Music Marketing for the DIY Musician: Creating and Executing a Plan of Attack on a Low Budget

by Bobby Borg

Overview

Do it yourself and succeed! More and more artists are taking advantage of new technologies to try and build successful careers. But in this expanding competitive marketplace, serious do-it-yourself musicians need structured advice more than ever. In Music Marketing for the DIY Musician, veteran musician and industry insider Bobby Borg presents a strategic, step-by-step guide to producing a fully customized, low-budget plan of attack for marketing one's music.

Presented in a conversational tone, this indispensable guide reveals the complete marketing process using the same fundamental concepts embraced by top innovative companies, while always encouraging musicians to find their creative niche and uphold their artistic vision. The objective is to help artists take greater control of their own destinies while saving money and time in attracting the full attention of top music industry professionals. It's ultimately about making music that matters, and music that gets heard!

Updates include:

• New interviews highlighting current marketing strategies for the new music market
• Info on how to leverage digital marketing and streaming playlists
• Updated stories and examples of current music marketing principles
• Future forecasts and trends into music marketing
• New and revised services, tools, references, and contacts that can help musicians further their careers
• New marketing plan samples for bands/solo artists and freelance musicians and songwriters

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538133200
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Series:	Music Pro Guides
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Bobby Borg MCM, is a former major label, independent, and DIY recording/touring artist. He also served as the VP of Special Events for the American Marketing Association and Interim Chairman of Music Business at Musician’s Institute. Currently, he is a Distinguished Instructor at Musicians Institute and UCLA Extension as well as a frequent guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music. He is the founder of Bobby Borg Consulting and author of Business Basics for Musicians. He holds a BA from Berklee College of Music and a master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California. Visit bobbyborg.com.

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword by Tony van Veen. CEO of DIY Media Group

Welcome New and Old Readers! Here's What's New

Preface

Acknowledgments

1.An Overview of the Complete DIY Marketing Process: Creating and Executing a Plan of Attack in a Nutshell

1. Describe Your Company’s Vision and Set Your Career on Course

2. Identify Opportunities or “Needs” by Conducting a SWOT Analysis

3. Analyze Your Most Likely Customers and Target Your Market

4. Learn from Your Competitors by Conducting a Competitor Analysis

5. Demo Your Products and Services and Get Invaluable Feedback

6. Set Your Marketing Plan Goals by Using the SMART Model

7. Find the Right Blend of “Marketing Mix” Strategies to Achieve Your Goals

8. Assemble a Marketing Plan of Attack™ and Present Your Ideas Effectively

9. Execute Your Marketing Plan Effectively and Get Results

10. Keep Learning About Marketing and Strengthen Your Marketing Muscles

11. Getting Your Mindset Right Before Diving into the Text

2.Describe Your Company’s Vision: Identifying Your Musical Purpose and Setting Your Career on Course

1. Identify the Type of Company You Envision Becoming

2. Indicate What Products and Services You’ll Provide

3. Determine Your Genre or Style

4. Decide What Level of Success You Wish to Achieve

5. Consider What Kind of Industry You’re In

6. Know What Identity You Want to Project into the Marketplace

7. Write Your Vision Statement Paragraph

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

3.Identify Profitable Opportunities or “Needs”: Conducting a SWOT Analysis

1. Scan the Marketplace for Potential Opportunities

2. Match Opportunities with Strengths

3. Uncover Your Weaknesses

4. Spot Potential Threats

5. Write a SWOT (or OSWT) Conclusion

6. Q&A with Business Consultant Ira Kalb

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

4.Analyze Your Customers: Identifying, Segmenting, and Targeting Your Market

1. Identify, Segment, and Target Your Audience

2. Consider Your Data and Write a Customer Conclusion

3. Q&A with Marketing and Business Coach Nance Rosen

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

5.Learn from Your Competitors: Conducting a Competitor Analysis

1. Identify Your Competitors

2. Analyze Your Competitors’ Strategies

3. Interpret Your Competitor Data and Write a Conclusion

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

6.Demo Your Products and Services: Getting Feedback Before Committing Your Valuable Resources

