Internet and Alternative Marketing for Songwriters By Bev Bradley NSAI asked me to give a presentation on Internet marketing strategies for songwriters. In this presentation I will focus on free or low-cost basics for getting started and provide resources for growing your Internet presence in the future. If you need further assistance, Nashville State Technical Community College offers a course titled “The Internet for Musicians” (MST 1310) on campus and online. MTSU offers a course also titled “Internet for the Music Business” (RIM 4620). I have a MySpace page where I post materials and tutorials as I discover them. Feel free to visit the page or to become a friend so you can share your discoveries with us. http://www.myspace.com/mst1310. There are three areas important to marketing on the Internet: Computer-related knowledge & skills, research skills, and marketing strategies I.
Computer-related knowledge and skills • It is best to have your own computer so you can access your site regularly and at the times you really need it. It is advisable to log in once a day in case someone is trying to contact you. A quick response from you to business contacts, friends, and fans lets them know that your site is active. • It is fine to use a PC or a Mac. You do not need an extremely powerful computer if you are just starting out. If you have a ProTools rig or some other computer that records music, you can use that one. Select the computer according to the most demanding task you plan to accomplish. For example, if you decide to learn the PhotoShop image editing program, you will need a fairly powerful computer. If you have no special goals but wish to purchase a computer that will grow with you, usually the midrange offering with expanded memory is a good choice. • You need high-speed Internet access. • Store all your materials on a portable hard drive so you can take your materials to another location. Also, if your computer dies, you still have the materials. It is best to have at least 2 back-up copies of everything on separate devices. • The basic computer skills you need are how to: o turn on a computer and use the keyboard, mouse, USB drives, and other hardware components o create, name, save, and move files and folders o install software o surf the Internet o use the ‘help’ feature on software that you are learning o understand ‘safe’ practices on the Internet o set up accounts, such as email and web 2.0 applications o use email o interact with others using proper Internet etiquette