How to Make Your Music Website a Click Magnet
by Julie Blake,
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you poured all your passion and creativity into your website and fans flocked to it and spent lots of money? It can be done, but only if you know the magic spell that transforms an ordinary website into an irresistible click magnet.
The secret is that you get paid for the difference that your music makes in your fans lives. People buy music because of how it makes them feel. Think of your music as part of your fans identity and lifestyle, like driving a VW Bug or being addicted to Starbucks. Fans want to feel like they “belong” and are part of something really cool. This is why Dead Heads will never die and Jimmy Buffett’s Parrot Heads will never stop drinking margaritas attempting to escape reality.
Start by getting into your fans heads, find out what motivates them to invite your music into their life. Fans want to live the dream along with you. That’s why they thrive on insider info. Get to know your fans and why they connect with your music. Focus on your passion for your music and continually work to improve and the fans will follow.
Ask yourself – How does my music make others feel? What does my music add to my fans lives?
Think “astonish!” Have you received a link to something that was so amusing you passed it on to everyone you know? The OK GO treadmill video on YouTube spread fast because it astonished people enough to stop their busy lives, enjoy a good laugh and pass it on to friends. Their website is jam packed with entertainment and even includes fun and games. When you create an entertaining, funny or unique site, it will take on a life of its own.
You do not need a flashy site to astonish your fans. In fact, an all-flash site cannot be viewed by all and does not always translate into more sales. The best way to astonish your fans is with your creativity, passion and talent!
Ask yourself – How can I astonish my fans?
Instead of focusing on how you can increase sales, get insanely creative and find ways to increase the value of your music by entertaining instead of doing a hard sell. A delicious example is from the Cold Stone Creamery. Whenever someone puts money in the tip jar, the whole crew sings little jingles like “tip tip hooray!” and “hi ho, hi ho, thank you for the dough.” The next customer in line is excited to leave a tip just to hear the next jingle.
You can also give fans what they crave the most: insider info! Fans eat it up when they get access to back stage photos, unreleased live recordings or a peek at a recording session. You can increase the value of your music by including exclusive insider info with a purchase.
Cutting prices does not increase sales; it decreases the value of your music. Fans look for something that adds value to their life that they can identify with and feel good about. Build trust and a deeper connection with your fans by giving access to free videos, song downloads and an entertaining newsletter.
Ask yourself – How can I increase the perceived value of my music?
How can I spend creativity instead of dollars to promote my music?
Give your fans something to discover! You can connect with fans online in ways that you can’t at a live performance. Tell them the story behind the song, why you write music, what it’s like for you to follow your dreams. Talk about challenges and gigs that went completely wrong. Share your greatest moments so they can enjoy them too. Post a short video of a songwriting session or give them a glimpse of what it’s like to be on your tour.
Ask yourself – How can I make a deeper connection with my fans?
The most important part of your website is your music. It doesn’t matter how cool your website is if your music is not polished and ready for debut. Make sure that your website or MySpace doesn’t take away too much time from creating great music.
When it comes to music websites, it really is all about the fans! When someone visits your website, all they really care about is what is in it for them. So, the real question is, how can you make your fans website a click magnet? Give fans a great reason to hang around and return for more! Make your website every bit as creative and entertaining as your music.
Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © MusicDish LLC 2007 – Republished with Permission