Deal sites sound like a good platform especially if you’re desperate and impatient to sell your  concert tickets.

But before you sign-up and create a deal, make sure you read the pros and cons of selling tickets through deal sites.

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PROS

It attracts a lot of consumers. You can reach new customers by appealing to those who are looking for inexpensive deals and a chance to save money. You get to charge lower prices to new customers who aren’t willing to pay more.

Venue owner will love you for it. The venue splits the $$ from the Groupon sales with Groupon.  It helps get a few hundred extra drinkers into the room and the band ends up with more people to sell their merchandise to.

Deal sites gives people a sense of urgency. 

Direct admission. G-Pass™ tickets from Groupon grant you direct admission to some of your favorite live entertainment events.

It gives a better word of mouth to some bands who have poor marketing.

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CONS

Huge price cuts. Groupon keeps 50% of all voucher sales that it obtains for its clients. Thus, business owners generally earn only 25% of what they’d normally make an any sale generated through a daily deal website. Let’s say I’m a business offering a $40 Groupon to customers for $20. I don’t even get $20, I get $14 after Groupon takes their cut.

Your site won’t benefit from it. Sure you get the foot traffic to your physical storefront but your website doesn’t get the bump in online traffic it normally does through traditional web based ad campaigns.

It might help big bands, but it could put small bands to shame. The problem is, you really can’t tell if you’re on the big side or the small side. So you take the chance. You think “hey, it’s free. What have we got to lose?” Think again. Of course you have something to lose- your reputation. If only 12 people buy your deal and you’ve been promoting it through Facebook, people will look down on you and your confidence will be crushed.

Deals hurt your image. One negative aspect of daily deal sites is that price promotions usually hurt the image of the company offering it, says Dholakia. By discounting the price your brand becomes susceptible to a reduction in perceived value by the customer. People would automatically think you’re not that good (or losing your career) because why else would you be offering 50% discount on your tickets?

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What some artists have to say about deal sites:

I think offering a Groupon is lazy. No seriously, it’s lazy. You want to bring in new people? You want to get more business? Then stop focusing on these bargain shoppers; instead focus on YOUR CUSTOMERS!

Yet not all performing arts organizations here are convinced the Groupon model will benefit them in the long term, or serve as a good marketing tool in general.

“I can see how it works for really large organizations but I am not sure it will work for small companies like us,” says Attack Theatre’s marketing director Rebecca Himberger. “The return on investment seems to be really small.”

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SUGGESTIONS:

If you really want to use deal sites, make sure you’re willing to “buy” the remaining tickets needed for a deal to be sold-out. If not, your reputation would seriously suffer.

If you really want to use deal sites, don’t focus on the profit you can get from ticket sales because you’ll only be disappointed.  Focus on how you can get cash from your merch. And you make sure you have a splendid performance and get all of their e-mails to make-up for your tainted image for joining a deal site.

If you are willing to offer 50% off anyway, why not offer it to your customers as a reward or just a freebie? This way, your fans will love you more and they would not think you are cheap- just kind and fun. And this way, you won’t be giving any deal site any money.

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Have you tried selling tickets or merch using deal sites? How did it go?

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Those who say that it’s impossible to make really creative and remarkable designs with “boring” jewel cases are probably boring and not creative. There are so many good-looking (and award-winning) albums that use clear jewel cases effectively. Here are some of them:

Pequeña Burguesía

The whole information is printed in decals that allow you to decorate the jewel-box. The transparent jewel case is the perfect case for this because it contributes to the overall minimalist feel. This concept is very similar to the last three items of this post.
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Here’s a DVD compilation of the work of anthropologist and filmmaker, Julia Yezbick designed by Benjamin Gaydos.

I like how the clean jewel case emphasizes the colored squares. I believe this won’t work that well if it were packaged in a black jewel case or if it’s printed on a CD wallet.  The clear jewel case gives it a clean, fresh-from-the-store look.

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Puerto Despertar

“A folded and stitched poster becomes an envelope that keeps a jewel-box inside. The title of the CD is “Puerto Despertar” (Port Awakening), hence a bundle of light rays on the front cover.”

Designed by Bendita Gloria

It’s simple but we know it’s not just a lazy design. Plain-looking paper, thin “design- less” CD case and black and white photos. Clean and lovely.

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Breaknecks & Lok Allé

Album cover and logotypes made for Breaknecks and Lok Allé’s collaboration album “Tilfeldigvis”. We can choose our own cover out of six options.

Designed by Ludvig Bruneau Rossow, Norway.
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Everything (P-Money)

I love how the curved edges of the clear jewel case matches the typography and the edges of the computer monitor.
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CD Labeling

This is a compact disc labeling concept. Each waveform accurately depicts a complete song in a 1-inch square. Designed by Joshua Distler.

Again, minimalist design executed well with the help of the extreme simplicity of the clear jewel case.
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The Information- Beck

The packaging for Beck’s latest album, The Information, consists of a blank grid cover and a random set of stickers for each release designed by various artists. The idea is to mix and match as you choose to create your own custom cover.

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This CD cover/packaging design by the folks at PLEASELETMEDESIGN is clever in its use of the case to display a pencil which completes the ‘kids’ games’ feel. You can find song titles here.
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Pinebender: Too Good to Be True

This one has a pencil, too. This design received awards back in 2002. Do you also think Beck’s The Information album (above) copied this concept? Yeah, me too.

So you see folk? Never underestimate the good ol’ jewel case.

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Kickstarter isn’t the only crowd-funding site. If you’re new to this kind of thing, you have to select the platform that suits your project best. And in order for you to do that, you have to know the reputation of these sites, the fees, the good, bad and ugly.

Kickstarter

*The most famous crowd-funding site today.

*Not excusive to musicians. They fund almost any type of project from films to gadgets.

*It is not assured that your campaign will be launched. Their team will review it and they only approve 60 percent of the 2,000 or so projects that apply each week (unlike Indiegogo).

*Fee: Kickstarter takes 5% of the funds raised. Amazon charges an additional 3-5%.

*Payments must be made through Amazon Payments only.

*Disadvantage: You can only use it with a U.S. bank account. Meaning, fans from other parts of the globe can’t donate through Kickstarter. Kickstarter is still working on  allowing international projects to be funded thru them.

* As of April 2012, Kickstarter had more than $175 million dollars pledged and more than 20,000 successfully funded projects.

* Has a 44% success rate.

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Pledge Music

*Second most popular fan-funding site.

*Integrates your database, MySpace friends, Facebook fans, Twitter followers and various other social networking sites.

*Fee: 15% of the funds raised

*Lets you accept donations via debit/credit cards and PayPal.

*Not exclusive to US Banks. Fans and supporters from around the world can donate.

*PledgeMusic is one of the good options for bands outside the U.S.

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Indiegogo

* For campaigns that fail to raise their target amount, users have the option of either refunding all money to their contributors at no charge or keeping all money raised but with a 9% fee.

*Fee: 4% fee for successful campaigns. There’s also a third-party payment processing fee of 2.9 percent.

* Unlike Kickstarter, Indiegogo let all projects in unless maybe if it’s offensive or illegal. But the downside is that you’ll be competing with tens of thousands of campaigns on the site.

* Unlike similar sites such as Kickstarter, IndieGoGo disburses the funds immediately.

* IndieGoGo is open to anyone who has a valid bank account or credit card anywhere in the world.

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Sellaband

* headquartered in Amsterdam.

* They have a minimum funding target ( € 3000) and a maximum funding target (€ 250.000). Like the ones above, you won’t get a cent if you don’t reach your goal.

*  Artists can also choose if they want to integrate a revenue sharing option into their funding. The minimum incentive is a download.

* Disadvantage: Some complain that they don’t get all their money back if they back-out because Sellaband charges a fee on the back end as well.

* Currently there are artists 89 artists who reached their goal.

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Artist Share

*The first crowdfunding/fan-funded website for music (launched in 2003).

* Same concept as most crowdfunding websites.

* ArtistShare’s CEO, Brian Camelio, applied for a patent on the basic concepts of crowdfunding back in 2003 and sued Kickstarter in 2011.

* Their model aims to build fan relationships and not just one-and-done campaigns.

* ArtistShare projects have received 5 Grammy awards and 15 Grammy nominations.

* Artists must go through a screening and survey process and be approved.

