My Goal for 2011 is to help artists reach theirs… To that end I’m raising my glass to MORE!
1. More Support For Each Other
It takes a team to launch any effort, whether it’s releasing an album, getting a song licensed or just getting more fans and followers. I see all too often artists going for it all alone without any help and support – some sadly don’t even get support from fellow band mates – because they have made up a story that unless they have a professional full time manager or a booking agent that they can’t get help. It’s very powerful when artists who are creative and brilliant at making music bond together and help each other make connections and make a difference for one another. I’m so sick of reading blog posts with people saying the reason no one has success is because most artists suck. It’s just not true. There is a ridiculous amount of non-suck out there. Stop hating, and start allowing other peoples light to shine….
What You Can Do:
1. Create a house concert at your place (or a friend’s house) and invite another solo artist or a band to play it with you! Cross promote to each others lists.
2. Review an album by an artist you love and respect and post it on iTunes and Amazon. It’s simple and it kind.
3. Tweet, Blog, create a video of the week feature on your Social Networks, or recommend another artist to a lot of your Facebook friends and say why you are suggesting them.
2. More Artists Making a Living…
Topspin’s Ian Rogers (http://www.topspinmedia.com/ian-rogers/) estimated this year that approx 30,000 artists are making full-time livings. It’s a start but I want to see what Hypebot’s Bruce Houghton (http://www.hypebot.com/about.html) calls The Rise Of The Musical Middle Class. We launched over 150 Cyber PR campaigns last year that helped artists expand their fan bases and online presences. It’s one step of many that artists need to take to achieve this dream. I’ve seen it many times, but I want to see more of it.
What You Can Do
1. Set your short-term goals for 2011 and your long term goals for your musical career. Be sure to make them measurable and achievable. It takes time to get there and having a road map will make it that much easier!
2. I use and advocate a great system I learned from T. Harv Eker, It’s called “Your 5 Successes” where you write down 5 successes each day: Little ones like “did laundry” and bigger ones like “booked a gig.” Keep a notebook of all of your successes as you go through the year to remind yourself of completing small victories. (Granted this will not help you to make a living, but it will stop the demons in your head from self-crucifixion on a constant basis).
3. More Rocking the Social Media Strategies
After traveling to 8 countries and speaking at countless US-based conferences, I’ve seen the same thing over and over again: Artists’ eyes glazing over at the mention of all of the online work and web tools they need to master to engage their fans. It’s completely confronting for so many artists.
What You Can Do
1. Get someone to help you! It doesn’t have to be a professional social media firm; a friend or young family member who is great with video editing and uploading or super social on Facebook can make a huge impact on your behalf. (They should not pretend to be you just make sure it’s transparent for all.)
If you don’t have anyone to ask, try posting on http://www.EntertainmentCarrers.net for a capable intern.
2. There are a lot of great blogs and books to read on how to beef up your Social Media know how. I love http://mashable.com for keeping up with trends and finding out about useful tools and apps. And of course there are many great music bloggers with plenty of how-too tricks and tips. Follow me (@CyberPR) and some of my favorites on Twitter for updates: @CarlaLynneHall @Hypebot @MusicSuccessin9 @musiccoaching @MusicThinkTank @Miccontrol
4. More Consistency…
It TAKES SOMETHING to send a newsletter every single month, it takes something to engage fans. It takes coming up with things that are interesting to say, great offers to give, and the ability to GATHER email addresses. Just like it takes something to lose weight – it never happens overnight. Your success depends on your consistency.
What You Can Do
1. Make it one of your main goals to construct an enticing email and send it to your list at least once a month. Don’t know how exactly to do that? Cool, I got you: http://bit.ly/Ariels3Gs
2. Don’t have a list manager? Use ReverbNation, Bandletter or Fanbridge. They all rock mightily.
5. More Fan Funding
I love it and I love watching artists succeed using it. My word of caution: Know your limits. In the world of fan funding creating a goal like “$15,000” may feel possible but ask yourself: How much did I earn in the past 12 months from my music and what would a reasonable goal be to reach for? If you sold $500 worth of music in 2010 than a goal of $1,000 (twice what you made the year before may be smart, instead of setting yourself up for failure and shooting for a massive number.
What You Can Do
1. Check out these fan funding sites and get in touch with them to see which one is the right fit for you. Benji at Pledge and Brian at Rockethub will help you set appropriate goals and stay on track to get any project fully funded.
http://www.pledgemusic.com
http://rockethub.com/
6. More Young Entrepreneurs
I want more peers! I want more people taking this industry by the horns and making solutions that work. This year I sat on panels and connected worldwide with incredible entrepreneurs, writers, teachers and go-getters who are making healthy livings from this crazy business.
What You Can Do
1. If you like a certain music startup, or feel like a cool entrepreneurial company has helped your career in some way, TELL EVERYONE! That’s the best thing you can do. Blog about them, tweet about them, and tell all your peers to work with them but for goodness sake don’t keep it all to yourself!
7. More Reality Checks
The BEST blog post I read on success around creativity in 2010 came from Derek Sivers. I have worked with many artists who are pushing and forcing themselves to “succeed” without looking at what success really means to them. Here’s an excerpt:
“When someone creates something that is really important, powerful, and valuable to them, it’s hard to imagine that it’s not important, powerful, and valuable to others….But money only comes from doing something valuable to others…. If you stop expecting your art to be valuable to anyone but you, your conflicted mind can finally be at peace. Do it only because you love it, and it honestly doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks…You’ll probably be happier with your art because of this change in mindset. Ironically, others may appreciate it more, too, though you honestly won’t care.”
Read the whole awesome post: http://sivers.org/starving-artist
What You Can Do
1. Read this post: http://sivers.org/starving-artist You will be inspired
Here’s to an AMAZING new year to you all!
x Ariel
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Recently, I met Ariel Hyatt in New York City. Ariel is the author of 
The Indie Maximum Exposure List is Ariel Hyatt’s manifesto on how indie musicians can realistically profit from Web 2.0 & social media. 