We’ve been talking about a different approach to selling music online the last few episodes. From setting up your store on your site to understanding how to apply what is commonly called the marketing funnel if you want to develop super fans.
The last episode and this one is all about how to pull off a successful launch.
If you haven’t read the book yet, get Jeff Walker’s book Launch here.
Learn How To Launch
Don’t just release an album. Launch a product. A premium package that surrounds the album. Yes it will be a lot more work. But you can also charge a lot more than $10.
Think closer to $100.
Can it be done?
Absolutely. People will pay for things when they’re super fans. And if you do this right, you’ll have super fans that are advocates in the end.
Maybe your elite package is a huge bundle of extra music that will never get publicly released, some extra merchandise, or some tickets to a private show, anything and everything that goes above and beyond a 12 song album release.
Think big. And think outside the box.
Below is a timeline of what a launch sequence could look like for an indie artist.
Keep in mind, all of this is directed to your email list.
- Announce a new record coming soon
- Plan three exclusive videos, telling the story of the new album
- Release the videos in a sequence, dripped out over the course of a week.
- In each video and email that goes with it, add some element of surprise they weren’t expecting
- Build anticipation to the launch day
- Open the cart on launch day
- Keep open for only 5 to 6 days
- Close launch
Let’s look at this in detail….
Announce a new record is coming soon, and you’ll be doing an exclusive launch of the new record with extra bonuses and goodies the public will never see. All of this happens before you release your album in any of the digital stores (if you decide to at all).
When things are ready, you do a pre-launch with a free video series for someone to opt in for. This is your lead magnet.
During the pre-launch sequence, you’re providing free, valuable pieces of your story that surrounds your new project. Videos with behind the scene stories, unplugged performances, or anything special that your creative mind can think of.
This is value.
And because it’s exclusive, people will feel like they’re in the inner circle. People love this. With a little social proof that others can see, this pre-launch sequence builds anticipation for launch day.
When launch day comes, the power of reciprocity kicks in.
From being generous and giving away free stuff, people will naturally want to give back to you. When you ask for the sale, they will buy.
But not all of them….
And this is where scarcity comes into play.
If you have a limited window for folks to purchase your release package, they will know that they have to act. And act quickly too.
But many will ride the fence all the way to the end, which is why you MUST follow up during the launch week with a launch sequence filled with CTAs (calls to action).
“Hurry. The cart closes tonight, and then this offer will be gone….”
Something like that on the last day of the launch week.
What Comes After?
After launch week is over, and you have new buyers, you’re delivering on your promise, interacting with them and getting their feedback to see how you can make the next one an even bigger success.
At this point you might have a public release date that you begin building towards, with a specific number of super fans who you have just earned from your launch.
Maybe you only release it on iTunes, and through your online store, when you release to the public. And maybe you wait months to release it to the free streaming platforms (or never do it all).