* Fees: One-time $595 setup fee plus $12.95 a month

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Feed the Muse

* Although it is primarily made for indie musicians, it also serves as a platform for other artists.

* For musicians, not limited to funding your album. You can make a campaign if you need gas money for your tour, if you need more gear, etc.

* Fee: a $5 monthly fee for premium accounts, which is necessary if you want an Audio/ Video embed content section ( no fee if you won’t receive donations).

* Has forums and site is not that easy to navigate.

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Your superfans are not just assets; they are your SUPER ASSETS and you simply cannot lose one or two because of the lack of artist-fan relationship. Here are some ways to build a rock-solid relationship with your fans:

Give Your Fans a Name

You want to create a semi-cult, right? In order to make it somewhat official, you have to give your fans a name. This would make them feel like they’re part of an exclusive organization. One good example is the Lady Gaga. Gaga doesn’t like the word “fan” so she calls them her “Little Monsters,” named after her album “ The Fame Monster.” Naming your fans is one of the best ways for branding your band and developing a good following.

Tag Fans in Your Panoramic Concert Photos

Let your photographers take photos of your fans during your concerts and post them on your Facebook page. Let fans tag themselves. Challenge them to get all the faces identified and tagged. This is not a new idea but I believe it still works as long as you put a bit of twist to it. Here’s one awesome example made by the Glastonbury organizers.

The experience is a bit like Where’s Waldo for the digital age, where oddly dressed cartoon characters are replaced by real people who attended the concert. If you enable Facebook Connect, you can tag yourself and your friends.

Give Approaching Fans Your Undivided Attention

If a fan approaches you, always give them your undivided attention. You do not have to talk to them for an hour, just a minute or even 30 seconds will do. And if there are just too many of them (lucky you, why are you still reading this article?), you don’t have to interact with each one of them- treat them as a group. The point is this: don’t be a snob. Don’t just go whooshing by as if you’re having the worst day of your life, even if you’re having the worst day of your life. Make sure you read our personality development 101 so you’ll charm (or at least not turn off) any big industry man or big fan you meet.

Always Have a Couple of Merch Handy

Bring small, easy-to-carry merch -like the Beastreaks’ lollies, customized guitar picks, rubber bracelets or even just stickers wherever you go so you will have something to give fans that will approach you. You’re aiming to have super fans, so you have to feed them with these stuff. They’ll love you for it. You don’t have to worry about budget because we can make really awesome yet affordable merch.

Share Dark Secrets on Your Blog

Do not simply blog about your upcoming concerts; share something more intimate than that. Talk about your experiences, your dirty secrets, your inspiration, your opinions, your problems. Once regular fans read your blog, they’ll sympathize, laugh, and totally become more interested in your band. What most bands don’t realize is that music-lovers want something more than music, they want stories. Learn more blogging tips for musicians so you can make the most out of your blog.

Send Special E-mails

Not all fans are created equal- some are more loyal than the others. You do not want to send them all the same e-mail because the loyal ones SHOULD (and I mean MUST) feel special. They simply want to know they are more appreciated than the guy who only knows your latest hit song. If you want to develop intimacy with your fans, make sure you put them in different categories (the more categories, the better) and send them different e-mails, different web conferences, different concert invites, etc. New fans should receive different e-mails from old fans. Old fans should receive different e-mails from Hardcore fans. Make sure you won’t commit any of these frequently committed e-mail marketing don’ts or else your efforts would be useless.

Develop Shared Symbols

The concept is pretty much the same as naming your fans. Shared symbols allow fans to identify each other and connect. It’s the feeling of being part of a “secret society.” Lady Gaga’s official Little Monster greeting is the outstretched “monster claw” hand. As all Little Monsters know, the clawed hand is part of the choreography in the video of her song “Bad Romance.”

Use Loyalty-based Apps to Connect to Your Fans

One example is Flowd. It lets you chat directly to your fans, promote gigs, and throw contests. You can sync Flowd to Facebook and Twitter for easy management of your social networks. If you are an artist, you can sign yourself into Flowd with an artist profile on: flowd.com/artist_registration.

