Category: Social MediaCategory: Social Media

From ‘25 THINGS TO SAY INSTEAD OF “NEW VIDEO‘ over at my HEAVY METAL EMAIL newsletter on Substack:

Every day, a hundred bands have a new music video to promote, but these creative, gifted, genius artists only seem to know one way to announce their new creative vision to the world:

NEW VIDEO [link]

Hours of planning, hiring a director, gathering equipment, location scouting, lighting, permits, and a long ass day playing in the woods or in an abandoned warehouse, and when it’s time to announce it to the world – the creative well is empty.

I’ve been at this for 20+ years, first on the editorial side running music blogs like Buzzgrinder and Noisecreep, then on the PR / label side of things.

Every day, a hundred bands have a new music video to promote, but these creative, gifted, genius artists only seem to know one way to announce their new creative vision to the world:

NEW VIDEO [link]

Hours of planning, hiring a director, gathering equipment, location scouting, lighting, permits, and a long ass day playing in the woods or in an abandoned warehouse, and when it’s time to announce it to the world – the creative well is empty.

Now obviously the videos below don’t need my help.

Let these serve as a imaginative starting point for your own creative projects – videos, new songs, new products, whatever you’re offering to the world.

Imagine each of these examples below as an email subject line, or a social media post, with a still shot from the video, and the short blurb as the caption.

1. We just shot a video at Giants Stadium in NJ!
2. Recognize the NYC music stores we hit while filming this video?
3. Hey you! Stop making out in the pit and watch us perform!

1. Boiling heat, summer stench – our new music video has it all
2. Baby goats, a dead bee keeper, lizard ladies and more
3. Put another Barbie on the grill!

1. How many Dave Mustaine’s can you count in our latest video?
2. Mankind has got to know… his limitations.
3. Zero human brains were injured in our new video

1. Most everything on the set for our latest video is from Rob’s house
2. See what it’s like to jump around in our singers house in our new video
3. We paid our friend $50 to walk around LA in a robot suit

These are tongue in cheek, of course, but you have to find the style and vibe and tone for your own work.

Make your announcements as creative as the work you’re promoting.

If you don’t think you have anything interesting to send an email once a week to your fans, tell me: what are you posting multiple times per day across several social media platforms?

It’s more mullet marketing.

Party in the back: social media is fun and loose!
Business in the front: email is for transactions! Sales!

All that stuff you share on social media (that a fraction of your audience even sees) are all things your fans enjoy and read and share.

You know this by the likes and comments.

And how many times have we seen metal blogs make an entire story about a band member’s social media post?

And who doesn’t love peteY? Business in the email (LOGO, TEXT, BUTTONS), party on the socials:

Yes, I know peteY’s whimsical videos on socials are the marketing for his real-life music which seems to be doing very well (this email was sent via UMG), but… as a fan which feels more familiar? This adorable face on the screen, or… big pre-save buttons?

And while Stray From The Path probably won’t send out an email of Craig’s rants (but shit, I’d subscribe), well… there’s no email list to subscribe to on their website anyways, so what’s any of this even matter?! Hah!

GET TO THE POINT, SETH.

What I mean is this: the audience you’re reaching on social media seems to enjoy your photos and writing and videos and commentary.

Why not share some of that with your email list audience?

Since I’ve left Twitter and deleted Instagram from my phone, I’ve been missing some stuff.

I still see things (friends send me links, or I find stuff from my day job duties), but damn, everyone is still mullet marketing.

I saw some amazing photos of bands killing it at Download Festival. Then I go to their website, and see album art and YouTube embeds.

I see bands hyping their new album, re-sharing all the cool DSP playlist adds, the heartfelt thanks to media outlets, and the fans. Long, finely crafted Instagram captions paired with inspiring photos!

Get pumped!

Then I get their email newsletter and it’s just album mock ups and a BUY button.

No magic, just business.

Not all your fans follow you on every social network. And even if they do, only a small percentage are going to see your posts.

“Don’t spend all your effort on the “billboard,” then neglect your own establishment.”

Put your best stuff on your website.
Put it in your email newsletters.

Remember – when someone buys a record, or a concert ticket, a receipt gets sent to their email account.

And every smart phone comes with an email app pre-installed.

You can write an email directly to your fans. Your customers. Your biggest supporters.

Your website could look like a full page magazine spread with big photos and YOUR branding all over it.

Instead it’s low effort, so-easy-an-intern-could-send-it “email blasts.”

Like Seth Godin says, the problem with the race to the bottom is you just might win.

Ally Crowley-Duncan plays the bagpipe.

She posted a video of herself playing some Metallica songs, and of course an internet ding dong left a comment saying “bagpipes don’t belong in Metallica.”

Then Metallica leaves a reply, saying “this guy doesn’t speak on our behalf. You’re awesome.”

That’s magic.

What I’m getting at is this; don’t leave all that magic on social media, because (ahem) these sites sure didn’t.

Each one of those sites sold ad-impressions against that story. They made money from that magic.

That ain’t wrong or bad, it’s just how the internet works.

And it’s why you should be doing the same fucking thing.

Put your magic on your website, then arrange some of your merch items around it. Or tour dates.

Get enough people to your site, and people will buy something. Fans buying things is good, because then you can pay the rent.

Fill your website and newsletter with your magic; the videos, the wit, the sass, the live photos from sold-out festivals.

Your social media feeds are the party. Loose and free, filled with witty rants, spontaneous photos, lengthy captions.

The likes pour in, and the replies.

Party in the back.

Then you subscribe to a band’s newsletter and get their “email blast,” which is just a few vinyl mock-ups of their album, some text, a button.

No lively text. No attitude. No swagger.

Business in the front.

Don’t fall victim to mullet marketing – make your email newsletter and website as riveting as your social media feeds.