content what is it? Content is the stuff we post about in relation to the event. what is content used for? Content is used to connect with our audience and each other, to attract people in and build relationships so that people can get to know us and what we're all about here... So here's the challenge... Come up with 3 categories into which you can plan your content. for example, these are my 3 main areas of focus when it comes to creating content: 1- Music Mindset & Methodology 2- Songwriting 3- recording + production Diving deeper After you've got three niche areas, start thinking of some subcategories within that, these might mean individual post topics, pictures, or videos. 1- Music Mindset & Methodology
Capturing ideas on the fly... hope you have a pen and paper
Remember that great idea you had while you were out on the town? Neither did I until I started carrying around a notebook for scratching down ideas. Start collecting and stockpiling these ideas and before you know it, you'll have a deep pool of resources to draw from next time you sit down to focus on creating some new content, and the beauty part is, you'll never have to worry about running out of ideas again... What's the Point? To me, there is no single quick fix, no magic silver bullet to get you from where you are to where you want to go. I can't promise that this is your one-way ticket to instant fame and fortune. Success is driven by the desire and a willingness to never give up. while seeking challenges as opportunities and striving to overcome them. I believe that a group of committed individuals working together can aim higher and achieve more. That's why I'm doing this... seeking to learn from experienceI'm Here to try. To try and to fail Repeatedly, Unapologetically. To push boundaries, To open doors, To expand horizons Face fears, and to seek perfection... But not to expect it. I'm Here to have compassion to listen with empathy To stay humble To always strive for the best path Moving forward Making failure your main objective -
What happens when you're afraid you're going to be wrong? Speaking from experience with this one here because it's something I struggle with regularly. Constantly seeking perfection instead of jumping to it and figuring out the minutae later, one can end up seeking what may never come ending up in an endless spiral of preparation with no activity to back it up... The cure for imposter syndrome So what do you do? well, do something! Do anything! It's not like those people out there waiting to hear your music or hear your message are out to judge you, Sure some might be, but who spends their life worrying about trolls on the internet? If they do it should be like water rolling off a wax surface. Thick skin. Having such skin, you know, those nay-sayers were not the right people for your art anyways, so who cares what they say. If your message resonates, you WILL recieve confirmation that what you're doing is on the right track. Such is the nature of perfection It doesn't have to be all perfect all the time, Welcome to the realization of being human. We're here to experience, to grow, to try, to fail, to learn, and eventually achieve mastery over our pursuits. afraid to lose So do the costs outweigh the rewards? You've heard people say that you have to spend money to make money right? Well this is partly true for musicians also. Every step of the way from songwriting, to recording, to production, to launch. The same can be said for energy. How you spend it, the value it brings to other, and the return on the investment of it... Want to write a guitar song but don't own a guitar? would getting your hands on one help you achieve the goal? Want to record an album but don't have gear? would getting some help you achieve the goal? or would it be a more productive use of your time to go find someone to help you who is already set up? want to release that album to more people than friends and family? There are people who love your music, Would it be worth reaching out? would the effort be worth it to you? Or would you try learn the tools of E-commerce to try to do it yourself? worried about what others think of you If you're scared, why? If the fear is holding you back, face it head on. Many times you'll realize 'hey if this experiment goes absolutely sideways, I'll still be able to make ends meet. It won't be the end of the world if I do fail, and I'll have gained some valuable experience from the whole process.' Action is the catalyst for opportunities. Take action, screw fear. Sit down for a moment and ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen if I attempt this thing I want to do? count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 go... Let's start with the idea of Creating our own Reality. How might one take a pro-active approach towards a better tomorrow? One might start by considering the quality of information consumed. One might also consider the language used within the subconscious mind. Paying attention to day-to-day actions of the present moment. Or leading with the heart, from a place of love. Should you consolidate your online presence?Short answer yes, but why? As a musician who aims to become more professional, it's important to make yourself visible. Now, we all have our own launch strategies, y'know, those things we feel comfortable doing to get our music in front of our new potential fans. If you're using the internet to reach these ends, how easy is it for your audience to discover you and your work? How many places online are you posting to on the regular?This comes down to the workload you can handle, again if social media is your game, How many sites are you using? do you need to be on every single one? I have the best results using facebook and Instagram. Maybe I'm wierd that way, but even though I sometimes splash things out to Twitter, tik-tok, or youtube. I simply don't get the same results. The true purpose of online presence as an artist.I'd like to take a second to explain the purpose behind the content. Content