100 Ways for Musicians to Gain 100 True Fans

This post was inspired by Kevin Kelly's captivating blog post called 1,000 True Fans.

Kevin Kelly basically suggests that artists only need to acquire 1,000 True Fans to make a living. I always thought that 1,000 fans was a stretch (until I read about the success of Amanda Palmer, Tim Schafer, and others via Kickstarter).

To make things easier I thought it would be wise to focus on how musicians could acquire 100 true fans. Imagine having 100 true customers that will buy anything that you release. Think about that for a second. 100 true fans that will serve as your marketing team. 100 true fans who will tweet your content to their network. 100 true fans who will share your Facebook posts with others. 100 true fans who will help you tour.

The ideas revolve around the basic concept of friendship. In order to gain friends and sustain them you have to show them that you care about them. This includes being an effective listener, suppressing your ego, being thoughtful, offering your time, respecting their opinions and more.

A True Fan is defined as someone who will purchase anything and everything you produce. They will drive 200 miles to see you sing. They will buy the super deluxe re-issued hi-res box set of your stuff even though they have the low-res version. They have a Google Alert set for your name. They bookmark the eBay page where your out-of-print editions show up. They come to your openings. They have you sign their copies. They buy the t-shirt, and the mug, and the hat. They can't wait till you issue your next work. They are true fans. - Kevin Kelley

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100 Ways for Musicians to Gain 100 True Fans

1. Write a handwritten letter to a fan

2. Call a fan via the telephone

3. Setup a Skype call with a fan

4. Setup a Google Hangout with a fan

5. Follow a fan on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine etc

6. Customize a birthday song or poem for a fan

7. Customize a gradation song or poem for a fan

8. Customize an engagement song or poem for a fan

9. Buy pizza for a fan

10. Offer a solution to a problem

11. Share helpful links (via Twitter)

12. Send stickers to a fan

13. Send merch to a fan

14. Personalize physical product for a fan

15. Setup a house show for a fan

16. Meet and Eat (hehe) with a fan after the house show

17. Share your Gamer Tag with a fan

18. Ask questions

19. Respond to emails, comments on SoundCloud, comments on Facebook and comments on Twitter in a timely manner

20. Nominate a Fan of the Week on your Facebook Fan Page

21. Interview a fan

22. Have a fan tweet a new song

23. Have a fan tweet a new video

24. Have a fan share a new song via Facebook

25. Have a fan share a new video via Facebook

26. Have a fan premier your video on his/her YouTube channel

27. Have a fan create your album artwork

28. Have a fan create a music video for you (lyric video, animated or official)

29. Record a Vine message to a fan

30. Record a short audio message to a fan via SoundCloud

31. Create custom merch for a lucky fan

32. Send a signed rhymebook to a fan

33. Send a 100 or 500 piece puzzle to a fan

34. Send a gift certificate to a fan

35. Have a fan send you pictures of them holding up your latest project. Create a customized music video from the pictures (picture collage)

36. Invite a fan to play Words With Friends/Solitaire with you

37. Invite a fan to play Draw Something with you

38. Share recipes with a fan

39. Have a fan write your press release

40. Send a Get Well Soon card to an ailing fan

41. Incorporate a fan's name into your next song

42. Have a hot wing challenge with a fan

43. Send a customized drawing to a fan

44. Start a game of Tic Tac Toe. Mail the letter to a fan and have him/her mail it back (Include postage haha)

45. Send a customized word search to a fan. Get creative with it, base it on your release

46. Encourage a fan to add witty captions to your pictures (Caption This usually works)

47. Send a fan two additional CDs if they ordered one. Encourage him/her to share

48. Send a fan a few blank CDs and a copy of the album. Encourage him/her to share

49. Send a fan 5 business cards and encourage him/her to pass out the business cards

50. Send a fan a flash drive with your entire discography loaded on it

51. Invite a fan to the movies

52. Send a fan an iTunes Gift Card

52. Hold Contests!

53. Auction off your studio equipment (given you have accessibility to a better one haha)

54. Send a fan coupons (you have to make sure you know what the fan is interested in)

55. Send a fan a piece of your sole (an autograph shoe sole)

56. Send a personalized email to a fan

57. Send an Electronic Birthday card to a fan

58. Send a postcard to a fan with an encouraging quote on it

59. Send an item to a fan while you are on vacation (the item can be a keychain, shot glass, magnet, etc)

60. Provide donuts for a radio station (this works if you have a radio interview)

61. Provide refreshments and snacks for the sound crew before a show

62. Hand a customized Thank You card to the sound engineer following a show

63. Invite a fan to a BBQ

64. Invite a fan to a video shoot

65. Disperse five disposable cameras to five lucky fans before a show, encourage them them print the pictures and tag you in them