1. Develop and Demo Your Products and Services

2. Test Your Products and Services Out on Your Most Likely Fans

3. Interpret the Data

4. Write Your R&D Conclusion Paragraph

5. Q&A with Research Consultant Bianca Philippi

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

7.Set Your Marketing Plan Goals: Using the SMART Model

1. Make Your Goals Specific

2. Make Your Goals Measurable (or Countable)

3. Determine Whether Your Goals Are Attainable

4. Consider a Road Map for Achieving Your Goals

5. Set Your Goals in the Context of Time

6. Complete Your SMART Goals Paragraph

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

8.Develop Your Company’s Brand Strategy: Creating the Right Identity for Your Company and Its People

1. Review Your Research and Goals and Examine How They Relate to Branding

2. Choose a Company Brand Name

3. Design a Company Brand Logo That Pops

4. Create a Company Brand Slogan or Tagline

5. Create a Company Spokescreature or Mascot

6. Consider Your Company’s Brand Personality

7. Think About “Other” Branding Tools

8. Realize Your Position: Know Your Point of Differentiation and Plan to Exploit It

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

9.Develop a Brand Strategy for Your Products/Services: Achieving the DesiredImage for Your Tours, Records, Merch, and More

1. Decide on Your Brand Structure

2. Envision the Best Names/Titles

3. Use a Product/Service Brand Slogan or Tagline

4. Conceptualize the Right Design/Look/Mood

5. Define Your Product’s Position and Exploit It

6. Q&A with Branding Consultant Robert Liljenwall

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

10.Finalize Your Products and Services for the Marketplace: Delivering on the Promise of Your Brand

1. Create a Product and Service Development Plan

2. Finalize a Customer Service Policy: The “Other” Part of Product

3. Analyze the Features and Benefits of Your Products and Services

4. Q&A with Studio Consultant Maurizio OTTO De Togni

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

11.Devise a Pricing Strategy: Reinforcing Your Brand Image and Generating Revenue and Awareness

1. Know How Your Research, Goals, and Other Strategies Are Connected to Price

2. Choose the Pricing Strategies That Are Right for You

3. Q&A with Business Manager Jeff Hinkle

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

12.Establish a Place Strategy, Part 1: Distributing Records and Booking Live-Performance Sets

1. Consider How Distribution, Research, and Other Strategies Are Related

2. Develop a Place Strategy for Selling Your Recorded Singles And Albums

3. Create a Live-Performance Place Strategy

4. Q&A with Festival Producer Kevin Lyman

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

13.Establish a Place Strategy, Part 2: Distributing Your Merch and Songs Effectively for Sale and/or License

1. Place Your Merch Effectively for Healthy Sales

2. Place Your Songs and Instrumentals in Film/TV/Games and More

3. Q&A with Music Placement Expert Michael Laskow

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

14.Formulate a Promotion Strategy, Part 1: Winning Over Fans via Publicity and Paid Advertising

1. Create a Publicity and Public Relations Plan and Stimulate Free Promotion

2. Develop a Paid Advertising Campaign

3. Q&A with Playlist Expert Mike Warner

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

15.Formulate a Promotion Strategy, Part 2: Using Online, Word-of-Mouth, and Guerrilla Marketing to Get Fans

1. Put Together an Online Marketing Plan

2. Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing (WOMM)

3. Utilize Guerrilla (or “Street Commando”) Tactics

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

16.Formulate a Promotion Strategy, Part 3: Winning Over Fans via Radio Play and Creative Sponsorships

1. Develop a Radio Promotion Campaign Because Radio Is Not Dead

2. Align with Local and National Sponsors

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

17.Formulate a Promotion Strategy, Part 4: Utilizing Direct Marketing, Personal Selling, and Sales Promotions to Get Fans

1. Develop a Direct Marketing Plan

2. Think About Face-to-Face Selling (a.k.a. Personal Selling)

3. Employ Sales Promotions (Short-Term Incentives)

4. Q&A with Indie Bible Publisher Dave Wimble

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

18.Prepare a Measuring Strategy: Tracking, Analyzing, and Adjusting Your Marketing Campaign

