As I said in my previous post, this is going to be a multi-part blog-o-rama on this topic of week 4. Today I spent about 4 hours scouring the web for blogs that do reviews and podcasts that play my genre of music. I then put the findings into a database spreadsheet that was suggested by Chris Bracco on his Tight Mix Blog.

I started out using delicious.com and typing in some keywords. I found a few blogs, but it was slow going. Then I had a light bulb go off over my head and thought about the great newsletters that I get from CyberPR that often (well always) have interviews with podcasters and bloggers. What better way to research than to go to CyberPR’s New Media Interview archives and pillage!

I easily filled my quota of 30 bloggers (20 to go) and podcasters from the list of interviews I found. I also found a reference to a great source for bloggers called the Blog Catalog which allows you to explore the blogosphere using keywords. Blog Catalog is a great resource and very easy to use and capsulises what the blog is all about so you don’t have to waste time.

My next steps with the info I’ve collected:

  • put the blog URLs into my blogroll
  • bookmark the blogs into delicious.com
  • add the blog RSS for each blog into my Google Reader
  • monitor the blogs and start commenting
  • follow the ones that are on Twitter and Facebook
  • get some music up on the Podsafe Network

Next on the agenda:

  • add more blogs to my list by going to google.blogsearch.com and technorati.com
  • search for reviews of like sounding indie artists
  • check out last.fm and thesixtyone
  • start using my Flickr account – I’ve had an account for a long time, but haven’t used it

To Be Continued…

 

(This post and the consequent chapter 4 posts are a combination of Chapters 4 & 5 of the 2nd edition of Ariel’s book which I did not have at the time of this writing…)

This topic is going to require multiple posts this week, I can feel it. I’ve read through Chapter 4 several times and I’m just starting to map out my strategies and schedule my work.

Let’s start with Blogging and Podcasting. I’m a blogger and I’m a podcaster, so I know a bit about both. The question is how to get MY music on other people’s blogs and podcasts? If the average blogger/podcaster is like me then they are probably a combination of the following:

  • music-lovers
  • music-thinkers
  • musician-helpers

they most likely have:

  • day jobs
  • families
  • not a lot of time

they are also:

  • independent
  • somewhat organized but not efficient
  • happy to help, but don’t like being ‘sold’ or ‘pushed’

bloggers and podcasters don’t always ‘Do it for the Money’, but:

  • they do like praise
  • they do like FREE stuff
  • they do like to be recognized
  • they do like to be mentioned

While I may have an insight into who a blogger/podcaster may be, I still need to find them and create a relationship with them. Here’s my strategy so far:

  1. Create my Google Reader
  2. Subscribe to and follow blogs and podcasts found on delicious.com
  3. Keep track of podcasters and bloggers from the CyberPR’s newsletter
  4. Schedule weekly times to comment on blogs and listen to podcasts
  5. Create a database spreadsheet of blogs and podcasts
  6. Follow up

It’s all about the relationship and community. I plan to release a CD in the summer of 2011 and now, almost a year in advance, is the time to sow the seeds.

To be continued…