Site Meter Musician’s Notebook » Blog Archive » Attention to Detail Makes a Difference

Attention to Detail Makes a Difference

by Joel Falconer

Greg Sandoval at CNET News has an interesting article, When rockers cut ties from labels, up that talks about Trent Reznor’s recent decisions regarding the music industry and his place in it.

From the article:

“But Reznor had his own ideas about bit rates, Web design, and pricing. He even toiled over the text messages customers would receive when their purchases were confirmed.”

Attention to detail is of vital importance to musicians forging careers independently and online. The messages customers receive when purchases are confirmed really are important details to consider.

Why? In this case, because that confirmation message can really make a difference in the loyalty of a fan and the longevity of that fan’s loyalty depending on how well the message is written. What does it do to create a sense of connection with the customer? We all know that fewer repeat customers bring in more profits than twice the amount of one-time customers.

It’s important for musicians to pay attention to each and every detail when working on their promotional materials and mechanisms. Even more important than the content of a purchase confirmation message are the details of the band’s mailing list, as mailing lists provide the band with a tool more indispensable than any other tool (except maybe a shiny new Mac Pro with Logic Pro installed): freely given permission to make contact with an interested, targeted audience any time they want.

This kind of power shouldn’t be abused, of course, and abusing it means that the mailing list will dwindle.

What kind of details are we talking about? Positioning of the subscription form on the website (one of the keys is prominence, but eye tracking should be taken into account), the process that one goes through to subscribe (double opt-in is good and gives subscribers confidence in you), the aesthetics of the process, again, the confirmation email, and the ease with which someone can unsubscribe (believe it or not, this is very important, especially if you ever want to get them back again).

From album inserts to posters to websites to blog posts to conversations, the details are so important to ensuring your long term success.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: , , ,


One Response to “Attention to Detail Makes a Difference”

  1. Musician’s Notebook » Blog Archive » The 5 Rockers You Can Learn Songwriting From Says:

    […] I pick apart each song until I feel I have an understanding of how they made it such a great tune (attention to detail really counts here!). Here are the rock and metal artists that I listen to for these purposes - […]

Leave a Reply


About Musician’s Notebook

Do you know which essential questions to ask yourself when starting a band? What is your strategy for reaching an audience? Which tactics are you using to promote? Can you answer in 4 seconds or less what the strongest theme of your music is? Most musicians answer these questions with a shrug and glazed-over eyes, but they're just a few of the things a musician must know to create exposure and audience. Read Musician's Notebook with Joel Falconer and discover how to make your music sharp, focused and successful.

Musician’s Notebook Author(s)
    » Damian-C

Blogging Flair

Earn $$ with WidgetBucks!

WidgetBucks - Trend Watch - WidgetBucks.com

Entertainment & Music Channel Posts

  • Davina McCall Denies Quitting Big Brother - Big Brother 9 Eye Logo Revealed
    Last week it was reported that Davina McCall was planning to quit being presenter of Big Brother after the forthcoming ninth series had finished. She's now come out to deny this, and claim that she'd [...]
  • The Great Debate?
    Well, this is weird. A biopic of George W. Bush? While he's still in office? That's got to be some kind of a first. I dearly hope we get some kind of (minor) media coverage here. Please tell me [...]
  • Music Video Flashbacks
    TONY! TONI! TONE! - "FEELS GOOD" (1990) SKID ROW - "18 & LIFE" (1989) RICHARD MARX - "HAZARD" (1991) BETTY BOO - "WHERE ARE YOU BABY?" (1990) [...]
  • The "Blindness" Movie Trailer Is Trippy
    TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA "Blindness" is an upcoming dramatic thriller film that is an adaptation of the 1995 novel "Blindness" by José Saramago about a society suffering an epidemic of blindness. [...]
  • The "X-Files: I Want To Believe" Movie Trailer Is Awesome!
    FROM WIKIPEDIA.COM "The X-Files: I Want to Believe" is the second feature film based on the TV series The X-Files, following the 1998 film. The sequel is directed by the television series [...]
  • Moms, Blogs, Ethics, and the Old Madonna versus Whore Dichotomy
    More than anything else, the availability of blogging can reinforce the truth that we human beings do not all think alike. More than just cultural differences, which can be vast, the variations we [...]
  • Eurovision Boss Critical Of Terry Wogan
    The Eurovision Song Contest is a once yearly music (if you can call it that) competition between various countries who are active members of the European Broadcasting Union. Outside of Europe it's [...]
  • Favorite Music Jukebox #7
    LISTEN TO A NON-STOP MIX OF OVER 100 OF MY FAVORITE TUNES WITH NO REPEATS! GREAT FOR CLEANING HOUSE, FOR WORK AND SURFING THE NET! GET READY TO HEAR SOME SONGS YOU HAVEN’T HEARD IN A [...]
  • For the little ones
    I've been trying to hold off making too much fun of What Happens in Vegas..., which came in second at the box office this weekend. I mean, does it look terrible? It does. Am I soured on the [...]
  • Weekend Box Office Results
    1.) Iron Man $50,500,000 / $177,134,000 2.) Speed Racer $20,210,000 / $20,210,000 3.) What Happens in Vegas $20,000,000 / $20,000,000 4.) Made of Honor $7,600,000 / $26,275,000 [...]

Hot Off The Press

  • At the Library...
    Face-to-Face With the Civil War Saturday May 17 2008 from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm This event will be held at Hardesty Regional Library. Event Description: Come face-to-face with the [...]
  • Tristi Pinkston's Season of Sacrifice ~ Author Interview
    Hello and welcome to Fiction Scribe, Ms. Pinkston. Let's start with getting to know you a little better. List five things you feel define you as a person. Naps Movies Books Spending insane [...]
  • Vote for Your Favorite Kitty Blog!
    I only took over the reins of writing for this site about a week ago, and have already met with such a positive response! I love feedback from all of you cat lovers out there, so if there's something [...]
  • Recap delay....
    Hi folks, I'm having a bit of an internet problem (what timing! :P). But once this is fixed, I'm going to get right down to last night's episode. Mmmkay? [...]
  • Bonnets for Breastfeeding
    Since I am still new to breastfeeding, sometimes I find it a little difficult. Especially when I am out in public. Where do I breastfeed that is safe, and private? How do I nurse without my [...]
  • Single Parent Sex
    I'll be the first to admit that I'm nowhere near having sex with anyone new, because frankly, I'm not dating anyone. But a lot of time is still spent thinking about single parent sex. Is it the [...]
  • Gaining Weight for No Reason? Check This Out
    You're eating right and working out, yet your pants keep getting tighter. What's the deal? Could be your thyroid. A sluggish thyroid -- even one that is just a tad slow -- can cause you to pack [...]
  • When the World gets so STRESSED: Find an alibi
    New Photo by Mary MacIntyre What a day, and a long one! I took a break and had lunch with a friend at Tecolote on Cerrillos. It hit the spot. Perfect for a cold rainy day. Day 2 of rain a [...]
  • Clip of the Week
    This week's clip comes from Guiding Light. This is a clip of Annie Dutton testifying that she lied about Reva pushing her down the steps. You will also see Ross in the clip. [...]
  • Friday Feast
    Thank goodness it's Friday! Phew. Another exhausting week has gone by and I am ever thankful for the weekend. I hope you all wish me luck as I wait to hear if I have an interview with the company [...]