How to Get Your Emails Opened and Read

Last year I spent more than an hour on the phone interviewing Joe Vitale. He’s the author of more than 50 books on hypnotic marketing, the law of attraction, and more. You may have seen him in the movie The Secret, on “Larry King Live” or “The Donny Deutsch Show.”

The interview was amazing and wide-ranging, but I want to share one specific piece of marketing advice that Joe offered during our conversation.

Putting a question in the subject line of your email can be a great way to create a “hypnotic” message that compels people to open and read it.

But not any question will do!

The key, Joe says, is to ask a question that can’t be answered unless you dig deeper to find out more. For instance, here are two examples of weak email subject lines:

Would you like to buy my new album?

What’s your favorite love song?

The problem with these questions is that the recipient can answer them and resolve the issue without any further action on their part. It offers no compelling reason to open the email.

However, here is an example of a more powerful, “hypnotic” email subject line question:

Which one of these three beautiful women inspired my latest love song?

A question like that creates a mental state of dissonance. It’s an incomplete thought. And for many people, unresolved ideas compel them to take action to uncover the answer and complete the thought before they move on.

Here’s another example:

Have you ever made THIS big mistake on the dance floor?

See the beauty in a question like this?

It’s similar to when you can’t think of a person’s name that you should know. It often drives you crazy and you can’t concentrate on anything else until you resolve the issue by remembering the name.
Curiosity-inducing questions offer a great way to create a hypnotic message that demands attention. Another related method is to make a provocative statement that doesn’t include all the details, such as:

Don’t let your parents watch this new music video

You could also use the word kids, boss or lover in place of parents and get the same effect, depending on your audience and subject matter.

The point is that the statement creates curiosity and an incomplete idea that begs for a resolution. So start thinking about how you can use hypnotic questions to increase your email open rate.

Important: If you're going to use tactics like this to inspire action, you should put a priority on delivering an interesting message inside the email. If you mislead people or simply don't offer a story that's funny or compelling in some way ... they may not trust you the next time you use a strategy like this.

Also, you wouldn’t want to use questions and statements like these with every email you send. Just sprinkle them in here and there when you have really important info to get out.

What do you think of this email subject line approach? What have you done to get fans to open more of your emails? I welcome your comments.

-Bob

P.S. You can hear part of my interview with Joe on my Artist Empowerment Radio podcast here. The entire thing is part of this massive audio collection.

Pack Your Live Shows & Rock Your Local Music Scene

Admit it. You want butts in seats and feet in front of the stage. The venue requires beers in hands and lots of transactions at the bar. And the promoter needs to see bodies through the door and lots of ticket sales.

The solution to meeting everyone’s needs is simple: Get lots of people to show up and spend money at your live shows.

But the question remains: How are you going to get them there in sufficient numbers?

Of course, you can slap up fliers in all the usual places, spam everyone on Facebook, and stalk all your friends until they buy tickets out of guilt. But long term, this strategy isn’t going to work for you.

Eventually, your friends will stop responding to your emails and texts, and Facebook and fliers will only get you so far. If it was that easy, wouldn’t every show be a success? Acts that consistently draw fans do more than this.

Look at the performers in your city who are truly creating a buzz. Chances are, they are doing three things that you’re not.

1) They promote more than just themselves

Whenever they do put up fliers to promote a show, they ask how they can help first. It’s not just about them. Instead of pestering local businesses for free exposure, how can you give them back something of value? Build relationships with those who are willing to support you. It’s human nature to want to help someone who wants to help you first, especially when you genuinely like the person and they show their appreciation.

Can you offer to do some cross promotion with a local radio station or business that goes to bat for you? Maybe you could print their logo for free on your fliers, or give them shout outs at the show as a sponsor in exchange for their support.

2) They tell people about other artists’ shows

Don’t just bombard your fans with information about your shows only. If you already know they like to attend concerts, why not tell them about other great shows going on that they might enjoy? The great thing about this is, when you promote other artists’ gigs they’ll often return the favor.

It may take some time to build these types of relationships with other bands, but it can pay huge dividends in the long run. The best thing is, it doesn’t cost you anything when you promote other artists’ shows. Offer to hang a few fliers or post some updates online about other cool shows in town. Help others first.

3) They support other bands and go to their shows

This means buying a ticket and standing in the crowd – not just asking to be put on the guest list then lurking by the bar all night. Yes, support other artists the way you want to be supported. As long as you appreciate their music and like them as people, show up and support them. They may do the same for you.

If you’re lucky, they might even give you a plug from the stage. But be there as a true fan for them, not because they might put you in the spotlight for showing up.

Bottom line: Quit making it all about you. As an artist, if you help others build their empires first, many of them will eventually return the favor. When the heavy lifting needs to happen, many of them will show up for you. But you need to make a lot of deposits into your “good will account” to earn it.

I know this may surprise you, and many reading this may have conflicting experiences and beliefs. If other artist and local businesses aren’t supporting you, ask yourself when the last time was that you truly helped them grow first? Also, don’t keep score. There will be times when you give more than you get; that isn’t the objective.

