The Marketing Guru has Spoken!
Columnist Jack Baer
Are you currently putting out a CD and expect to sell millions upon millions of copies? Well don't jump the gun yet cowboy, because you got some serious gun slingin' ahead of you! Before you head out to the O.K. Corral, you better be fully loaded: it gets pretty messy...
Before you can go nationally, you got to have some following in your hometown. That is the first goal, sell at home, if you can't do that and get your own people to buy your CD, then how are you going to get someone in Austin Texas to pick it up?
Don't be so gung ho on putting your product out there. Trust me: don't do it half-assed. What I find is that a lot of independent artists/groups release CD's without taking the appropriate steps. BIG MISTAKE!
What I mean about the appropriate steps, is first, test market your product! Very big. Don’t ask any of your family or friends what they think of your CD, remember they are always going to tell you what you want to hear. Even the dopest artist put some music out there, well lets just say it didn't fly with the masses, if you know what I mean.
So what I would do is take your "Boom-Box" to the mall, on the streets, at High Schools (high school kids are very honest) and ask people to listen to your music, listen to what they have to say, if they like it good, ask them why? If they don’t like it ask them why not?
Then go back to the studio and make the changes, keep on doing this until everyone says it is hot, and that THEY WOULD BUY IT!!! Always remember that, when you put out a CD, you are trying to get the people to buy your shit, you cater to the target market. That is how you get paid.
Just some helpful advice, if you already did this than great, but before you put your heart and soul and $$$$ into something. remember RESEARCH!!! It will pay off in the end.
To all you artists who want to be the next Jermain Dupri without the hardships and research, then I tip my hat to you, GOOD LUCK with everything!
But if you don’t want to throw your money out the door: Follow my advice, it works; trust me.
Come back next week when I discuss radio play. Feel free to contact me with comments or what you would like to hear about Jack@bigbaer.com
Until then Love Peace and Nappiness!
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