66. Let a fan organize your setlist

67. Create and send magnets to a fan

68. Premier songs to a fan via Ustream

69. Start a Kickstarter campaign

70. Send download cards to a fan

71. Invite a fan to join you for Karaoke night

72. Invite a fan to volunteer with you at a specific location

73. Buy a fan breakfast, lunch or dinner

74. Invite a fan to go bowling with you

75. Encourage a fan to send you pictures of his/her favorite album or song (share these via Social Media sites)

76. Invite a fan to join your weight loss/gain club

77. Start a book club and invite a fan to join, hold monthly meetings

78. Buy a book for a fan to help them achieve a goal

79. Give away a book that you have read to a fan

80. Encourage a fan to share his or her dreams with you

81. Invite a fan to a Super Bowl party at a public location

82. Invite a fan to accompany you to a sporting event

83. Host a poker tournament at your house

84. Host a card tournament at your house

85. Mentor up and coming artists

86. Break down your lyrics for international fans

87. Teach a fan how to write song lyrics

88. Invite a fan to participate in your organized charity event

89. Provide feedback to a fan

90. Promote a fan's ideas to your network

91. Setup a speed dating event for your fans

92. Send a Starbucks gift card to a fan

93. Make a fan the head of your Street Team or Online Street Team

94. Invite a fan to go vinyl shopping with you

95. Invite a fan to scout music video locations with you

96. Invite your fans to share jokes and post the best ones via Social Media

97. Invite a fan to create your music website

98. Ask open ended questions to your fans to facilitate communication

99. Be transparent to your fans, the transparency can create talking points and establish connectivity based on the presented emotion

100. Be yourself (this is the most important quality to gain and sustain fans)

Thank you for taking the time to read this list. A lot of these tips are not just exclusive to hip hop artists. These tips are universal due to the need for musicians to gain fans.

If you find this content valuable please share this post via Twitter, Facebook, Google +, email, and other social media sites. I count on YOU to help spread the word, I know that I can't do this by myself. Share this post with your friends who are managers, emcees, singers, rock musicians, fiddlers, beatmakers, Djs, A&R's, publicists, etc.

I would love to hear innovative ways that you use to gain true fans. Please provide them below and I will make sure I respond as soon as possible.

Image provided by Danny Stanford

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Marketing Plan Ideas for your Music (Presented Through Tweets)

Imagine this, your album is finished and you are thinking of ways to market your album. You go through your phone contacts and you notice that you do not have any marketing friends. You start to panic a bit and wonder if your album release will be successful.

Unfortunately a lot of artists struggle with the marketing process. I have released material in the past without creating anticipation. I did not rely on a marketing plan. The only thing that I relied on was a gut reaction. You can't freestyle marketing ideas, you need to have a strategy in place. I put this post together to help musicians create anticipation for their albums by utilizing a marketing plan.

A marketing plan promotes structure and organization. Developing a Marketing Plan is nothing more than setting goals and making a to-do list that will get you there (Ivana Taylor, 2008).

Below you will find some valuable resources that will help you progress towards developing your marketing plan.

Resources That Will Enhance Your Marketing Plan

• Marketing Plan Tactics For Independent Musicians – Part 1 of 3: New Album Preparations
• Marketing Plan Tactics For Independent Musicians - Part 2 of 3: Album Launch
• Marketing Plan Tactics For Independent Musicians – Part 3 of 3: Content Is King
• Top 5 Marketing Tips for Musicians
• Avoid these Mistakes! 15 Critical Marketing Mistakes That All Musicians Need To Avoid

On May 5, 2013, I shared a sample eight week marketing plan via Twitter. I am a firm believer in setting goals, setting measurable goals.

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Image provided by Danny Stanford

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Freestyle Rap Better By Writing Down Rhyming Words

One of the key elements in your freestyle rap arsenal is the ability to rhyme. The more rhyming words you know the easier it is to flow fluidly without stumbling.

In the past I wrote a post about Rhyming Prompts. The basic idea of rhyming prompts revolves around writing down words that rhyme and coming back to them at a later date.

Resources Needed

Written Aid (Dictionary, Rhyming Dictionary, Thesaurus, Book, Magazine)
Visual Aid (Watching TV, Charts, Graphs)
Timer
Notebook

In order to achieve this goal you need to make sure you take advantage of available resources. Written aids and visual aids are great ways to access words.

The inclusion of the timer gives you the ability to think on your toes. I believe that 30 seconds is enough time to generate a list of rhyming words.

The Process

1. Set up your ideal writing environment
2. Select a word (for example, Cat)
3. Set your timer for 30 seconds
4. Start your timer
5. Write down as many rhyming words as you can
6. Stop your timer after 30 seconds
7. Cue your instrumental
8. Use the words that you wrote down as your guide
9. Repeat the process for a new word

The goal of this process is to prevent you from stumbling when you are freestyling. Start off simple in regards to selecting words. Attack multi-syllable words after you have mastered simple words.

