Wicked D's Network

In my opinion, the ‘Direct to Fan’ business model may very well represent the future of the music industry.  I believe this, despite those whom argue it only works for bands with past major label backing and an established fan base, such as NIN or Radiohead.  My response?  Independent artists don’t need millions of fans to be financially successful.  Furthermore, bypassing the label (and all middlemen involved) nets the artist a much higher personal profit per unit sold.

By definition, Direct to Fan Marketing bypasses the major record label, allowing the artist to identify and interact directly with fans on a personal level. Success depends on cultivating long term artist to fan relationships. This allows the artist to create interest in the music and sell directly to the fans. Less overhead, no middleman!

This is by no means a new concept. For years, many independent artists (including myself) without a label/distributor have sold music & merch at live shows, through Ma & Pa record shops, or out of the trunk of a car. Now, the internet allows artists to take Direct to Fan Marketing to the extreme, provided they know how to do it!

Marketing is not advertising, and it is very important for the career musician to understand the difference. Marketing is much more than just advertising products. It is about identifying the wants/needs of your fan (customer) base, and then delivering products (your CD/merch) and services (live performances) that meet those wants/needs.

Advertising, just one slice of the marketing pie, can be described as a form of communication used to influence individuals to purchase products or services. Marketing, on the other hand, is used to create the customer, to keep the customer, and to satisfy the customer. Marketing is all about figuring out who the artist wants to do business with and sending the right message to them so they will want to do business with the artist.

An artist should never focus on advertising as the only way to generate sales. Unfortunately, I see this all too often with Myspace bands posting a direct sales widget or link to CD Baby or iTunes with no real incentive to click through. Worse yet, spamming bulletins and comments without knowing if anyone in particular is even interested in what the band has to offer. Unless time and effort have been spent building true fan relations through marketing, very few, if any products will be sold in this manner.

While Social Networks are a vital part of the marketing process, one must realize they are not meant to replace the artist’s primary website. Instead, they should be used to entice and direct fans to a top level domain website (www.yourbandhere.com) which is owned and controlled by the artist.

I can’t possibly give you complete, step by step instructions on developing a Direct To Fan Marketing Plan within this post, but I am always available for consultation. Feel free to CONTACT ME should you have questions.

In closing, I highly recommend reading Ariel Hyatt’s INDIE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST!