education « Bev's Blender Brain Blog

Live by the plan, or die trying

Posted by Bev Barnett in Music Marketing, Social Media on September 14, 2010

I’m nearing the end of my year-plus sabbatical from corporate consulting, as the shadows lengthen and the Oct. 21 – 24 FAR-West Conference draws near. I’m looking forward to jumping back into corporate blogging and social media, but I’ve really enjoyed working with my fellow musicians, counseling them on some marketing basics that I’ve taken for granted for twenty years.

I’m teaming up with new media guru (and children’s music performer) Gigi Johnson to present an Internet marketing workshop at the conference – we’ve only got an hour, so we tossed around some ideas on the phone yesterday about where to put our focus. So many of these music conference sessions are just as overwhelming for artists as social media itself. These musicians rush to sign up for every new social networking site becuase someone told them if they didn’t they’d be losing potential fans. Then they realize it all takes so much time, that they link their social networking sites together so they can look like they’re everywhere at once.

What’s usually missing is the plan. In corporate marketing we live by the plan… most musicians would rather die than spend time on the plan.

We figure the best thing we can do with our hour is show examples of how a little advanced planning and research to find out who their current fans are can pave the way toward building a strong fan base. The plan will be clearer, the road smoother and the blogging and social media tools will start to make a whole lot more sense.

Or so we hope.

education, FAR-West, Social Media

Down to the Wire for the Donors Choose Kids

Posted by Bev Barnett in Inspiring People on October 29, 2008

I apply the concept of Just in Time Manufacturing to everything in my life. It works great for Toyota, but its not the way ANY if the self help books on organization tell you to get things done in day to day life.

The mess I've created for myself by over committing requires that whatever deadline is closest, whomever is screaming loudest or what ever pile of laundry is preventing me from finding my car keys is the one I pay attention to next.

To wit: I've been telling my friend and fellow blogger Larissa since the beginning of October that I would help her promote her Donors Choose Blogger's Challenge initiative. So with only a couple of days left before Halloween, I'm on it!

Donor's Choose is a very cool organization that matches donors with specific projects in schools around the country. Teachers outline their projects and wish lists on the Donor's Choose Web site, you peruse around and see what you'd like to make happen for some very cool little boys and girls. Just go to Larissa's Donors Choose page to find just the project that makes you smile (and open your wallet).

If you give $100 or more, or if you give the last bit of money required to complete any project, you get a fantastic gift in return – pictures, thank you notes and drawings from the kids that you've helped. How cool is that?

I was with Larissa when her package arrived with a long banner of kids hand prints, the first time she completed a project via Donor's Choose. She was all aglow. And for a regularly glowing person like Larissa, it was extra special.

So… are you looking for something to remind you what's important in life? Looking for inspiration, a promise of the future? Look to these kids. They need you, and you can help.

Larissa's Donors Choose Page