The Marketing Model to Become Famous

How to Market your Brand Online

Steven — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:39:45 +0000

I first met Mari Smith when she was teaching me via Youtube how to create the background for my Twitter page. As the months progressed I continued studying Twitter and FaceBook marketing strategies and the name Mari Smith kept popping up during my searches. Latter that year I was at an exclusive networking event for speakers and authors and guess who walked through the door?

Mari Smith…The woman who has helped me numerous times to learn about FaceBook and Twitter and she never even knew it.

That is the power of marketing yourself online. Once you create an article, video, Tweet or status update that information will continue to work for you, establishing credibility and building a following for you even though you have moved onto the next project.

When I saw Mari at the conference I said, “Hey, I know you…I have seen your YouTube videos!” (Real professional, right?) A couple of months later I called her up for an interview so she can teach you and I her secrets to becoming known throughout the world by leveraging social media.

Keys to Online Success

Throughout our interview Mari was extremely generous with her time and wisdom. She explained that her success had to do with “Radical Strategic Visibility” which is being seen in the right places by the right people at the right time. Her goal is for people to say, “I see you everywhere.” (which is basically what I said to her the first time that we met.)

Secondly, Smith says that her success online is as a result of her efforts offline. She gives without an expectation of a return (like this interview). In her own words she says, “I give give give and then the law of sowing and reaping will eventually pay me back.

Thirdly, her success online is that she remains extremely accessible. She doesn’t like people to call her a celebrity and doesn’t like to be placed on a pedestol. She stays accessible to her followers.

Lastly, she is consistent. Mari says, “Be congruent. Don’t develop an online persona that you can’t keep up in person. Make sure that all of your profiles have an up to date picture and keep your online personality consistent with your offline personality.”

Cultivate Relationships

Though I have already eluded to this I want to really drive this point home. Your ability to cultivate relationships is probably the most important factor in your success (in any industry). Mari does an amazing job at connecting with her audience. She has a way of connecting with people that really makes you feel like you have known her for years. Though her business is globally known, the feel of her organization is like a storefront grocery in small town USA.

That’s what you want.

Give from your Saucer

When asked what her secret was for creating this culture she replied, “Give from your saucer. (not your cup) I make the time to answer people’s questions, and take the time to respond to people with questions.”

Something worth mentioning is what Mari concluded with. She said, “I take the time to build the relationship with myself.” If you don’t take the time to build the relationship that you have with yourself, then you will have nothing to give to the multitude of people who are pulling on you, and seeking your advice on a daily basis.

Take the time to fill up your own cup so that you can give from your saucer.

Mari Smith is someone that you should connect with on FaceBook. She will help you with your FaceBook and Twitter questions…take my word.

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Post tags: facebook, how to market your brand online, mari smith, social media, twitter

Bite Your Tongue Marketing

Steven — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:49:38 +0000

We have all been there. You are in a meeting, in a conversation and someone says something that is just off, way off from how you believe. How do you respond? Do you agree? Do you disagree?

Personally, I just tend to sit there and listen (but not always…hey no one is perfect). I live by the adage that, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.”

What say you?

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Post tags: bite your tongue, people skills, tongue marketing

How to Get a Ton of Traffic to Your Website

Steven — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:53:18 +0000

Website Traffic Jam

My audience is made up of entrepreneurs who want to become famous or who want their brand to become famous. Many of them are just starting out in the world of blogging and Internet marketing therefore I wanted to tap into the expertise of someone who could teach them not only how to create an online following but also how they could leverage that following to fame and profit.

For this task I have sought out Zubin Kutar, founder of WebTrafficROI.com. Zubin gets roughly 10,000 monthly visitors to his site but more than that he makes a GREAT living from those 10,000 monthly visitors. He knows not only how to get your website crazy traffic but also how to turn that traffic into dollars. Which makes me…smile.

Zubin states that the secret to his online success is that he has built trust and credibility by creating valuable content.

Which sounds easy enough, right? But Zubin went on to explain the psychology behind his philosophy…

“People who visit WebTrafficROI.com might have stumbled upon my website via the search engines and not know me from Adam yet they read the valuable information that I share. Due to the impact of that article my visitor might bookmark my site and come back or explore more content on my site, which further adds value to their Internet marketing experience. This builds trust, which builds my expert status. Adding value is the most important factor when building a brand online”

He went onto talk about how we only purchase from people we trust. The reason why people buy from Walmart is because they “trust” that Walmart has the best product at the best price. Walmart has proven their brand over the years and now they are reaping the benefits from the seeds of trust sown into the consumer.

With each one of Zubin’s posts he has several Retweets and many comments. His site is so much more than an informational blog, it’s is a living growing community. That is what you want in a website…raving fans who will actively participate in the discussion you start online. So my question was naturally, “What is the best way to build a community?”