For Example: Select an one syllable word and write down all the words that rhyme with it. All you have is 30 seconds. This will test your mental swiftness.

The act of repetition imprints those words into your long term memory thus enhancing ability to improvise.

Image provided by Danny Stanford

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Build An Affordable Home Recording Studio In A Recession

Praverb shares knowledge on the necessary equipment needed to build an affordable home recording studio. You will learn how to improve your home recording for around $600 dollars. This content is geared towards DIY recording artists who have a computer and recording software (I use Adobe Audition 3.0).

The Equipment

• Monster Cables (Prices Varies)
• ProLine MS235 Round Base Microphone Stand ($20)
• Audio Technica ATH-m20 ($30)
• Sterling Audio STPF1 Pop Filter ($50)
• Auralex MudGuard Microphone Isolator ($100)
• Focusrite Saffire USB 6 ($200)
• Studio Projects C1 ($250)

My audio interface is the most important piece of equipment in my arsenal. My wife actually bought the Focusrite Saffire equipment for me 3 years ago.



Two years ago I detailed my recording studio via YouTube (you can see the video above). The Focusrite Saffire USB 6 provided phantom power which powered my condenser microphone. The microphone is the second best investment that I made. The cables that you use are also important.

The Benefits of Owning a Home Recording Studio

• Cost effective
• Accessibility
• Ability to record anytime
• Able to re-record material without spending money
• Creativity in regards to recording space

Home recording studios are a must for those that want to save money. Home recording studios are usually expensive to set up yet they pay off in the long run. I have been recording at home since 2002. Recording space is always an issue yet I utilized an extra closet to make it work. I utilized mattress pad from Wal-Mart to reduce the reverb.

I recently switched locations due to the birth of my son which presented another challenge. I bought the Auralex Mudguard Microphone Isolator

Why Did I Start Recording At Home

I started recording at home as a hobby. I found that I enjoyed the sound of my voice and I loved to rhyme over industry beats. I was a struggling college student that had a lot of pent up aggression. I tried to record at studios yet I felt like I was wasting money. So I found a solution, my aha moment occurred when I was in the studio wasting money. I thought to myself, "I can buy my own equipment and learn how to mix my vocals."

It started with Cool Edit Pro 2.0, thank you Peter Quistgard. I slowly added equipment and eventually taught myself how to mix. In the beginning I struggled with understanding a lot of the terms.

Do you have a home recording studio? What do you enjoy the most about having a home recording studio?
Image provided by Danny Stanford

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The Ultimate Graphic Designer Directory (Find Graphic Artists for Your Next CD Cover)

I decided to write this post after fielding questions about graphic design. A lot of artists (rappers, emcees, singers, beatmakers) contact me about album cover artwork.

There are tons of graphic designers that can make your CD artwork/single artwork stand out. A lot of artists struggle with finding available graphic artists. You can find graphic designers on forums, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, DeviantArt, Pinterest, Instagram and more.

The goal of this post is to make your search easier.

Why did I put this Directory together?

I put this directory together because I value CD/Single artwork. I struggled finding artwork when I started releasing material (music) to the masses in 2004. I found that a lot of my friends were graphically challenged haha. They could rhyme well but they couldn't design.

I found graphic designers on niche forums. This post was created to answer the question, "Do you know any graphic designers?"

My goal is to facilitate relationships. A lot of artists release material WITHOUT artwork because they do not have the funds (the barter system works people!). These artists also lack the knowledge in regards to finding graphic designers.

How did I put together this directory?

I put together this directory by utilizing a specialized Twitter List. The idea to organize people into Twitter Lists came from Lilach Bullock.

I utilized the Visual Giants list that I created. The Visual Giants list is full photographers, videographers and graphic designers.

I also reached out to people on Twitter and Facebook and asked them if they knew any graphic designers (Thank You for the responses!).

I found a lot of graphics designers on Behance.net.

I also found a website the highlights album cover artwork. The website is called Mixtape Wall

The Correlation between Music and Art

I few years ago I checked out this awesome post about beautiful music album covers. The post made me think about the correlation between music and art.

Artwork is the first thing that people see when they search for your project. Album cover artwork is always present on iTunes, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, Audiomack, etc. The awesome passage below sums up the relationship between art and music.

And the best way to get a potential buyers’ attention is with an eye catching album cover. We all know you can’t just judge a book by it’s cover but it doesn't hurt to give a CD a spin based off a sexy piece of art. - Smashing Magazine

It is all about presentation. I believe that we (as humans) gravitate towards things that convey professionalism. If you present an amateurish looking album cover than your fans will assume that you are an amateur.