is used for discovery, but theres more to it than just that. It's also used to create a personal connection, whether you've got an avante-garde orchestral thing with a band, or you're an indie-solo-singer/songwriter. The end goal is the same. Your online presence is akin your exposure, IE, It's the same as playing that open mic and burning gas to get there. The difference is that It costs next to nothing. It's another way you can get discovered by the people who are going to care about your craft and appreciate the music. So how can you connect with your new potential fans? If you are connecting with them and they want to learn more, then how can you make it easy for them to learn all about you and the thing you're doing. This is where having a consolidated online presence comes in... where can people learn more about you?Case Study: Joey has an instagram account. He posts great content, and is starting to grow a little bit of a following by posting great content every day. The link in his bio sends people to a single landing page with the links to his Youtube channel, His Bandcamp page, and each service where his single is available for streaming. His new social-media friends look at his link, and they can easily learn more about him by clicking through to their favorite place to consume the music. sounds simple right? Compare that to Billy: Billy has an instagram account with a similar size following, but it points to his soundcloud page. He's got a youtube channel with no link to where people can learn more. His new fans want to learn more so they click the link to the soundcloud profile. There's nothing other than his song. Are people really going to take the time to listen to the song? Maybe they will listen to about 20 seconds, then move on, but most people will visit this link one time, and probably won't even listen to the song. He didn't tell his people what they're getting, and he didn't make it easy to learn all about him and his music. how easy is it for fans to find your stuff?Have you ever googled your band/artist name to see what pops up? this is called a Google audit. If you're making art, and you have your own website, and you want to use it to reach new fans, It can be helpful to dial things in so that you show up in the right places (ie. the front page of the search engines.) do they have to dig deep to find youLet's go back to the example of Billy (above) Billy also has a website. His potential new fans like the music on soundcloud (guess he's doing something right) but they can't find a link to where they can get more..., so they punch his name into google. Nothing to be found, so they try again on facebook, a personal profile that's private. Did Billy earn a new fan from this? Nope! make a lasting impressionleave a lasting impression - get return viewers - add value to your audience - bring them back for more - Gain a Die-hard Cult Following. The easier it is for your audience to discover you, the lower the friction of building that connection, the more audience retention you'll have, and the easier your journey becomes. Here are some resources for ways you can consolidate your online presence. Simply gather all the links to where you can be found online, and put them somewhere together, so that you can be found. So that you can make it easier for your new audience to discover everything about you. Remember, If this process is difficult then nobody's going to bother. If it's easy, It causes less friction and more attention retention, so you can connect with more people who will LOVE YOUR MUSIC, and you can keep them coming back for more. Links & resourcesNo man is an island. Even if you think you are DIY hardcore, finding like-minded folks who can help you goes a long way. A support network Maybe it's just me but personally, I find it a lot easier to get things finished when they're for someone else. Someone needs help with something, and I've offered to help them, it's a lot easier to get motivated to get the job done than if it was a personal project where I have nobody to please other than myself. lets work togetherStarting with the easy thing or the hard thing? that's up to you to decide. I'd recommend knocking back the easiest tasks first, the ones that would take the least time to accomplish. The more difficult tasks might require some incubation time, new skillsets, or a network of friends to help you out. Do the workavoiding procrastination
Something is better than nothing It doesn't have to be perfect You'll get better with time See a door, open a door, you don't have to step through it right away. Check to see what's on the other side. If you see potential there, then start moving. the decision to take action - It starts with a choice. Remember the words we use in our own minds carry weight. The language we use in our internal dialoge affects our reality. No seriously. No more of this Someday i hope to ____. A better line of conversation is I am ____. These are called affirmations, and next time you catch yourself using language like hope, want, trying to, etc. Catch yourself and think about it for a moment. Are you trying to do something? or are you Doing it? going through the motions - Consistency of effort once you understand what you want, the next step is to follow through. How many artists I know don't do this. I was guilty of it myself. It's called Failure to launch syndrome. I get it, it's easier to just push your ambition aside and play some video games. Next thing you know it's 10 years later, and have to bust-ass to make up for lost time. If you're not doing something every day, start with 1 thing. If you're already doing something every-day, then start doing 3 things every day. It'll take dedication and preparation, but you can do it. Start Now. There are only so many hours in a day. How are you going to use them?Identifying problems |
Gene Media ProductionsCody Gene is an Independent Record Producer from BC Music Methodology & Creative Lifestyle
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