1. Know What to Measure

2. Consider Your Sources and Methods of Measuring

3. Convert, Analyze, and Take Action

4. Q&A with Digital Analyst Joe Poindexter

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

19.Assemble Your Marketing Plan of Attack™: Presenting Your Business and Marketing Ideas Effectively

1. Present a Front Cover

2. Provide an Executive Summary

3. Insert a Table of Contents (TOC)

4. Complete and Format All of the Templates

5. Build an Allocation of Costs Table

6. Incorporate a Timeline or Schedule

7. Add an Appendix

Marketing Plan Template

Marketing Plan Example

20.Execute Your Marketing Plan Effectively: Adopting the Right Policies That Get Your Company Results

1. Make Sure Your Plan Passes the Bullshit Test

2. Secure the Needed Funds Now

3. Remember Not to Wait Around for Others to Help You: Do-It-Yourself (DIY) or Die

4. Be Ready and Willing to Go the Distance with Persistence

5. Remember that Baby Steps Really Do Matter

6. Burn, but Don’t Burn Out: Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, and More

7. Choose Employees and Band Members Wisely

8. Delegate the Workload Within Your Organization

9. Link Rewards to Performance Execution

10. Communicate the Sense of Urgency to Get Things Done Now, Before It’s Too Late!

11. Practice Good Time Management

12. Get Rid of Complacency, Negativity, and Flakiness, and Do It Quickly

13. Embrace Industry Types, Movers and Shakers, and Company Deals Carefully

14. Always Give Thanks to Those Who Help by Practicing the Attitude of Gratitude

15. Remember That Life Is Not Just a Box of Chocolates

21.Continue to Learn About Marketing: Strengthening Your Marketing Muscles with 21 Exercises

1. Study the Life Stories of Successful and Innovative Artists You Admire

2. Analyze the Careers of Artists Who Have Failed

3. Study the Histories of Companies Outside the Music Industry That You Respect

4. Examine and Learn from the Marketing That Is Around You Each and Every Day

5. Consider How Companies Handle Themselves in the Face of Adversity

6. Analyze Why Some Artists Can Stand the Test of Time and Others Fade Away

7. Study the Lives of Great Leaders Throughout History

8. Read the Greatest and Latest Business and Marketing Book

9. Follow a Variety of Marketing Experts on Their Social Networks

10. Subscribe to a Variety of Blogs for the Latest Business and Marketing Information

11. Become a Member of a Popular Marketing and Business Organization

12. Take a Continuing Education Class in Marketing

13. Take Advantage of “Open Course” Materials from Major Institutions

14. Be Careful of Online (YouTube) Courses and Click-Bate Promises

15. Get an Internship in a Marketing Company

16. Find a Mentor

17. Teach Others What You Know, and Thus Grow

18. Listen to Educational Radio Programs and Podcasts While You Drive

19. Read the Trades

20. Just Get Out There and Do It

21. Hire a Consultant

22. Q&A with Educator Rebecca Weintraub

22.THE FUTURE OF MUSIC MARKETING 2024 – 2030: Examining the Present, Pioneering the Future

1.Artificial Intelligence and the Future

2. Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and the Metaverse

3. Blockchain and NFTS: Redefining Music Monetization

4. Connectivity Supercharged: Paving the Way for Music Tech

5. The Power of Voice: A Vocal Revolution

6. Personalization and Fandom: Empowering Musicians and Dedicated Supporters

7. Societal Trends: Music Reflecting a Changing World

8. Listening and Discovery: Navigating the Digital Soundscape

9. Q&A with Digital Future Expert Dr. Morten Bay

Complete Marketing Plan Sample (Band)

Complete Marketing Plan Sample (Solo Artist)

Complete Marketing Plan Sample (Songwriter/Production Studio)

Complete Marketing Plan Sample (Session Player)