Work hard to support your local music scene and the businesses that foster its growth. Build relationships that aren’t one-sided. Relationships are what lay the foundation for a thriving music career. You need to nurture and build them slowly and genuinely.

Yes, it is about who you know (and who knows you). But what have YOU done for these people? How have you helped them and brought value to their lives?

Focus on what you can do for other artists and cross-promotion partners first, and before long you’ll find more doors opening and more people coming to your shows to support YOU!

Do you agree? Disagree? I welcome your comments.

Want to link to this article on Twitter, Facebook, etc? Feel free to copy and paste this text:

How to Pack Your Live Shows & Rock Your Local Music Scene http://goo.gl/w7KyY via @MrBuzzFactor

-Bob

The image above is by Andrej Vovko and Sxc.hu.

Brilliant Marketing Idea: Present a Brag About Your [...] Day!

Denise Wakeman is a business blogging and online marketing advisor. I've had the good fortune of meeting her at book conferences where we both presented.

Last year she started doing something on Facebook that I thought was brilliant. In fact, she does it once a month.

To explain what it is, here's the beginning of a post on her Facebook fan page:

"It's Brag About Your Blog Day! Every month I invite you to post a link to your blog ..."

Every time she does this, hundreds of people take her up on the offer. I did too. See for yourself on this page.

What a great way to promote others, spread some good will, and bring attention to herself and what she does at the same time!

Hmm ... I wonder how a music promoter could use this idea?

Well, I immediately thought that I should do a "Brag About Your Band Day" or "Brag About Your Music Day." That would fit perfectly with my target audience.

But what about your audience?

If you teach guitar lessons, how about a "Brag About Your Guitar Day"? If you run a recording studio, maybe "Brag About Your New Track."

If you perform hip-hop, you could do a "What's Your Favorite Hip-Hop Album Day" or "Who's Your Favorite Hip-Hop Artist Day."

You could also do a more general "Brag About Your City Day" or "Brag About Your Favorite T-Shirt Day" ... or you could create link love for other performers and do your own version of "Brag About Your Music Day."

The possibilities are endless. So just pick one ... and try it. Then let me know how it went.

-Bob

How Danika Holmes Got On the Main Stage of the Heartland Jam Music Festival

I love stories like this that demonstrate what's possible when you mix a little creative thinking with action.

Danika Holmes is an up-and-coming indie artist from Iowa. She had a desire to perform as an opening act on the main stage of the Heartland Jam Music Festival, to be held this weekend in Davenport. This year's festival will feature Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Phil Vassar, Gretchen Wilson, and more.

She made attempts to contact the festival talent buyer, but heard nothing back. At times like these, the vast majority of musicians give up and say, "Oh well, I tried. They aren't interested."


But not Danika. "I decided to take matters into my own hands and let the Heartland Jam know I was serious."

Danika explains, "At around 4:00 AM on a Wednesday we launched an impromptu Facebook campaign. The idea was simple. We asked our fans to post to Heartland Jam’s Facebook page, 'Bring Danika to the Heartland Jam!' By 8:00 that evening nearly 100 people had posted to Heartland Jam’s page showing their support."

The result: By 9:00 that night Danika got an email from the festival promoter that read, "Wow! Your fans have surely spoken!" The next day her band was booked as the main stage opening act for the festival!

"Talk about the power of the people!" Danika says.

Of course, the Facebook campaign alone probably didn't secure the slot for her. Danika had a solid website filled with video clips, photos, and music samples. I'm sure that's what sealed the deal.

But the primary lesson here is that she didn't take silence (meaning no response from the buyer) as a final NO.

It would have been easy to think, "Well, I did what I could. I guess it wasn't meant to be." Instead, Danika asked herself a more empowering question: "What else can I do to get their attention and prove that I am worthy of this slot?"

And asking her fans and friends to step up and help was the perfect way to do it. It demonstrated that she has a supportive fan base, which indicated that she is a serious artist worth checking out.

Are you stopping short of a more creative approach to getting what you want?

And, in what ways are you laying a solid foundation (in the form of killer song samples, music videos, cool photos, active gigging schedule, an attractive website, and more) that will let people know you are a serious music contender?

I welcome your comments!

You can learn more about Danika Holmes at http://www.DanikaHolmes.com/.

-Bob

Top 3 Goal-Setting Tips for Musicians

I just ran across a good review of Brian Tracy's book Goals! It was written by Trent Hamm on his Simple Dollar site.

Here are some of my favorite nuggets from the review:

1) Associate with the Right People

"The people you most closely associate with often set the standard for what you want out of life ... Surround yourself with people who embody what you want to achieve.”

Yes! Attitudes are contagious. That's why it’s a great idea to attend music conferences, networking events, songwriter nights, etc. To reach your goals you should regularly rub elbows with other proactive music people, interact, share resources, and inspire one another.

2) Make a Plan of Action

"Write your goal down, then write a detailed plan for achieving it. The more detail, the better. Can you boil it down to daily steps or individual actions? The smaller the pieces, the easier it is to grab hold of and pull yourself towards your goal, one bit at a time.”

Here's one more ...

