twitter for Musicians.

I love Twitter. It's a great tool to help you stay in touch with your fans (if you can convince them to sign up for yet another free site!) as well as work it to gain new friends and fans. Can you do this all in seconds as David claims in his sales pitch? No. You have to work this social network like any other. It's not nearly as time consuming as Myspace but it's also something so completely different. You cannot even compare!

And be advised... Twitter is having its issues at the moment. It's been down a lot. I love using Twitter and am a big advocate for it, but it's been quite frustrating.

So Dave's sales pitch goes like this... yes I'm quoting it. See for yourself here if you dare. And yes Dave, you can thank me later for bringing additional traffic to your site and fueling your intentional buzz. ;-)



I'm going to clarify the "seconds" part here. Yes, in seconds you can type up to 140 characters in Twitter. What exactly is Twitter you ask? It's micro-blogging. Plain and simple. It's the same thing as text messaging your fans using Mozes or other related services. Some people jumped on that in the last few years. But Twitter is hot right now because it's a community too, like Myspace and Facebook. Everyone is buzzing about. Well really techies are buzzing about it. I should know, I'm one of them... a techie in the music business.



Yes, you will hear more about how bands can benefit from this service. I've been talking it up in this blog quite a bit lately. I have used it at live shows and recent events such as the Kerrville Folk Festival, ASCAP Expo and various GoGirls showcases. I will be Twittering from several events in NYC and LA this week and weekend. Head over to the GoGirls Twitter page to see this in action: http://twitter.com/gogirlsmusic. You can read my mini-blogs with photos! Again, I'm a techie. If you need help learning about this and setting it up, please get it touch with me.

And check out my article, "What is Twittering? You're always Twittering. Should I be Twittering?"

So let's go back to Myspace NOT being dead. I know, so many of you get frustrated with it. At times it's slow, there's a ton of spam (and stupid sales pitches!) all while you wish you sold more CDs and were able to get more people to your shows. Well I'm here to tell you that Myspace doesn't work unless you know how to use it properly. You cannot simply work it sporadically and get results. You must (ideally) spend time everyday. You must become active and participate. That is the general rule with any social network.

It doesn't work unless you work it.

If you want to learn more about how I help indie artists and music companies take advantage of the social network revolution, visit http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/. You won't find long winded sales pitches, just information and lots of articles and blog posts that will help you.

I'll be hosting a really great FREE Teleseminar on June 24th.

“Social Networks for Musicians”
How to get beyond the confusion of web 2.0

Sign up at http://www.indiemusicseminars.com/

Until next time...

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: myspace, twitter

A few days ago I blogged about bad Myspace advice that was circulating on several Yahoo groups in my post, Crossing the Line to Make a Buck in the Music Business. It made me think about how much we believe what we read from so-called music industry professionals. How many of these people really know their stuff?

When it comes to Myspace promotion, I know my stuff. I have years of experience to prove it! See http://www.socialnetworksformusicians.com/. With that said I would like to share some information that you might find helpful.

Madalyn's Myspace Tip:

When it comes to adding friends, have a strategic plan. Don't just randomly add friends. Look for like artists and bands. If they enjoy the music of someone with a similar style, chances are they will like you. Be sure when you are adding friends to put in a note such as, I hope you enjoy my music! And once you get new friends take the time to get to know them. Respond to their messages and comments. You want to turn your new friends into fans and buyers.

I do like using and recommend Friend Blaster Pro. It allows me to be efficient which is the key. But don't think you can now do 400 friend requests per day because this program is going to zip right through it. Well it won't. Thanks for our friend CAPTCHA it's much slower but still better than doing it manually. And you want to stay under the Myspace radar so you don't get your account deleted. It's best to do no more than 275 per day. I typically do between 200-250 requests. Also I recommend not using the comments, messaging and bulletins features. Really just stick to friend adds. Using these other features can make you look like a spammer which is a sure way to get your account deleted. I recommend commenting, messaging and posting bulletins manually.

Please feel free to comment. I welcome your feedback!