The goal is to draw them in with the artwork and keep them listening with the music (Good Music). You have nothing to lose!

Having quality artwork makes it easier for your promotional efforts as well. Sharing cover artwork is an effective promotional tactic. Encouraging your fans to use your artwork as their avi extends the reach and visibility for your project. This tactic is very effective on Twitter.

If you think about it, the album cover is the last expression... other than the way your music sounds. Because you can own a persons album on iTunes, be a huge fan and listen to their music all day... and never see their video, never see their live show, and JUST see the cover as it comes up in your phone/iPod. So that's when I realized the most important thing is just that cover. - John Mayer on the importance of album artwork

This list highlights people or companies that are graphically superior. Make sure you have a budget for the artwork and approach the designers with respect.

This list will be updated often (so please check back)!

The 22nd Design
808 Shirts
10TenDesignz

Adam Wimberley
A Dezignz
Airwane
Alexander Wright
Alexandros Kelekis
Allegedly, Of Course
AlterProd
Amperio Designs
AMulli
Andrew Kelsall
Angelo Logan
Anderson Designs
Andreis Costa
Anne Marie-Kirwan (Website Designer as well)
Anthony Arts
ArtBallBeats
Art by JLC
Art by Shake
Art Vaisanen
Arvid Wessman

Bengii
Bishop Designs
Boo Haha
BoxOfWolves

Cam Floyd
Castle (Website Designer as well)
CB Designs Shop
Chip3130
CG Hearn
Conduct
Craig Flux Singleton
Creative Munkey (Website Designer as well)
Crvck.Com
CUTnPASTEgfx

D1N Designs
David Enco
Designs by Guru
DiArt Works
Dion Lynk
Djan
Dzire 2 Dzine

Egdar Mattey
Effiscienz
Eric Nine
EXEDoN

Fab Ciraolo
Fernando Creative
Flyland Designs
Firman Productions
The Fresh Community

Gb Grafix
gk2 designs (Does Twitter Layouts)
Goodidea Street
GraphixMain
Gudo
Gunslinger Graphics
Gustav Images

Haterproof Design
Hendratok
Hk Covers
Hustle Mill

Ill Dill Design
Illus aka Adam Wallenta
iNanz the Unseen
INS Designs

Jake Catt
James Dunne
Jasper Staal
Joe Deans
John Smalls
John Sullivan
Jonathan Thompson
Joshua Decker
Joshua Drakes
Justin Barber

Keese
Keren Yishi'i Media Group
Kevin Hackett
KicDrum Products
KidEight
Kid Flint
Kj Anderson
Klion-Productions
Know Life Music
Kodax Graphix Designz
Kyle W. Knapp

Lauren Watkis
LDN Graphics
Lightamatch
Lilley Films

Made You Look Graphic Design
Marco Brunato
Marcus Thomas Art
Markus Designs
Marlon Vincent
Martial Artisik
Marwan Shahin
Masood Tahir
Memetic Supply Co. (Dr. Quandry)
Mfumu Design
Mike Gfxx
Millz Graphixx
Mixtape Wall
Mr. Krum
MXMC

Narley Designs
Nick Polifroni
Nightmare, Inc.
Niallgfx

On Deck Agency

Pathetic Pixels
P.A.T. Vision
Pink Dyamond Graphics (Does Twitter Layouts as well)
Piombo Graphics
Plex
Professional GRF
Proph Bundy

Quinelle Holder (Website Designer as well)

RA-NYC
Renasantz Graphic Designs
Rod Steele
Roelie Vuitton
Romain Jacquet Lagreze
Ryan Wheaton Illustration

Sam Gfx (Website Designer as well)
Sean Johnson
Sean L. Miller
Sholto Smith
Shorty Illustration and Graphic Design
Simon Banda II
SimpLy NewTroN
Skarr Akbar
Sophie Cocheteau
SpDesigns (Website Designer as well)
Steezy Designs
Street Hustler Gfx
Sunday Morning
Sydney The Artist

Top Level Design and Print

Umbrella Custom
Untouchable Designs
Unp.Snae

Valade
Votary Media (Website Designer as well)

WNA Visual

XVII Media Co.

Yo Gfx Designs
Yo Promotions

Zerwox
Zion Eye Media (Website Designer as well)
Ziontific

If you find this post helpful let me know by leaving a comment or sharing this post via Twitter, Facebook, Google+, email, and other social media sites.

I count on YOU the audience to share this post. I know that I can't spread this by myself (that is why this blog post is public).

After you get your graphic needs met you might want to find out where to submit your music to. Check out The Ultimate Hip-Hop Blog Directory (Search Hip-Hop Blogs That Accept Music Submissions).

This is an ongoing post. Please link me to graphic designers that are not on this list by using the comment section below. I will make sure that they will be added ASAP.

Image provided by Know Life

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