5 Ways to Grab people's attention, senses and emotions.
Just Plain Folks Mentor and global indie music guru Derek Sivers offers up 5
great tip to set yourself apart from the status quo. Check out his Indie Music
Sales and Support Site at www.cdbaby.com and see someone else who puts their
actions where their mouth is!
From Mentor Derek Sivers of cdbaby.com:
1. Touch as many of their senses as you can.
The more senses you touch in someone, the more they'll remember you.
BEST: a live show, with you sweating right on top of someone, the PA system
pounding their chest, the smell of the smoky club, the flashing lights and
live-in-person performance. WORST: an email. a single web page. a review in a
magazine with no photo. (Let's say that "emotions" are one of the
senses.)
Whenever possible, try to reach as many senses as possible. Have an amazing
photo of yourself or your band, and persuade every reviewer to put that photo
next to the review of your album. Send videos with your presskit. Play live
shows often. Understand the power of radio to make people hear your music
instead of just hearing about it. Get onto any TV shows you can. Scent your
album with patchouli oil. Make your songs and productions truly emotional
instead of merely catchy. (Touching their emotions is like touching their body.
If you do it, you'll be remembered.)
2. Never use corporate-speak
Don't try to sound pro or use industry catch phrases. Would you do that to a
friend?
Your fans are your friends. Speak to them like real people. Write every letter
or email as if it were to a good friend. From you to your best friend Beth.
Even if it's going out to 10,000 people.
3. Leave 'em wanting more
What's more appealing? Someone holding a carrot in front of your face, then
pull it back towards them slowly? Or someone shoving 50 carrots in your mouth?
Brian Eno (my favorite theorist) says the best thing you can do is to bring
people to the point where they start searching. Not so plain or obvious that
there's nothing left to the imagination. No so cryptic that they give up. Give
people just enough to pull them in, but make them want more. Make them go
searching for clues, or details, or explanations, or "more of what you
just gave me."
4. All the world's a stage. What character are you?
Imagine a play with 1000 actors on stage. Imagine you're in the audience of a
play. Big theater. Opera house. Imagine there are one thousand actors on stage.
Which ones would stand out? Which ones would you remember? It's not always
going to be the loudest or most hyperactive.
Maybe you'd be drawn into the misty-blue woman with the long black hair in the
deep blue cape with half her face hidden, standing silently at the edge of the
stage.
Now you, as a musician, are one of the actors on that overcrowded stage. Would
you stand out? Would people remember you? Are you being strong enough version
of YOU, so that people who DO want who YOU are can find you in the crowd? (PS
The most memorable actor on stage might be the one that gets off the stage,
walks up to your seat, and gives you a kiss.)
5. Be an extreme version of yourself.
Define yourself. Show your weirdness. Bring out all your quirks. Your public
persona, the image you show to the world, should be an extreme version of yourself.
Even conservative legends were extreme. Think of the legendary performers in
that conservative style. (The ones even your grandmother could like.) Frank
Sinatra. Charlie Chaplin. Liberace. Liza Minelli. Barbara Streisand. Even the
most conservative "legendary" performers were rather extreme
characters. Don't be afraid to be as extreme as you can imagine. Being in the
spotlight is the excuse. You can get away with anything, all in the name of
entertainment.
