Web and social media Traffic Vs. Bankable Inquiries: Is your marketing directing your business in the right direction?

If a ship sets off on a voyage and it’s just a fraction off course, it will soon end up massively off course, unless it quickly adjusts it’s direction. – Quoted from Jim’s Marketing Blog

In this day and age, online platforms have become very instrumental in influencing marketing strategies. Consumers are more in control of their purchasing decisions largely because of the information being offered for free on the internet and the wide variety of products available to choose from.

Products and services are also getting to a near saturation point of innovation. There is not much difference between one product/service and another nowadays (however this doesn’t apply to all industries) Hence manufacturers/ service providers now have rely on cutting edge marketing strategies to come out on top of the race of creating demand.

This has lead to the increase of the usage of online platforms to communicate to consumers at the palm of their hands and on a personal level. Most online platforms have evolved and have data capturing tools that help you know how many people you reach. For instance… Facebook and twitter have Likes and followers respectively. Some social media platforms and other online platforms have analysis tools that help you know the rate of consumer engagement per conversation created. However, some businesses seem to be getting lost at this juncture.

Businesses seem to be spending more time and resources to get more followers and likes rather than business inquiries. There is a clear cut difference between traffic and bankable results. Bankable results achieve targets that you have set. At the end of the day, your business needs to grow and thrive. It goes without saying that the internet has definitely created a platform for business to create a relationship with consumers. However, these relationship needs to produce results for it to survive… bankable results. That is why it is a business and not a charity.

Bankable results start from inquiries –> Evaluating the need –> Offering the desired solution in the best way possible –> Getting paid –> Satisfied customer who refers other friends to you and even endorses your business online. This process grows like a multi-level marketing model.

To get bankable results you need to market your business with the following elements but not limited to them:

• What – Be specific in what you are offering your potential customers. Keep in mind that you need to be offering a solution to an existing problem
• Why – Be specific as to why the potential customer need to get the service from you and not any other person. Sometimes you may need to define the problem to the customer and let them know you have a solution. Truth be told, competition is out there and they are going to do anything to steal that customer away from you. Even if it means reducing their price for the same service by half to ensure that they are the ones making the sale.
• When and where – Be specific on the location and when your potential consumers can reach you. If they cant they will move to the next person who offers the same service. In the case of a business that doesn’t have a physical location, a contact will suffice.

Another point to note: you only have 10-30 seconds of a potential consumers attention before they move on to another alternative. Therefore you need to impress in (if possible) less time.

An action call that comprises of all the above summarized in a sentence that is not more than 140 characters long would do.

Defining your music

Defining your music – Part 1

what is music

What is music? There are probably a thousand and one definitions for this depending on which dictionary you are using. Google that question and see what happens. However, all those definitions boil down to one word.

Expression

Music is an expression of emotions, thoughts or feelings combined with a melody to form a harmony.

An expression of what is inside the heart, mind or just your thoughts.

However, that question gets trickier when it becomes, “how do I define my music?” This is the first mandatory question that you should ask yourself before even write down your lyrics let alone going to the studio.

*At this point I will assume that you already know that you should handle your music like a business*

Like any other business, before launching, the first thing you ask yourself is what market gap you want to fill. What is your target market? Who do you want to listen to your music? Why do you want them to listen to your music? Most important question is how is your music going to change their lives?

 

1. Storyline

Whats your story?

People like stories since time started. That is why we have bedtime stories for children and novels for anyone old enough to read one.  For the ones who cannot settle and read a novel cover to cover, a movie will do. Movies have stories too.

Are you already seeing where we are going with this? You need to tell your story to the one who is going to listen. You may indulge in as many topics that please you. You can never run out storyline ideas.  For example love, success, pain, worship, praise and many more.

However, it is important to note that sticking to a specific story line makes you consistent and unique. It also becomes easier to build on your ideas.

During the recent Sauti Sol interview on Churchill Show after their MTV Africa award nomination, Bien said that the group is focused on singing about love in a tasteful way.

 

2. Relate

People relate to music that reflects what they are going through in life. Everyone goes through the

Relate

joys and harsh realities of life. The achievements and hurdles of life are not new to anyone of us. People want to listen to something that identifies their phase in life. Select your target audience, research on various realities they go through and create words they can use to express themselves. Need a brain teaser? How about teenagers and crushes or identity crisis? When adults are looking and falling in love.

 

 

3. Connect

Have a conversation. When belting out tunes during your bathroom/bedroom sessions using the hairbrush/ toothbrush as your mic and you as the star on an international platform, my bet is that you sing with someone/people in mind. It is as if the song writer knew the right words to say to your intended target, right? That right there is having a conversation.

Have a conversation even with your imaginary subject. Check this blog out www.mydeardoris.wordpress.com for ideas

 

4. Hope

What motivates you to listen to music? Is it because the artiste is that good? Is it because the music is that good? Or is it because you hope it will amplify or change your mood?

