The Creative Entrepreneur

     Many musicians, artists and other creative people remain largely unrecognized for their talent(s). This isn't to say that these underground artists are undeserving of acknowledgment. In fact, there is a myriad of incredibly talented people that remain undiscovered by a larger audience.  They should be appreciated. It is not that these people or groups choose to remain indie for the sake of doing so (even though some do).  The issue is that most of them do not know how to promote their work to develop a greater fan base. The resources to do so are inexpensive, free and readily available. Here is how to utilize them most effectively:

     In the past, artists and musicians had to rely strictly on managers, producers and other 3rd parties to advertise their work. With the advent of the Internet, many virtual platforms have arisen that do not necessarily require assistance from others. Social networking sites are typically free and easy to use. The artist or musicians can do this type of advertising, themselves. With these virtual platforms, one can post pictures, music, and blogs that are viewable by members and non-members. The experience may not be quite as profound as a live concert or seeing a piece of art in person, yet, online promotion has the ability to reach a much broader audience in a shorter amount of time.

     Talented artists and musicians need to be able to sell their work, whether it is in a personal atmosphere or not. If something is worth looking at or listening to, they have to convince people that it actually is. In a sense, every artist and musician also has to be a quality businessman. They have to be able to convince people that their work is worth paying attention to.
     There is a distinction between business and art. Yet, the two accompany one another. If one cannot accurately convey the message they want to send to people then there is unlikely that they will have any success. An artist and/or musician that possesses entrepreneurial qualities such as independence and creativity, has a much better chance of promoting their work.  (hence the title for such people: "Creative Entrepreneur")   The business aspect should simply be seen as a way to reach MORE people. Business, no matter what platform it is conducted on, does not have to be impersonal.

     Selling art or music requires some sort of interaction between the creator and a potential fan. On social networking sites, such as Myspace, Facebook, and many others, people can communicate with artist by sending messages, posting comments and adding them as friends. While a “live” experience may be more meaningful and powerful, it is not always possible to interact with the artist.

     In today’s market, every aspiring musician or artist should have some means of reaching people online. The two most prevalent sites are Facebook and Myspace. Posting pictures and/or music is not enough, however. One has to actively seek new friends on the sites. There are software programs you can purchase that automatically add friends for you. This works by targeting fans of similar artists or bands, of your choosing, and sending them friend requests.
     Even if you do not want to purchase the software you can try this technique yourself. It can be time consuming doing it yourself, yet, it is a very effective way of reaching the people your think will like your material. The goal of online promotion is to show your fans your songs and/or art in person at a show or a gallery... any place you can reach them in a more meaningful way.  Live events allow people to see not only what you create, but how you do it. Also, you should be indifferent as to who your fans are. The type of people that like your work is one thing you have little control over. You should welcome everyone willing to listen or look at what you do.

    When someone posts a comment on your page always make sure to respond.

Show or at least pretend you care what your fans think. Also, if you respond by posting a message on their page, then their friends will see your comment and maybe check out your page by clicking on your profile picture next to the comment. Your comment on their page should be something positive regarding their work or thanking them for adding you as a friend.
    Never try to make enemies online. Once someone adds you as a friend you can post a comment on his or her page. Try posting comments on high traffic pages whose fans may also like your work. If the user has HTML editing enabled for comments then you can even post pictures, videos, or music in your comment.

               (like the example above...)
                                  "Thanks for listening!  -Leave Meza"

     Also, on Facebook you can reach thousands of users by running ads for your artist or band page for as little as $5 a day. This is made possible using Facebook Advertising, where you pay-per-click.

     Your artist profile should be aesthetically pleasing. Free layout designs can be found online. These layout programs help you create a background, among other things, to personalize your page. Try to post pictures to your page. Give people more than enough to look at. If you are an artist maybe post a picture of you next to your work or in the process of creating something. For musicians, pictures of live concerts are great to give people, who have not seen you play live, an idea of what it is like. You could even post pictures of your gear (guitars, amps, etc.). The music and art that you post should appeal to a range of different styles within your niche in the market. This creates a greater chance that people you market to will appreciate at least some, if not all, of your work.

   To see an example of this....
   www.myspace.com/leavemeza    



     Online platforms for marketing seem to have leveled the playing field. Nearly anyone (with an internet connection) can post work online. Some may see this as a negative outcome. However, equal opportunity is essential to any competitive market. The ones who promote and perform the best will come out on top. It’s not like there can be some filter to keep out the “bad” artists or musicians.

      Society seems to have embraced the idea of the “starving artist”. Yet, it does not have to be this way. To be “successful” as an artist or musician, one does not have to be commercial or mainstream. One does not have to be anti-mainstream to be unique. You simply have to be yourself. If you care about what you do, try not sacrifice the integrity of your work for more sales. You can still challenge commercialization and have plenty of viewers and fans.