The simplicity of his answer surprised me, “Ask them to leave a comment. Run a contest that is centered around leaving a comment. If you tell your audience what you want, they will give you what you want.”

Now, of course with a website called, “WebTrafficROI.com,” you know that I had to ask the question… “How can you make money from your site?” and “When is too soon to begin monetizing a website?”

Zubin said, “Begin monetizing the day that you begin writing content. Its never to soon to start making money from your website. But, that being said you have to experiment with your audience using Google Adsense, leveraging Clickbank, Commission Junction, and by finding other companies who might want to advertise on your website. You can also leverage BuySellAds.com who will match you with advertisers who are looking to spread the word in your niche.”

Zubin spent a lot of time helping me, and giving me information that has proven to be so valuable in my Internet marketing. I have appreciated the time that he took out to serve us with his wisdom. I highly suggest that you go to his site, WebTrafficROI.com, and sign up for his eBook, “How to Optimize your website for better conversions in 10 easy steps” I have read it from cover to cover and found some GREAT tips!

Lastly, take a second right now…to leave a comment stating a marketing tip that you learned from the content above.

© Steven for The Marketing Model to Become Famous, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: branding, famous, traffic, website, zubin kutar

How to Get Signed by an Acting Agent in New York

Steven — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:19:12 +0000

Models and now days most every established singer will act during some stage of their careers. Some singers get their start as an actor then leverage that popularity to jump into music world while others dominate their niche as a singer and then are requested to act in movies. Regardless of why you tab into the acting industry you are going to want find a great agent who can guide you into the BIG GIGS!

So to help you navigate through the waters of the acting business I interviewed one of Stewart Talent’s top agents, Steve Maihack, and posed the questions that will help you get signed by an agent to explode your career.

Q. You get approached by 1000′s of actors trying to find an agent. What is the best method to get your attention?

Actors are a business and as a business they need to know how to market themselves. Actors when they meet with me need to know exactly what they are talking about…they need to know what roles they perform best and how we should market them. In addition, the first contact that you have with me, we need to have something exciting to talk about. That something exciting can be the fact that you are a Miss New York, or that you had a spot in a major film or something else that I can leverage to get you more gigs.

The Right Way to Send a Resume

Q. What is the right way to send an acting resume to your office?

Stewart Talent is trying to be Green so we want to use the least amount of paper as possible. Whenever, I meet a talent I always give my email address to make that access possible. In addition they can also go through the StewartTalent.com and attach their headshot and resume.

Even more than being Green this methodology is about strategy. Do to the fact that I receive so many acting resumes I need to leveraging technology in order to look at more resumes quicker and save me time.

Q. In the sea of applications that you receive how in the world do you narrow down which actors you follow up with and who you do not?

Sometimes it comes down to looking at our clients finding an ethnic balance or a gender balance. This is a business very much like a traditional brick and mortar business that you will find on the street. They order more products when their inventory is low, and we in similar fashion “order” more actors when the demand for roles increases. In addition to needing that balance we also study trends of our industry. So if we notice a spike in the industry for actors of a particular build, race, look or even some that carry a particular sound then we will boost our inventory to capture more jobs for our actors.

Do Postcards Work?

Q. There is a lot of talk in the marketing for actors industry about mailing out postcards to agencies with actor information on it. Are postcards effective?

You will never get a job through a postcard. Personally I think that introducing yourself through postcards is very similar to spam mail. In addition, sending out postcards is a rough strategy that takes the personal aspect away from the actor. As an aspiring actor unless you have a real personal connect with an agent like you have spoken with them on the phone, have emailed them or made personal contact then more than likely those postcards will go in the trash.

Q. So how can actors make those personal contacts with agents like you to open up the door of opportunity?

It’s easy…go to where we are. Go to the open calls, acting seminars and networking events in the city where you are. I know that New York, where I am based, has a lot of them. Some might have a small fee but they can be extremely valuable. Getting an agent is all about a relationship. And really cultivating a relationship takes personal contact and some time. An actor wouldn’t let a random stranger into their house, nor is an agent going to just represent an actor, spending 100’s of hours into their career without first getting to know them. Make’s sense right?

More than that…follow up is critical. I can’t tell you how many people whom I meet that never follow up with me. If you don’t follow up that either shows lack of interest or lack of organization…either way that inaction will not get you signed.

Biggest Pet Peeve?

Q. What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to aspiring actors trying to find an agent?

Actors who are not prepared! When people come to meet me I assume that they are going to be prepared. I assume that they are at a standard acting level when they meet me meaning that they bring a headshot, resume, and that they have monologue memorized so show me their skill. If they don’t that brings up all kinds of red flags that will bleed into their personal business…their auditions and gigs.

