On the heels of several posts of my own on the subject of Marketing, Michael Hyatt wrote two insights-full posts on the subject that I had to pass along. Both are written to authors, but every last word applies to musicians or anyone pursuing a career in the arts.

Four Reasons

In Four Reasons Why You Must Take Responsibility for Your Own Marketing (haven’t I been telling you?), I especially appreciate two points:

  • No one is likely to do it if you don’t. “Marketing directors and publicists generally don’t have the time and resources necessary to make your book a success.” Insert the word “music” and you get the point. And this is to say you even HAVE directors and publisists.
  • The Image. Check out the pic he chose for the post, it says, “YOU, Chief Marketing Officer.” Amen.

I’ll add one more important, and exciting, reason you must take responsibility for your own marketing: now more than ever, people want to connect with YOU! They are tired and skeptical of “big business” and “big marketing.” This presents a HUGE opportunity for you in terms of connecting and building a long-term career.

Interviews

Mr. Hyatt nails it in What Every Author Should Know About Radio and Television Interviews too.

First on his list? PREPARE! Recognize that this is a huge opportunity and take it seriously.

And I love this: “Don’t expect the interviewer to have read your book.” As he says throughout the post, the interview is NOT about you, so help everyone out every step of the way. Also recognize that the more you help the intervewer understand who you are and what you do, the more you’re helping the audience – which is who you want to connect with anyway.

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Two suggestions:

  1. Print or somehow copy the post on interviews and keep it in your “read this often and keep it handy at all times” file. It is that good and that important. Every point is critical so you don’t want to forget any of them.
  2. Subscribe to Michael Hyatt’s Intentional Leadership blog. Every successful person is a leader, and no one becomes successful without leading.