Chapter Question Sets: Quizzes and Tests

Glossary of Terms Found in This Book

Directory of This Book’s Resources and Beyond

25 Historic Moments in Music Marketing

Index

Editorial Reviews

Bobby passion for the music business and deep commitment to education and to his students has earned him a UCLA Extension Department of the Arts Instructor of the Year Award - an exceptional distinction for an exceptional educator. Bobby has the ability to make complex topics understandable and instantly applicable, and the knowledge and enthusiasm to empower DYI musicians and artists with the skills necessary to succeed in the music industry – from the classroom straight to the stage

Pascale Cohen-Olivar

The same Fortune 500 business tools intelligently simplified for musicians on a budget. Empowering artists to take charge of their careers, it’s the DIY musician’s guide to marketing like a CEO.

Michael Levine

Bobby’s systematic, practical approach to marketing will give DIY musicians the edge they need to break through the clutter. He clearly understands the entrepreneurial side of a successful career in the new music business, and this book provides the pathways.

Don Gorder

Bobby Borg is a music marketing genius! In Music Marketing for the DIY Musician, he intelligently lays out exactly how you should approach your career as an independent artist, because he has truly mastered every dimension of the process: researching, goal-setting, branding, pricing, distributing, promoting, and executing.

Nancy Rosen

Tired of all the YouTube clickbait courses with far-reaching promises? Get everything you need to succeed here! With foundational marketing concepts and step-by-step, easy-to-use templates, why wait to get signed when you can sign yourself first? Read this, build leverage and prosper!

Brian Perara

Bobby Borg’s books and expert counsel have been my go-to resources for crafting my music marketing plan for well over a decade. His straightforward approach and adaptable strategies work seamlessly with any music style. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned pro, get hold of his book and kickstart your journey!

Sabrina Petrini

Bobby Borg makes music marketing easy to understand and execute for people who don’t know where to start or how to do it, and fear that marketing is beyond their reach. Buy this book!

Michael Laskow

Bobby Borg leads the charge of today’s modern rockpreneurs. He has lived and breathed the business from multiple perspectives—from recording/touring artist to artist coach/ advocate. There is no more credible source for marketing your music today than Bobby! Get this book!

Ozzy 'sbourne/Artist Management Partner at KMGMT Blasko

With over 100,000 Spotify tracks and 34 million TikTok videos posted daily, the music industry today is like a high-stakes duel where every melody is a contender in the battle for listeners’ hearts. Bobby’s DIY marketing book helps you orchestrate your unique symphony and ensure your music stands out amidst the crescendo of competition.

John Pantle

Bobby doesn’t just talk about music marketing, he lives it daily. As a musician, professor, and global marketing coach, he deals with literally thousands of independent and DIY musicians just like you weekly. As a trusted industry veteran, he uniquely has the creative and also the business accolades necessary to help artists on any budget to turn their art into a more successful business.

Neil Gillis

Bobby Borg’s book is the arrow that every musician needs in their quiver. His experience as a professional musician and his study of the industry gives him a complete understanding of all sides of the music business and DIY marketing. While it’s difficult to get a break in this business, Bobby’s book almost guarantees that you’ll make your own.

Jonah David

We wish it was all about making art, but marketing it becomes a necessity. In this day and age where thousands of songs flood the marketplace, this book defines a path through all the noise.

Kevin S Lyman

Bobby Borg has given a treasure trove of tools and experience for the up-and-coming artist or music industry professional to jump-start their career. Borg’s book is filled with amazing templates that anyone can use to advance their careers as well as information and explanations that are vital to understanding how to navigate one’s career. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who is looking to understand and get into the music industry

Andrew Rudy

An exceptionally well-written, thorough, and competent book for an author who is a non-attorney. Bobby Borg’s book is extremely valuable to anyone trying to understand the new music business.”

Peter Peterno

Bobby Borg leads the charge of today’s modern rockpreneurs. He has lived and breathed

the business from multiple perspectives—from recording/touring artist to artist coach/

advocate. There is no more credible source for marketing your music today than Bobby!

Get this book!

Ozzy Osbourne/Artist Management Partner at KMGMT Blasko