Has everyone been back to Guitar.com since it was redone? It’s a fairly smart new concept and I’m encouraging all the guitar player readers of this blog to go and sign up. It’s the new Myspace for guitarists :)
The new setup allows you to post recommendations on albums, guitars and gear and turn it into commision money (cash is always good right?) It’s also got blog capabilities, forums and all the usual stuff you’d expect.
Check out my profile and pick something up while you’re there.
One of the biggest factors that seperates band marketing on the internet and standard SEO/SEM is how the target audience is going to find you. Most sites have to worry about keyword density, relevant content and other factors to help rank in SE’s under their primary key phrases. As discussed in Internet Marketing for Bands Part 2, choosing a good band name can almost eliminate search engine competition for your keyword (band name). However, your biggest online challenge will always be marketing to viewers who aren’t looking exactly for you.
Social networking sites like Myspace, Tagged, Friendster, and Facebook have been a God-send for bands. With so many more sites popping up all over the internet offering free MP3 hosting, photos, profiles and even online merchandise stores everyday, it’s hard not to get your name out there. But so is every other band in existance, so be prepared to put some long hours in at first.
Start your online presense by creating your own website. It may cost a few bucks, but there are many template site builders for the DIY’s out there, or sites like Bandzoogle that will do all the work for you. Regardless where it comes from, having your own dedicated website is much more impressive than having to give out a Myspace address. This will even allow you to create your own landing page within your website dedicated to the traffic you generate from those other sites. Photoshop® up a nice live shot of the band (or have your drummer do it, and hang your head in shame haha) or take your most impressive shot and post it up with a few downloadable tracks and/or samples. Remember, your not going to sell thousands of song downloads when starting, so it doesn’t hurt to give out an entire song or two. Use this page when linking from any of the sites you start listing your band at. The last thing you want a potential fan to go through is the 5 minute loading time for your homepage Flash intro, and decide to go grab a drink instead. Get them where they need to be quick. If they want to find more about you, they’ll click around and find it.
From here out, add your band to any website willing to take it. The only way to ensure your going to be heard is by getting the music out there. Don’t be afraid to make small banners (25kb or less) of your band’s logo to spread out on blog or profile comments to help “piggyback” on someone else’s popularity. Just make sure you do it where it’s warranted. Spamming isn’t cool, so know your boundries.
Have you ever searched “guitar” on Myspace Videos? I’ll save you the effort by summarizing 99% of the captions.
Me playing guitar
In searching for new additions to my guitar video collection, I tried the forementioned search. Twenty five pages later I realized how much anyone with a guitar likes to record themselves playing. Unfortunately, the good videos are not worth finding due to the incredibly crappy ones inbetween. Why do I need to see you playing Green Day on your untuned acoustic guitar in your bedroom on your webcam? Does the world really need to hear you rehash Guns ‘N Roses riffs using the world-famous guitar rig…15 watt Crate practice amp into your built-in uncompressed camera mic? I will admit I was impressed by various clips of teens playing Van Halen’s “Eruption”, but I still snicker at the metalheads who are so “core” that they have to use Myspace to show what they do in their free time.
Where is Zakk Wylde when I need a good poser burn?!