Play in Smaller Venues

Develop intimacy by playing in more intimate venues like art galleries, book stores, smaller bars or in the living room of one of your loyal fans (hey, great idea for a contest). Try to invite the more loyal fans and make sure you connect with them by sharing stories, giving some merch, giving free pizza, etc.

Stay on Your Merch Table

After your performance, head to your merch table. This will not only help you sell more merch, you’ll also be able to connect with your fans and future fans. While you’re there signing autographs, let them write down their e-mail addresses for so you can send them e-mails and newsletters.

Conduct Live Webcast

Livechat allows you to webcast a video to your fans. It is pretty much like talking to someone on Skype. Your fans will ask questions through a text-based chat room interface and you will answer them one by one.

Showcase Them In Your Music Video

The most loyal fans deserve recognition and rewards. You can express your gratitude by inviting them to dance for your latest music video. Take it from Graham Coxon’s new video for What’ll It Take. He invited his fans to dance on camera. 85 of them from 22 countries sent him footage. The result is one very unique music video.

Post Their Gifts on Your Website and Social Networks

So let’s say you’re already that loved (popular) and you’ve received tons of letters and gifts from all over the world. Take time to give each one a thank you e-mail. You do not have to rush this if you’re too swamped. As long as you do it within six months, you’re still a lovable musician. If you are active online (which you should be), I suggest you take a photo of your fans’ gifts. You can tag them and thank them one by one or shout out a big thanks to all of them.

I’m sure you have more clever ideas than the ones listed here. Do share!

Photo: Wired

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Artist: Various

Album: Tyneham House

Label: Second Language and Clay Pipe Music

Art Director/ Designer: Frances Castle

Year: 2012

This is a melancholic tribute for the tiny Dorset village of Tyneham, which was requisitioned by the British government during World War II and was never returned to the inhabitants. Land access around Tyneham was opened up in the 1970s, but admission to the house remains strictly forbidden.

Illustrations are made by Frances Castle.

The disquieting music of Tyneham House is made by artists who have previously graced Second Language releases, but who wish to remain anonymous.

Images from: Hardformat

You did it. You just made your first feature film. It was really fulfilling but I bet it was also very exhausting. And just when you’re about to exhale, your co-filmmaker asked you about your DVD packaging.Now you can think straight. That’s the least thing you want to think about. You just want it to materialize because you have one thousand and one things to do.

But unless you have the money to pay for someone to do it for you, it’s not the best time to get lazy. You’ve made it this far, it’s not wise to slack off in marketing and packaging your product.

Here are the benefits of having a good-looking DVD packaging:

Adds Value to Your Product. Instead of putting a hundred more dollars for your posters, why don’t you use that amount to beautify your DVD packaging? That way, your money is put directly to your product which will be given directly to the buyers. That means, the money you spend will be given to the buyers and not to the posters and other marketing collaterals.

Helps Create Your Brand. You may ask: What brand? Well, the brand is you- the filmmaker. You are the filmmaker and how you make your film, package yourself, and package your product constitute your brand. Tim Burton has a brand. Kubrick has a brand. James Cameron has a brand. Yes, because they are auteur and also because they’ve created an image in our heads that whenever we hear their names, we automatically associate them with certain things. When I hear Burton, I instantly think dark, messy, Use your DVD packaging to establish your brand.

Might Convince People to Buy Your DVD. Well, if your product LOOKS good, there’s a bigger chance people would buy it. Simple as that.

Makes People Talk. If your DVD packaging is remarkable, people will talk about it. The kid who happens to pass by the video store and see your awesome DVD packaging would tell his brother about it. The brother would google your movie to see what his brother is talking about. He will like it, of course and share the link to his facebook, and probably even buy it the next day. You get the picture.

Makes Important People Talk. If you want publicity, then you absolutely have to make a good-looking CD packaging that journalists and bloggers would be interested in. You have to give them something worth talking about aside from your film. They will absolutely love to feature your DVD packaging because it has pictures. Posters won’t give you the same advantage.

Won’t Ruin Your Bank Account. So you automatically shoo away the idea of having a creative DVD packaging because you automatically think it’s costly to make. Give it a chance. Talk to your DVD manufacturer or packaging designer about your budget and let them come up with cheap options. It’s not that expensive as you think. You can even include freebies that do not cost more than a dollar.