Copyright © 2008 Madalyn Sklar, IndieMusicCoach

Madalyn Sklar is a music business coach, consultant and author. She founded IndieMusicCoach and has spent over 12 years working with a wide range of independent musicians all over the world - U.S., Canada, Ireland and Japan thus far. Her goal is to help indie artists achieve greater success in the music business by working smarter not harder. She is also the founder of GoGirlsMusic.com, the oldest and largest online community of indie women musicians, with a vision of bringing together and empowering musicians from around the world.

Madalyn is available for one-on-one consulting and coaching at affordable prices. Check out http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/ for more info.

Labels: myspace

This is one of my other sites. I put it together on Myspace because I'm currently writing an eBook on the subject. It will be filled with practical advice and information on how you can make Myspace marketing work for YOU.

Head over to http://www.myspace.com/myspacemarketingformusicians and become my friend. And subscribe to my blog there because I'm always posting ideas and tips.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~

Labels: myspace

Want FREE PR? Read on...
I'm hard at work on my next e-book project: Myspace Marketing Secrets for Musicians. It will be full of information and practical advice on how indie artists and bands can get more friends and fans, increase their exposure and attract more opportunities. What I'm looking for from you is comments on your Myspace promotion efforts. What works for you and what doesn't? Do you have a success story to share? By sharing your information and/or story you will have the chance to get included in this new e-book. And what does that mean to you? FREE promotion for you and your band! If your comments or story are used in the book I will use your band photo, Myspace screen shot and link to your page. Email me at madalyn@gogirlsmusic.com with your comments and/or story as well as a link to your Myspace page. Thanks!

Labels: myspace

Here's What We Can Do For You!

We will actively add friends, post your bulletins and blogs and leave comments on your friends pages. You can expect increased exposure resulting in more profile views, song plays, comments and messages.

Increased Myspace Exposure = Increased Opportunities for You!

**Boost your profile views & your song plays!**

Our strategic promotion campaign will include increasing targeted friends, sending comments, managing your bulletins & blog. Our experience shows that when this is done consistently it will dramatically boost your profile views & song plays. It will attract more fans, promoters, bookers, managers, labels, radio, musicians, etc.

We work with ALL musicians, ALL music styles, etc.

Get additional info at http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/promo

Labels: myspace

In case you didn't notice, Myspace is making quite a comeback for indie artists. I know, we all got burned out on it. It's so time consuming. It was s-l-o-w. Remember that? Then not too long ago it seemed to rock again. It moves quicker. Less stress and hassle. I'm noticing far more results. Are you?



But there is a strategy to making it work effectively for you. That is why I'm now offering my services to ALL artists and bands. I know the do's and don'ts. I know what works.

If you are looking for Myspace help in order to increase your exposure and opportunities, then get in touch with me. I can help boost your profile views & song plays.

Our plans start at $250/month.

Get additional information and pricing at http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/promo.

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

Labels: marketing, myspace, promotions

Hey Indie Bands & Music Businesses:

Having a Myspace page is great but it takes a lot of precious time to really work it. Time that you can't spare. Wouldn't you rather work on your music or business while we promote you on Myspace? We have spent the last two and a half years working with indie artists and bands, helping them increase their presence on Myspace. In addition we have built an impressive Myspace page for GoGirls and our affiliate business sites. It has worked for us. It's worked for our artists and bands. It can work for you!

Basic Promotion Package:

We will add friends, post your bulletins and blogs, send messages and leave comments on your friends pages. You can expect increased exposure resulting in more profile views, song plays, comments and messages.

Increased Myspace Exposure = Increased Opportunities for You!

Get additional information and pricing at http://www.gogirlsmusic.com/promo

Rock on,
Madalyn Sklar
IndieMusicCoach.com
~providing one-on-one indie music consulting & coaching~
http://www.indiemusiccoach.com/

Madalyn Recommends:
	Using Myspace to...Promote You & Your Music (newly revised edition!) available in the GoGirls Music Store

Labels: bands, gogirls, indie, marketing, music, myspace, promotion