Riding my bike around South Salem, I encounter a few challenging hills.
From the bottom, some of the hills seem fucking impossible. Instead of focusing on how monstrous the hill is, which can be discouraging, I focus on what I need to do to get over it. By doing this, I get better every day.
While riding, I think about the hill as little as possible because there is nothing I can do to change the fact that it exists and I need to get over it. I focus on my breathing, my position on the bike, keeping myself loose and pedaling. I stay in control of the situation by focusing on what I am in control of.
The same principles can be applied to all challenges of life, including promoting a music video.
Artists who focus on the amount of plays they have on YouTube, rather than what they are actually doing to promote their videos, tend to get in the bad habit of asking their friends to watch their videos repeatedly instead of focusing on reaching new networks of people.
By focusing your attention on the number of plays your new video is getting, instead of looking for ways to engage your audience, you are actually damaging your network and annoying your fans – even if posting your video twenty times a day gets you 500 extra views.
Spending time networking behind the scenes and putting time creating consistent quality products may not pay off immediately, but will eventually have far greater rewards than spamming your social media networks.
A few things to think about when looking to expand your network.
– Are you sharing a product that is an example of your best work?
People are busy. Don’t waste their time with an unmixed version of a track that didn’t make your album. Send them something that shows them why they should want to stay connected with you.
– Have you presented yourself in a professional manner?
Grammar plays a huge role here. Show them that you took the time to put together a well thought out presentation, or they will most likely move onto someone who did. There is nothing wrong with sending a professional email from a cell phone, as long as nobody can tell it was sent from a cell phone.
– Are you being selective with who you are sending things to or are you spamming the planet?
Spam sucks. Nobody likes feeling like a number on a list (have you ever visited a Twitter page and seen the same message you received sent to 75 other people?). Make sure you are sending your work to people who might be potentially interested in it. Always take a moment to personalize it.
– Are you looking for a quick score or at the big picture?
Always be looking at the big picture. Annoying a blogger or DJ may get you a reply, but it will also get your number saved as “Do Not Answer.” It’s a small world out there, you are going to want to keep as many bridges open as possible.
Most goals are accomplished by completing a combination of small tasks. For me, riding my bike over hills is something I’m doing because I was sick of being 40 pounds overweight. (Now 28 pounds overweight, holler.) I also have started eating better, lifting weights and running sprints with my brother.
It’s all part of the plan. Worrying about whether or not I can make it over the next hill is a distraction.
If I ate fast food everyday, riding my bike and working out would be almost pointless. I might not gain as much weight as I would otherwise, but I definitely wouldn’t be moving toward my weight loss goal.
The same is true with music. If your plan is to record a few tracks on your friends computer, upload that shit on your Bandcamp page, share the links on Facebook and Twitter, and watch your career take off, I hope you deal with failure well.
Putting out music that attracts attention from people other than your immediate friends and family requires a lot of planning, work and discipline. The market is extremely saturated with talented rappers, and this makes it even more important for you to focus on making the most out of every step.
There are no shortcuts leading to where you want to be. Take pride in each process along the way instead of being intimidated by the end goal.