Looks Good on Your Website. No matter how you beautify your website, nothing beats really good products. Your fans (and soon to be fans) want to know what you’ve got. Aside from the fluff, they want to see the real thing- your DVD. Giving them a really awesome DVD packaging will surely impress them.

Looks Good on Your Facebook Wall. This is basically like the website except that we’re talking about social networks. Having a good-looking DVD packaging will make your Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest more interesting.

Makes People Love You For Adding an Extra to Make Your Product Extra Special. People will see your efforts. They would know if you’re trying your best to produce something good or you’re just making something for the sake of getting things done- especially if it’s your first feature. Impress them all the way.

Gives You the Satisfaction That You’re Selling Something of Great Value. Nothing beats the feeling of satisfaction brought about by the fact that you’ve given it your best. It’s like having a badge pinned on your suit (or shirt) every single day. And I believe this is the best reason for having a remarkable DVD packaging.

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to big-time musicians and filmmakers. We are known for custom CD/DVD packaging and promotional materials. If you need a instant quote on a project now or something you are thinking of in the future, e-mail our project manager directly at james@unifiedmanufacturing.com

If you are addicted to vinyl records, here are the iPhone apps that you will surely love.

VinylLove

According to the creators of the VinylLove iPad app, the app claim restores key attributes of the vinyl age: digging through crates to find an album, dropping the needle on a particular track, and sitting back with friends as the record turns, with that familiar-to-some vinyl crackle.

It starts when you browse your music collection in the Record Collection view, crate by alphabetized crate — more or less in the way you would peruse your records if you were a hyper-organized vinyl fiend. And all of your music is imported automatically, so it’s there the first time you run the app.

VinylLove starts playing the first track automatically, with the warm, vinyl crackling sound so prized by fans of the format (if you’ve never heard it before, imagine the sound of a fire quietly smoldering).

You can also drop the needle on any other track in order to play it instantly, as a handy slider view at the top of the screen shows you which track is which. After all, a return to this “analog” format needn’t mean a return to unlabeled vinyl tracks.
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AirVinyl

The AirVinyl app  from the legendary Air Studios will add “all the warmth of analogue harmonics” to the digital music on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

Previously available on iPad, the app is now on iPhone and iPod Touch, and allows you to browse your music as if it were a record collection – and get that vinyl sound, too.

The app’s audio output has been enhanced “to recreate the audio ambience originally intended by the artist.”

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Vinyl District

Get your daily indie record store fix: vinyl, news, reviews, free stuff. Brick and mortar—in pixels, on the go. Besides keeping up with the editorial content TVD offers, this is also perfect app to know where that hard-to-find record store is…wherever you are!

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Vinyl Wolf

The app allows sellers to instantly connect with buyers whilst out and about – at car boot sales, record fairs, charity shops etc. – if a record is found anywhere in the world, Vinyl Wolf can be checked to see if people are actively looking for it.

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Collectorz

Here’s another app that lets you organize your collection. Export your collection to the CLZ iPhone application and browse your collection and wish list while on the road. Collectorz is not limited to vinyl- you can organize other types of files like movies, comics, and many others.

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Here is the 10-inch casebound hard cover gatefold double vinyl edition of Satellites‘ album entitled 01.

It contains two die-cut silver sleeves that looks like real metal from afar. Each sleeve contains transparent vinyl records and clear, plastic screen-printed insert that contains sleeve notes.

It also has a flap which contains the CD version of the album.

Limited to just 500 pressings, the 10″ gatefold version will be available exclusively through Rough Trade from April 9.

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Artist: Satellites
Album: 01
Designed by: Konstatinos Gargaletsos
Packaging produced by: Daniel Mason ofSomething Else
Label: Vesterbrother
Year: 2012
Source: Creative Review
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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

Of all the photography marketing articles I’ve read, I find this article written by Charles Lewis  the most useful. I made a summary of his tips below. If you want to read the full article, click here. What other tips did he miss?

1. Set your policies. Set up the business and organize it so you are running your photo business instead of it running you & your life. This includes items like your Guarantee; having a pre-portrait “chat” with clients;charging a pre-paid creation fee that does not go toward the purchase of the images; having your original images never leave your photography business, etc.