I mean you only have one shot to stand before me. And if you place little emphasis on this meeting then I know that you will place the same value on the one shot auditions and gigs that I get them. The importance that you place on the little things will scream volumes about your character.

How to Become and Actor with Stewart Talent

Stewart Talent has offices located in New York, Atlanta and their mother agency is located in Chicago. To contact Steve Maihack do so through Steward Talent.com and reference this article so that he knows where you come from.

This is extremely important as you can leverage this relationship and information to get your foot into a major agency. Now obviously, just because you read this article and say, “Hey, I saw you on StevenRoddy.com” that you are going to get an appointment or a gig. But, this opportunity does give you a common ground which could open a great door if you have the talent.

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Post tags: acting agent, how to get signed, new york, Steve Maihack, stewart talent

How to Find and Market Your Uniqueness as a Singer

Steven — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:06:57 +0000

Toby Bloomberg, of Diva Marketing is a social media and branding expert. In this interview Toby is going to teach you how to discover your uniqueness as a singer and then market that unique quality to make you famous!

Here we go…

Toby runs a blog called “Diva Marketing” which besides being completely unique in name and flavor delivers extremely valuable marketing tips and insights. She started blogging before blogging was cool and noticed that the amount of positive feedback that she started getting from comments that were left on her blogs.

You see blog comments create social proof. If I am a manager looking to work with an artist and I go to there website and notice that with every blog post they have 4 or 5 comments then that is going to tell me that this person has a following. This is what Toby of Diva Marketing found out.

Toby launched the Diva Marketing blog as an experiment. She had been writing for a column before called Diva Marketing and when that well dried up so to speak she then decided to launch into this blog thing that is now so wildly popular.

What Toby found out is that through a blog you can establish the “Corner Grocery Store Relationships”. The type of relationship that when you walk in, they know your name, your mother’s name and what your order is. Starbucks does a great job at this…but your blog can do an even better job at developing an intimate relationship with more people thanks to technology. This is a critical step in building a fan base.

Through “Diva Marketing” Toby has done a great job at finding a unique brand and approach to marketing. Inspired by this I posed this question:

How to Find Your Uniqueness?

“So much of the time aspiring singers will see a star whom they admire and will try to emulate their person. How can singers find their uniqueness as an entertainer?”

Toby first complimented me on my question (I was flattered LOL) then she responded:

“I was a theatre major and went to Emerson College in Boston (something that I did not know). I found out that initially, it’s not uncommon for younger entertainers to emulate major artists in their genre. It takes time to develop your voice, image and style. You need time to find out what works for you and what doesn’t. But, while you are progressing towards your ultimate goal you will find that little pieces of different artists whom you admired begin to come together to find you and create your brand.

It takes courage and knowledge of self to come out of self to find self. Does that make sense?”

Oddly enough I completely understood what she was saying. It was like she was telling my personal journey. I betrayed my excitement by answering nonchalantly, “Sure.”

“Furthermore,” she continued, “ The brand artists project on stage has to be authentically them but that might at the same time that might not be who they are off stage. It takes life experience to figure this out so be patient.”

How do you discover who your audience is?

But, we all know that the singing business is not a one-dimensional. So discovering your brand is one facet of becoming famous but once your brand is discovered how do you know where to market? How do you discover who your market truly is?

The simple truth is that you have to find out who resonates with your message and image. The music business is a little different from business in that you are creating the brand first and then the audience finds you and your brand instead of creating a brand for a specific demographic of people (though this has been done with the boy band craze back in the day).

Where is your audience hiding?

So then my question was naturally, “Once a singer’s demographic is found, how do you find out where the demographic is hiding?”

Toby responded, “Listen to online conversation. Sign up for Twitter Alerts and Google Alerts and track the keywords that your demographic talks about. Those keywords could be other bands in your genre, your band name or just general subjects that your demographic also likes. Then reach out and connect with these people, capture their email address and then connect with them on a consistent basis.”

In conclusion Bloomberg gave this advice, “Another great tool to find out what your demographic wants is to leverage survey tools for Twitter and FaceBook. By taking polls to discover what your fans want you can then create a product that your demographic will love ensuring their support, your sales and ultimately…your fame.*

Toby has written the first ever book on the business of Twitter. This isn’t a book on how to use Twitter with tips and strategies but more on the business backend of Twitter. This is a great resource for you to read and make reference to…and the best part is that she is given this away for free to you!

Click, “Social Media Marketing GPS” to get your copy.

© Steven for The Marketing Model to Become Famous, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: famous, market your uniqueness, marketing music, music, singer