3) Review Your Goals Daily

"Take time every day to review the goals you’re working on. I do this by writing in a journal and keeping tabs on a few key goals every single day. I have a section where I write 'Goal #1' followed by a sentence on my progress, then 'Goal #2' ... It forces me to think about each goal every day.”

Great advice from Brian Tracy via Trent Hamm. Put these into practice and you will make progress!

What other goal setting tips do you recommend? What has helped you reach your goals? I welcome your comments.

-Bob

Music & Money: How to Get Paid What You're Worth

Here's a great lesson if you want to generate the kind of music revenue you know you deserve. I first came across this idea in a blog post titled "How to Get Paid What You're Worth" by Peter Shankman.

Here's the golden nugget:

"You can always come down in price. You can NEVER go up."

There's power in those 12 simple words. For example, imagine the following dialogue:

"Hi. I'd like to hire your band for a business meeting. How much do you charge?"

"Well, we could probably do it for 500 bucks."

"Great. Let's book it."

"It's a done deal ... Wait! On second thought, it'll actually cost you $900. Is that OK?"

"What?"

Needless to say, this is not a good pricing strategy. However, imagine this dialogue instead:

"Hi. I'd like to hire your band for a business meeting. How much do you charge?"

"Thanks for asking. First, I need to know where and when it is, how long the event is, etc."

"Sure. It'll be March 17, from Noon to 2 PM. And it's right here in town on the south side. It's a Saint Patrick's party for our sales managers."

"Sounds great. And we are available that day. Our rate for corporate shows like this is $1,000."

"Oh ... I was given a budget of no more than $700 for entertainment."

"Hmm ... well, since it's in town, I'll extend a $300 discount. We can do it for $700."

See how this works?

"You can always come down in price. You can NEVER go up."

So ... put a reasonably high value on the musical products and services you offer. You can always negotiate or lower your "normal" fee when it feels right. But if you don't start from a position of value to begin with, you short-change yourself and your income.

This pricing philosophy also extends to your albums and merchandise sales. If you think that keeping your prices low will endear you to fans and increase sales to the masses, more often than not you will be disappointed.

When you start with prices that are cut to the bone, you leave yourself no room to offer discounts or do special promotions.

There's a better way!

Let's say you would be happy to sell your full-length albums for $10 each. Instead of promoting that price to start with, put a price of $15 on them.

That gives you room to create incentives. Perhaps you could promote "Buy one album for $15, two for $25, or three for $30."

That type of offer makes the $30 price seem awful tempting. By doing this, you would increase the amount of the average sale - and still get the $10 per album you want!

So remember ...

"You can always come down in price. You can NEVER go up."

What are your thoughts on getting paid what you're worth? How have you gone about generating more music income? I welcome your comments.

You can read Peter Shankman's article that inspired this here.

Want to link to this article on Twitter, Facebook, etc? Feel free to copy and paste this text:

How to Get Paid What You're Worth as a Musician http://goo.gl/q5Uk6 via @MrBuzzFactor

-Bob

New Productivity Tool - Your Got-Done List!

You make them. I make them. Just about everybody uses or has used a To-Do List to get things done.

Of course. How else would we know what to focus our energy and attention on every day?

No doubt, To-Do Lists serve an important purpose. But if you're anything like me, seeing all the things on your list that don't get done can be frustrating.

Create a Facebook event page for the next show ... Finish editing the new video ... Sign up and start a profile on the hot new Social Buzz site ... Post a link to the new blog post on Twitter ... Take the car in for a state inspection ... Make time to write songs and practice ... oh yeah, find time to eat and sleep ...

No matter how diligent and effective you may be, there's always a growing list of things you just can't get to during any given day, week or month.

That's why I suggest you start a new list: Your Got-Done List.

Yes! You need to acknowledge and celebrate what you've already accomplished to truly feel good about all this list-making activity.

At the end of a busy day, has anyone ever asked you what you did that day? Most likely you hemmed and hawed and could only remember a couple of things. That's sad.

Not long ago I created my own Got-Done List sheet. For a couple of days, as I completed various tasks (whether they were on my To-Do List or not) I wrote them down on the sheet.

And guess what?

At the end of each day I was amazed at how much I had accomplished over the course of several hours. As I looked over each day's long list of completed tasks, I felt satisfied and productive.

But that rarely happens when you focus only on your To-Do List -- which really should be renamed the "Bunch of Stuff I'm Too Lame to Get Done List"!

How empowered do you feel when you focus only on the unfinished tasks you still have yet to do?

The best way to get things done is to create both lists: One to record the important stuff you want or need to get done, and another to log the (hopefully) many things you actually do.

At the end of the day, you deserve to feel good about how you spent your time and the progress you made ...

Of course, if the items on your Got-Done List consist only of "Took a nap" and "Watched Seinfeld reruns," you have another issue that needs to be dealt with :)

But my view of you is more optimistic. I know you proactively pursue your passions and take steps every day to make a difference with your music and your message. And to you I say, "Make a daily Got-Done List to celebrate all of your many accomplishments."

What do you think? Have you ever used this idea? Did I miss something? I welcome your comments.

-Bob