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Getting You Name Out There: Internet Marketing with Carl Dawkins
Hello all, and welcome to the next installment on how to further yourself as a musician in the industry. This article is currently being written from a tour bus in India, where I am touring with a metal band from the UK called ‘Cypher16’. Thankfully enough, the way I got this tour resulted from exactly what I am going to talk about today – promoting yourself in the right way to get you noticed.
The tour of India was secured through several actions that had resulted from various bits of promotion I had done. The first was one point I have talked about in other articles – letting everyone and anyone know that you’re available. The band ‘Cypher16’ had heard from someone they knew that I was available at these times. Someone else (who was also informed that I was free) had also let them know to check me out. This is the foundation that can lead to getting the gig, but most of the time it would end here, and neither party would end up working together, be it through them finding someone else, or circumstances changing, or the tour being pulled. If you do get the gig, then well done—start building up a good working relationship. If by chance it didn’t end with securing the gig, we need to look at how to increase our chances of getting the gig after this stage, and there are several ways to do this.
The main point of what I’m about to talk about follows one simple rule, “get yourself noticed”. I guarantee, whatever you’re doing, and no matter how much promo you’re doing, you can always do more. I’m sure I could mention quite a few bands that are now big that you would not have heard of, and I’m sure you could reel off a few bands I too have not heard of – but me telling you about the band is instant promotion for them, as you have now heard of them. The same applies to us as musicians. If you leave a good impression, or in fact any impression at all on someone, your name may come up in conversation, or at the very least they would of heard of you and would pass you on to someone else via word of mouth. Point being; tell everyone you’re available, and looking!
To keep yourself more visible, sign up to loads of different Internet sites. The internet is still a great way to get you out there and can hold a lot of the information on one page for someone to look at. Check out my site (which just redirects to MySpace) www.carldawkins.co.uk
I’ve had the site done professionally, until my proper .co.uk was finished – it contains videos, a CV, bio, artists I’ve worked with + pictures and contact info—everything someone needs to find out about me. Also, update your sites regularly – I am still constantly updating mine, and I still need to record and upload more video and audio examples. So keep on top of your sites, and when new gigs start to unfold, let people know! Let the local papers know as well. Any sort of exposure is important, and the more people that know about you and what you’re doing, the better!
Try to stay on top of all of the above. Its hard work, and needs to be done constantly, but its worth it! And, as busy as you’ll be taking care of all that, keep a balance, and don’t let your practice time suffer.
I have added some sites below, but there are many more to find by just looking through Google!
Good sites to sign up to
MySpace – www.myspace.com
Reverbnation – www.reverbnation.com
Forums – type ‘session bassist/musician’ in Google and sign up to the free sites you find where you can chat and network with other musos.
Sign up a .com and link to your MySpace, or other free site – example –www.carldawkins.co.uk
Type bass forums into Google and sign up to any sites that come up (only the free ones) as well as typing in key words such as ‘musicians classified’
www.craiglist.com
www.gumtree.com
Good sites where you pay to be signed up
www.Starnow.co.uk
Musicians jobs – type into Google
The above two have different types of work in all styles coming in daily