Articles & News About ISP's And The Internet

Online Marketing: Math or Myth?

The numbers are supposed to be big in online marketing, but are they significant in the online marketing of music? Clearly, we need someone with 'Net experience to set a few things straight. Scott Meldrum is a businessperson and musician with a dry wit and a background in bulk mail. Oops, excuse me, direct response advertising. He's also the man called on by major labels when they want to brand an artist and reach millions of fans via the Internet.

Beginning with Papa Roach in 1998 and continuing with such platinum-selling artists as Avril Lavigne, Dido and Jennifer Lopez, Meldrum's Long Beach-based firm, Hype Council, is one of the prime marketing weapons utilized by the world's largest entertainment companies.

Taking center stage for a Monday evening presentation by NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals) at the Beverly Garland Hotel in Los Angeles, Meldrum began with some facts about the Internet. Does that sound a bit dull? It wasn't. His presentation quickly revealed things about the 'Net that should be known by every marketer (that's you, if you or your artists are selling music online).

THE GLOBAL AUDIENCE FOR MUSIC.

Most Internet users (nearly a majority of them) are between the ages of 30 and 49, far older than many in the audience thought. And for those of us who believed that the USA had the highest percentage of Internet users, it was a surprise to learn that we're only sixth. (Of course, in raw numbers of users, the USA has by far the most people.)

Fully 40% of the USA's 177 million 'Net users go online for music (more in some other nations). Look at it another way: if you put your music on the Internet, you have a potential audience of some 70 million. And with total Internet users currently at 404 million, that translates into a worldwide potential audience of 161 million people.

The problem is: how to reach them. They are wildly segmented in terms of music genre; they only want to be contacted under certain sets of circumstances; and they need to have a safe, secure, and easy way to make purchases.

Fortunately, "The Internet is still a new medium," Meldrum asserts, "and there are tremendous opportunities for people in the business of selling music."

Some of those opportunities are being wasted, however, through poor Web site design. Meldrum revealed the biggest errors made in creating or maintaining a Web site. . .

TOP 5 MISTAKES OF WEBSITES:

1. Mistaking creativity for functionality. "Don't try to put everything on your front page. Organization is the key. Lead your fans to the most important things." That's what menus are for, so don't hide them. "How many times have you gone to a site that looks interesting, but you have no clue how to navigate it? People don't have time to waste figuring it out. Make it easy for them."

2. Burying the offer. "Links to buy the CD should be available at almost every page on your Website. Many Websites challenge, almost dare visitors to find the product, let alone buy it."

3. Ignoring fans. "Many artist Websites have a registration feature, but it is not prominently displayed. When you are not selling albums at your Website, you need to be collecting email registrations." This builds a fan base where you can sell an album now and more in the future.

4. Not giving fans what they want. "Make your music accessible. Offer a few full streams of your songs. Make a download available in exchange for an email registration. You will win more fans and sell more CDs giving your music away than you will by not letting your potential fans really listen before they buy."

5. Failing to design with bandwidth in mind. "Ever been to a Website and forgot why you were there before the page fully loaded? Getting people to your site is hard enough. Losing them because they got tired of waiting for your page to load is a waste of everyone's time and energy."

CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS:

Websites are a necessity, but don't overlook other ways of reaching out to potential fans on the Internet. Banners can be bought or traded. Emails can be sent (be mindful of the CAN-SPAM law; see below for link). Marketing can be done on search engines. You can join or participate in message boards and blogs (web logs). And the latest advancement in music marketing involves social networks such as MySpace.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Meldrum had many specific suggestions for attendees, including:

* use Google for research
* check out MySpace.com
* target your audience
* simplify your Website
* give away some songs
* interact with your audience often

"You can send emails in text or HTML format. With HTML (hyper text markup language), you can include pictures and graphics. They look nice, but we get twice the 'open rate' with text emails."

THE BOTTOM LINE ON WEBSITES:

"To your online fans, you are your Website. If they love it, they will love you, and will be eager to follow your careers. Take all the great things about you, your talent and your message, and translate to HTML. Keep it simple, easy-to-navigate and informative, and you will have a highly-effective marketing channel for your music."

