Do you want to build a loyal audience that will support your music, buy tickets to your shows, and wear your merch? Starting March 1st, 2018, I challenge you to start creating a consistent piece of weekly content. Over the years and through my thousands of hours of listening to podcasts, reading books/blogs, watching videos, and interviewing guests on the podcast, I've become a firm believer that the strongest brands are brands with a focus on becoming media companies. One of my many inspirations for the podcast was reading the book Content Inc. by Joe Pulizzi, who has been a guest on the podcast. Recently, I interviewed marketing and social media strategist, Mark Schaefer, who wrote a book called KNOWN. Also, if you listen to the podcast, you’ll often hear me laugh and call it the drinking game when I mention Gary Vaynerchuck. These three leaders have really opened me to the idea of content marketing, and each of them have tons of amazing content, research, and case studies of people who have built successful businesses and brands with a focus on creating consistent content. These stories range from musicians to fashion to food to jewelry to sports to fitness to real estate to pretty much anything.
Ever since reading their books, listening to their podcasts, and following them on social media, I thought, there is nobody better to build a brand with a content marketing strategy than creatives. One of the podcasts newest listeners, @hooksetagency on twitter, reached out to me because they were inspired by the Joe Pulizzi episode, and sent me this message below. We can’t be great at all things. Some of us our better writers, some are better musicians, some are better designers, some are better with spreadsheets, some are better with organization, etc. However, if we build a tribe/support system and help uplift each other and bring our strengths to the table, amazing things can happen. With this challenge, The First 90, I want to create a 100% music focused challenge for musicians, producers, performing artists, promoters (yes, promoters you can benefit from this too), and really anyone in the music industry. It might only be two of us, but it’s a start.
The First 90 challenge is a 13 week challenge, to start creating a consistent piece of content that’s put out at least ONCE per week minimum. You can do more, but only with what you can manage. Along with this challenge, we will have a private Facebook group (The First 90 - Making It with Chris G. Challenge), where I will check in with everyone for the 90 days, post resources, articles, videos, etc. to help you with your journey, and do a weekly Facebook Live lecture and discussion to check in with everyone and answer your questions. We’ll talk about the next 18 months after The First 90, but this is to get you in the swing of getting started and building that discipline and having a support system. The best thing about all of this, it doesn’t cost you anything, and I won’t try to sell you anything at the end either. I don’t have products yet. I’m just focused on building our community, and am listening to what your questions and struggles are.
TO MY PROMOTERS & TALENT BUYERS…
Most of your biggest challenges is having a brand or company that 100% relies on others brands and audience. Yes, you may have an email list and a few followers on social media, but they’re not loyal to your brand. That’s a HUGE issue. Most entrepreneurs would RUN from this kind of business model. This challenge is just as beneficial to you as it is to the stars on stage and behind the music. As a fellow promoter since 2006, who has booked over 2,000 shows as of this writing, and has worked for Live Nation, and has had a partnership with AEG Live, I have tons of ideas for you, on how YOU can benefit from a content marketing strategy, connect more with your community, and start building a loyal following.