Statistics show that most people listen to music as a source of hope. A hope that it will change or amplify the way they feel. For example, when bitten by the love bug, you probably find yourself listening to love songs to amplify that feeling. Even television advertisements use jingles to give consumers hope that they can find a solution in the products being marketed.

there is always hope

 

5. Channel

Music provides a channel to express feelings and emotions. This summarizes this post. I feel like I can just drop the mic and walk away now. Research your intended subject, Pick a topic, create a storyline, relate it to life, connect with your listener, provide hope and use all that to provide an expression for people.

This is what pretty much creates a successful track. Can your music help people express what they feel? If your answer is yes, you are on your path to success. If it is no, you need to define your target once more and start the process all over again.

Keep it here for the next post on seizing opportunities available. How do you monetize your super amazing talents?

In the meantime follow us on our social media platforms for updates

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#Keepitsnitch #roadtosuccess

Marketing and Music | 4 key elements to a successful music career

Music and Marketing

Music and Marketing

Over the years, the music industry in Kenya has seen a transformational face lift of music being produced. Artistes are putting in hours and resources to not only compete locally but internationally. The effort they are putting in is getting heavily rewarded to the bank. Music can now be referred to as a career that can support artistes fully. It no longer has to be done as a part time thing. The number of musicians doing international tours has grown immensely. We have also had numerous musicians being nominated for international awards such as the BET and MTV Africa awards.

MTV Africa Music Awards

 

Some have also represented us on international platforms such as STL, Sauti Sol and more recently Octopizzo in the Coca Cola world cup anthem- Africa (Kenya) version.

Octopizzo

Sauti Sol – MTV Africa Music Awards

Our local music reward structures also have grown tremendously. “Groove awards” is by far the best we have seen locally. It has given a new definition to gospel music. Gospel musicians are getting rewarded for their efforts as well as growing professionally through trainings under the same program. Truth be told, artistes look forward to being named artiste of the year. Following closely are Kisima and chaguo la teeniez and extreme awards. A lot still needs to be done but it is safe to say they are also on the right path.

groove-awards

Entry into the music industry has also become easier. It now doesn’t have to take years before you get recognized. Social media platforms (especially Facebook and Twitter) have played a huge role in this so at this point maybe we could give Mark Zuckerberg a round of applause.

However, in the same industry, we still have many super talented musicians who do not get the recognition and fan base they deserve while other musicians get all the exposure and appear in all the right places. Still in the same industry, we have also seen musicians rise to the limelight and fade just as fast as their entry.

If you are reading this and have been a victim of this dilemma or better still you want to avoid it, then this series is going to be worth your time. I promise.

So to start us off, I bet you have asked yourself some of the following questions

1. How do I get my music out there? What opportunities are there?
2. How do I secure myself from rogue organizers? Do I have to compromise?
3. How do I improve my music and get people to like it? How do I make it relevant?
4. How do I market my music? How much do I need to sacrifice?
5. And the mother of all questions… How I can make money… a lot of it!!

This 4 part series will give you an insight on 4 key elements to a successful music career.

1. Defining your music
2. Seizing opportunities
3. Establishing distribution
4. Remaining relevant

How companies are spending their online advertising budgets

The statistics are based on the American industries however, the same concept applies to the Kenyan industry at a smaller scale.

The trends are pretty much the the same apart from one or two.

This article actually leads me to the question, why have Kenyan organizations never/ taken post mail marketing seriously? This is something we will be looking into very soon. Its pros and cons.

Also watch this space for news jacking… and its impact in marketing. Is it worth the risk?

#keepitsnitch

Aromat – A marketing hit or fail?

When the first aromat advertisement appeared on television, the first expression i had was a smile. It was a great comic relief to the “repetitive news” that happen every day.

*Like seriously, there is hardly anything new. Its all just said in a different way. I could tell you off the top of my head that the headlines have been majorly about terrorism and bomb scares, newly found political weapon called impeachment that politicians are misusing terribly, with sporadic society imbalances such as illegal brews, student strikes etc. *

Back to aromat… i knew these guys were up to something. It was a silly yet very effective advertisement that would cause a viral sensation bigger than sauti sol’s “nishike.” Its what people needed during prime time news. I completely applaud the creators of that advertisement.

So lets review the aromat ad from a marketing point of view

1. Prime time advertisement: This is when most households are having their last meal of the day. Assuming most households owners work, not everyone has that energy to make food taste like heaven everyday. Anything that would make this change would definitley be a winner

2. Target market: Lets start with kids. The tone of the voice over just makes kids want to bang their heads on the floor at a super market/shopping mall until the aromat is bought. After all, they want to be the coolest kids in school who put aromat on their food. I know one child who cannot take her food without aromat.

As for adults, the comic relief and knowing that food will taste better, these are all factors to make a rational decision

3. communication: the whole essence of aromat is to transform food from boring UNBELIEVABLE. That is effectively communicated through the ecstatic voice over. The internet memes that have been going round have just reinforced the message. The craze for trolling people such as Eric Omondi, Octopizzo, and even vehicles such as Probox will ensure that this is a brand that will stick in the minds of people. It is another “blue band” in the making.

For us, the aromat ad is a complete HIT. Well done. In case you missed any of the memes… here are some

        

 

Till our next post, have an aromatic weekend 🙂

 

The pitch

 

 

 

Man cave

 

 

 

 

Graphic design for the show

Double advantage

Double advantage