Sources for more info:

http://www.narip.com

http://www.hypecouncil.com

http://www.scottmeldrum.com

http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.html

http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm

http://marketingterms.com/dictionary/blog/

http://www.google.com

http://www.myspace.com/thegman

# # #

Scott G (The G-Man) writes and produces radio commercials from G-Man Music & Radical Radio. With albums on Delvian Records, iTunes, Amazon, and many other online stores, he also composes music that is played in clubs, on college radio stations, and on commercials. A member of NARAS (the Grammy organization) and NARIP (National Association of Record Industry Professionals), he writes about music, advertising, marketing, communications, advertainment, and digital distribution for the Immedia Wire Service and MusicDish.com. Samples of his songs and commercials are on his site at: http://www.gmanmusic.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

PrintsMadeEasy.com Plants Hidden Treasures In Virtual Scavenger Hunt for Discounts Online
Business card provider places discount codes in secret locations on its site, just in time for busy holiday season of printing business cards (http://www.printsmadeeasy.com/ci/Printing+Business+Cards).

How To Improve Poker Skills With Free Online Games
When I learned to play poker I did it the hard way. I put out my hard-earned money and promptly lost it to more experienced players.

Free Online Car Valuations and Vehicle Reviews Site Launches
Creditplus provide car buyers and sellers with valuation's of new, retail, trade and part exchange cars.

Free Internet Dating
Compared to dating offline, internet dating is much different and has many advantages. For a start, you will not have to go on dates with people that you know very little about ? this is because you will be able to read their profile first, talk to them through email and instant messenger, and look at their pictures to see if you are attracted to them. With internet dating you will also be able to know if you have anything in common before you go on the date, and will therefore have much more to talk about when you meet up ? meaning that you can make awkward silences a thing of the past.

NLN Retools Assessment and Evaluation Operations New Test Products and Expanded Online Capability Now Available, Carbondale, IL Branch Office Opens
Recent changes in its Assessment and Evaluation Business Unit by the National League for Nursing will better equip schools of nursing to attract more qualified applicants and help nursing students enhance their preparation for successful careers in the field.

3 Steps To Internet Marketing Techniques That Work
You've built your website.

Making Money Online Through Health And Fitness Products
The future trends in the health and fitness industry shows that it is a multibillion dollar worldwide business that is continually growing.

Statistics Tutors Online
The statistics tutor is one of the most sought after tutors in the academic industry, especially in the grade and high school levels These are individuals who teach students who are taking up statistics better understand their current lessons in the class

New Internet Solution Enables Pharmaceutical Manufacturers to Improve Access, Adherence and Brand Loyalty
A new Internet service called OPTIMIZERx will now allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to help patients better afford and comply with their prescribed brand medications. The pharmaceutical industry has come under increased pressure for the high cost of prescription medications, and major efforts are being made to steer patients towards the use of generic prescription medications.

Grand Terra Introduces ArrowBooks Online Accounting Software for Small Business Owners
New, easy-to-use web-based software is designed to make accounting, bookkeeping and business report generation as easy as possible for small businesses.

Online Systems Engineering Master's Program Attracts Engineers from Fortune 500 Firms
Program allows engineers the opportunity to continue education without career interruption.

Online Marketing Methods That Work
Business owners are facing a harsh reality: A website in itself offers no guarantee of business ?If you build it they will come? is a clich? that has misled many into believing all a company needed was an online presence to succeed

2008 Andrew Seybold Choice Awards Winners Announced at CTIA Wireless
Choice Award winners were announced last night at the exclusive 18th Annual Andrew Seybold Wireless Dinner at the Venetian Hotel, an invitation-only event attended by 300 of the wireless mobility industry's leading executives.

Vocus Selected for NASDAQ Internet Index
Leader in on-demand software selected for new index designed to track companies in the growing Internet sector.

Looking For Dating Match Online
If you were to read though most of the dating profiles online, you would probably get the idea that everyone out there is perfect in body, face, and mind. We all know this is not true, but many of the people who start online dating often start out representing themselves as something that they are not. They soon learn though, that attracting someone by being less than honest never works. Once they see the real you, you have already deceived them. If people just had more confidence in who they really are, they wouldn't have this problem.