Top 7 Reasons Every Musician Should Blog from Ariel Hyatt’s New Book “Cyber PR For Musicians”
Early this year music marketer and educator Ariel Hyatt successfully completed an ambitious crowdfunding campaign whose goals included the creation of three new books and a social media course. While funders are already enjoying the fruits of Hyatt's labor, she is today releasing the first book to the general public titled "Cyber PR For Musicians." It's a solid introduction to social media marketing that's an interesting blend of old and new school approaches.
Ariel Hyatt, boss lady at Cyber PR, is a well-established and much respected figure in music marketing. Her RocketHub campaign sought a goal of $50,000 and exceeded it by raising $61,137. It had some pretty interesting rewards including a private session with RocketHub founder Brian Meece which suggests something of Hyatt's status when the CEO is on your rewards list.
"Cyber PR For Musicians" is the first offering for the general public from that campaign. The book covers the basics of web and social media marketing beginning with one's official website, social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging and Pinterest, and the proper use of email newsletters, Google and mobile.
Takeaways from "Cyber PR For Musicians"
When writing about such books I typically share the author's perspective on a particular subject and I was tempted to include her opening discussion of the many objections musicians have to spending their time on social media. But Hyatt's solid take on the topic deserves more in-depth attention than I can provide here plus she's already posted an earlier version that you can check out for yourself.
As an old school music blogger with over a decade's experience, I'm still impressed by the power and reach that blogging can afford a nobody (like myself) living in the middle of nowhere who has internet access. So I decided to share a bit of Hyatt's take on blogging for musicians.
Top 7 Reasons Every Musician Should Blog
1. Blogging is a fabulous way of keeping your fans connected to you.
2. Google loves blogs.
3. Blogging puts you on a level playing field with other bloggers.
4. A blog allows you to invite your fans backstage and into your life so
that they can see all sides of you… but only the sides you want to be seen.
5. You can syndicate your blog posts all over the Internet.
6. Starting a blogroll adds to your credibility with other bloggers.
7. Blogging gets you community feedback fast.
I definitely concur with Hyatt's points though I could quibble over the topic of blogrolls. In many sectors blogrolls (a list of outstanding blogs posted in one's sidebar) died around 5 or so years ago but some tools remain useful or can be productively reintroduced.
But here's the thing to keep in mind. Once you make such a list, you've drawn a clear line regarding who's in and who's out. You may not see it that way but the negative power of exclusion is often stronger than the positive power of inclusion especially for those introducing themselves to the world through blogging.
That said, blogging is an incredible tool for both self-promotion and building community at a time when the lines between the two have become hopelessly blurred.
A Solid Intro to Social Media and Web Marketing for Any Musician
From what I've read of the book, and I have in no way read every word, "Cyber PR For Musicians" strikes me as an excellent introduction for musicians just beginning to struggle with the realities of social media marketing. But for those a little further along who've been developing their social media presence haphazardly, as most of us tend to do, it also provides a method for tying together those bits and pieces into a comprehensive approach and that too is a powerful thing.
Order Info: Cyber PR For Musicians
More: Ariel Hyatt's Social Media Food Pyramid
Ariel Hyatt Interviews Seth Godin On The New Music Industry:
Part 1 ~ Part 2
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch/@crowdfundingm) also blogs at Flux Research and Crowdfunding For Musicians. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
These steps do seem really important to get started in the industry. Is there anything that is absolutely necessary that musicians include on their blog? Other then basic things such as contact information, etc.
Here’s one resource:
http://musicians.about.com/od/musicpromotion/qt/artistwebsiteinfo.htm