I always post a solicitation for support at the bottom of my emails, because it can be so easy to take a free service for granted. But I want to bring this to the top of the email this week as we head into the holidays (and the subsequent quiet post-holiday period). If you have profited from my efforts over the years, then seriously consider hiring me for consulting or marketing work, buy ads on the Tipsheet, or send cash directly to scott@sperrymedia.com via PayPal. If there's one thing I have learned over the years, it's that you don't get nothin' unless you ask for it.
Running the Tipsheet is like being a musician in the 21st century - you practically give away your work with the expectations of making revenue from other areas. Except I don't have publishing, touring, or merchandise as ancillary revenue sources. Anybody that knows me knows that I have a half dozen fires going at any one time, but call me old-fashioned, I still like to be compensated for the value I provide.
And if you read this far, then you deserve a reward - download social photo app INSTAGRAM from the App Store IMMEDIATELY.
I had a bunch of friends posting to Facebook via Instagram during Halloween weekend, so I was like wtf? Then I downloaded it and was blown away - it's free, beautiful, and FAST. It lets you publish pictures in beautiful Hipstamatic-style chromatics and share them with your Instagram community, as well as on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and flickr. It even seamlessly (seamlessly!) finds your Instagram friends via your contact list, Twitter, Facebook, so building your base is a snap. Admittedly, the cross-platform sharing could be a little bit smoother, but the in-app viewing & commenting is already winning fans and building new communities beyond hardcore tech circles.
Keep an eye on Instagram, they're moving in the right direction -- use it to spontaneously show off pix of casual hangs backstage or little special things that catch your eye, of things that flesh out your personality and make us all human. Imagine one day when you can crowdsource a video of your fans' blown-out faded 1970's style beach photos (Pete Yorn), rich-hued woods & sunset shots (Fleet Foxes), or dark smokey shots of friends enjoying bourbon & billiards (Social Distortion). But remember, it's still early in the game, so don't junk up the system with commercial messages or people will drop your ass like a bad habit.
Seriously, it took me all of 10 minutes to get started and sharing - I haven't had a setup or use this easy since Twitter.
So hop on, claim your name, claim your band's, station's, store's, venue's name, and start snapping and sharing. You'll be glad you did.
Now go to the Tipsheet and support our sponsors. Hit me up, always available for consulting, research, marketing, and speaking engagements -- go to the Tipsheet and support our sponsors. New Music Tipsheet is a free service brought to you by Sperry Media. If the Tipsheet has helped your business profit, then support the Tipsheet with advertising, and support those companies that sponsor the Tipsheet. New Music Tipsheet - accept no cheap imitations.
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