2.  Learn the correct “sales vocabulary.” Never use words such as “picture,” “customers,” “proofs,” “photo shoot,” or “large.” Instead, use the words “Portrait, photograph or image,” “clients,” “Originals,” “session,” and “appropriate” or “perfect size.”

3. Don’t try to be a low-priced photographer.  Price & merchandise your photography significantly enough to make you a great profit with the clients you serve.  It’s really not the prices you charge, but rather it’s how you present those prices to your prospects & clients that determines whether or not they will do what you recommend.

4. Diversify. You need to use multiple mediums and methods to create the huge demand and to define your brand.

5.  Have an organized plan for handling inquiries on the telephone and from emails – so you turn most of the callers and emailers into paying clients consistently.

6. Be known as a perfectionist. People will be happy to pay your higher fees once they realize how you want everything to be perfect for them.

7. Deliver images earlier than promised. But be sure you allow yourself plenty of time to do the very best that can humanly be done. Don’t rush to deliver something extremely quickly – it puts too much pressure on you, and the quality suffers. Quality is always more important that speed.

8.  When work is done, follow-up with your clients by telephone (not email.) Make sure they are thrilled with you and with their images. Very few business people ever call their clients after the work is done, just to make sure everything is perfect.

9. Stay in touch with your clients at least once a month. It’s vital for your long term business success to maintain the great relationship you have built with this client.

10. Bring on an apprentice.  You can’t do everything yourself. Start with bringing on an apprentice who loves photography and will work with you for no money, just in return for learning what you do and how you do it. This is an extremely powerful way to find good people who love photography like you do.

And if you want people to consider you as a kick-ass photographer with a solid brand, make sure your products are in awesome-looking  packaging. Put your CD-Roms in creative CD wallets and make sure you customize your flash drives. They will love you even more for it.

photo credit: Surfer Sam

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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.

One of the best ways to promote your band (and to earn a few dollars) is by selling band merchandise like t-shirts, stickers, tumblers and other collectibles. If the items are good, it would benefit your band’s image; it would make people think you are legit and that you’re on your way up. But how do you promote those promotional merch? Of course you probably won’t need a lot of effort in the marketing department if you’re already famous, but what if you still do not have the KISS level of fame, then you should put in a lot of effort in promoting your band merch. Here are some ways you can promote them without spending big bucks.

T-shirt Design Contest. So why don’t you promote the product when it’s still a concept? Well, in this case, there’s not even a concept yet. If you think you have a good number of hardcore followers online, throw a t-shirt design contest instead of hiring a professional art director/designer. This will not promote your band and help you get connected to your fans, it will also save you some money. Post their entries on your facebook page and ask people to vote. Make sure you give credit and reward the winner with something good.

Tip: Don’t give monetary rewards because that would appear too business-like. Instead, make it fun. One good idea is playing at the winner’s house, wedding, or party for free.

Give Away Some Items. Once you have your cool goodies ready, throw other contests whether online or during gigs. You may post trivia questions on Facebook and just randomly select a winner. You may also give ten of your most loyal fans -those who are always present at your shows and are always sharing your music online. Just make sure your contests are fun- better if they’re funny.

Mail Bloggers. Make press releases about your exceptionally cool merchandise, compile good behind-the-scenes photos, and submit them to music bloggers and journalists. For the more famous ones and for magazines, it is advisable that you mail to them your merchandise.

Put Download Codes on Your Merch. To give your fans more motivation to buy your merch, add your download code to some of the more expensive items like t-shirts. This might push them to buy your product. And if they have your merch, it might convince others to become interested in your band.

Bundle it with Your CD. This is similar to the one I just mentioned. To increase the value of your CD, include a “freebie.” This will make your goodies look really good, too.

Let Celebs Wear Your Shirt. If you are famous (or lucky) enough to know some celebrities, let them wear your shirt. Take a photo of them wearing your items and spread the photos online.

Photo: http://www.tastemate.com/
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Unified Manufacturing is a custom CD/DVD and Vinyl Manufacturing facility based on both sides of the US. Our clients range from indie artists to major label artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and Ringo Starr. If you need an Instant Quote on a project AND you want FREE SHIPPING ( free shipping on all quotes from the blog) – Then CLICK HERE.