Hope you guys enjoy them.  We’re working on more as we speak, and are always welcoming new clients that need fully custom designs.  Let us know what you think of them and how we can help you!

“Susan Payton truly has her fingers on the pulse of social media. Throughout her book, Internet Marketing for Entrepreneurs: Using Web 2.0 Strategies for Success, she demonstrates her ability to effectively push the envelope and stay fresh in the ever-changing environment of the internet.

From blogs to Facebook and Linked-In to Twitter, she uses detailed methods to show just how to use Web 2.0 marketing to its fullest. Payton explains the ins and outs of email campaigns, blogging, and so much more. This book is not only for people who are new to doing business and marketing online; it’s for everyone.

This is a must-read for anyone that is serious about being relevant in today’s online marketplace.”

I encourage you to check out her blog and pick up the book.

Follow Susan on Twitter @eggmarketing (and while you’re at it, @transientmedia!)

If you own a computer and are connected to the internet (which, if you’re reading this, applies to you), you need to know how the DMCA can affect you.  And trust me, it can really affect you…just ask Jamie Thomas.  She had 1,072 songs and has been sued for $220,000 by the RIAA.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law which implements two 1996 WIPO treaties. It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that are used to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works (commonly known as DRM) and criminalizes the act of circumventing an access control, even when there is no infringement of copyright itself.

First, I just want to point out one of the big catches here.  “It criminalizes production and dissemination of technology, devices, or services that are used to circumvent measures that control access to copyrighted works”.  What this means is that any person, company, or oganization that creates a product (computer, MP3 player, tape recorder/CD player/burner), program/software (iTunes, Limewire, etc.), or service (broadcast), can be considered a CRIMINAL.  These products and services make it possible for people to illegally share music, therefore making them criminally responsible/liable according to the DMCA.

Now, sit back, take a breath, and ask yourself, “Does that make sense?”.  Honestly.  This means a 70 year old grandmother could be sued into the dirt because her grandson used her computer to download a song on Kazaa.  The kid could be sued, the computer manufacturer could be sued, the Internet provider could be sued, and the grandmother could be sued.  This is not a joke.  This is real.  With the current laws this scenario could easily happen.

Here’s how it works:  A person owns a computer connected to the internet.  They get on the internet and use software/websites to download a song, movie, program, picture, etc.  The RIAA is also on these sites by way of a company, “BayTSP”.  The company acts as another “user”, and when they see someone connecting to a bit torrent or otherwise interacting with another user, they copy the IP address of that user.  They then serve the Internet provider with orders to hand over the personal information of the user,

“In addition to limiting the liability of service providers, Title II establishes a procedure by which a copyright owner can obtain a subpoena from a federal court
ordering a service provider to disclose the identity of a subscriber who is allegedly
engaging in infringing activities. (Section 512(h)).”
-The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998

and then serve the person with “cease and desist” orders.  However, the odd thing is that for this to happen a singe file never even has to be “shared”.  If you so much as connect to another person’s computer, whether intentionaly or not, you may very well be served orders.  When it goes to court, you are guilty until proven innocent.  If found guilty, the DMCA allows for a first time offender to be charged up to $500,000 or 5 years in prison and $1,000,000 or 10 years in prison for a repeat offender.  I hope grandma has half a million dollars in her social security account!

What are your thoughts on digital downloads from Kazaa, Limewire, and the likes?  Should it be legal?  Banned?  What if you were the artist and people weren’t paying for your songs?  Let’s hear your responses!

I remember when Xanga was released.  I had never had a blog, so it took awhile for me to get used to it.  I soon realized that it was only useful or worth my time if people read it.  And why would anyone read a blog about me?  I had to keep it interesting so people kept coming back; otherwise, what’s the point?  So, I made sure I was always writing about the things in my life that people might find interesting, or want to know more about.  There were times, of course, that it was difficult to come up with anything “blog” worthy.  I’m sure we’ve all been there; you know it’s time to update your blog or site, but for whatever reason, there is nothing that you can think of that would be of any interest to someone other than your mother.  Enter Google.

I’ve found Google to be a great resource for finding new topics.  Search the news in your industry and research some topics.  Develop thoughts and opinions.  Then write about it.  But that’s a whole other post.  Let’s get to why I’m writing this particular post today.

Twitter.  Surely you’ve heard of it.  More than likely, you’ve got an account.  Have you told the world what you are doing yet?  My first few weeks on Twitter were fruitless.  ”I’m getting my morning cup of coffee”.  ”Taking a shower, then off to get some food”.  ”I have a headache”.  These were the kind of updates, or “tweets”, that I and many others were posting.  Then, I started looking more closely at the people and companies that have 500 or 1,000 followers, or even 10,000.  How?  Well, for one, they often use these automated “bots” to follow people, thereby garnering followers in return.  Twitter actually has daily limits on how many people you can add in 24 hours (it’s possible to contact them and have this restriction lifted).  If you add too many people too fast, you run the risk of having your account blocked or deleted.  Again, that is a whole other topic : )

So, I had to find out ways to have people truly want to know what I was writing about or doing at the moment.  The main difference between the people with 20 followers and the people with 20,000 followers is content.  If you only remember one thing from this article, remember this: CONTENT IS KING.  Yes, it’s a cliche.  As much as I dislike cliches, this is a true statement.  People will come to your blog, website, or Twitter if you have something to say.  By that, I mean something of use to your would-be visitors.  Everyone takes showers.  Most drink coffee.  We aren’t benefitting the community by letting the world know that.

So, “what do I tweet about?”, you ask?  Well, for starters, if you find an extremely useful news article relating to the taxes in North Dakota, or a great sale on a particular website, pass it on!  If you are an expert in your field or profession, write about what you know.  These are some very simple tips to helping you have repeat and loyal visitors.  This is what will drive people back to you each week.  Not the fact that you dropped the kids off at school and then went to yoga class.  People will only follow you if you have something of use that they can benefit from.  I cannot for the life of me stress that enough.  If you are using Twitter for your business, freelancing, or entrepreneurial endeavors, you need to show the world that you have something of value to say.  If, however, you’re using it as a 12 year old, then post whatever you want.  Even college students and such can benefit from it.  Try posting a question about a particular topic and see the response and help you’re likely to get from your followers.  In return, if you come across something that pertains to current events that others should know about, let us know!

In conclusion, Twitter, I believe, can be extremely powerful.  140 characters at a time.  Just don’t let the world know that you didn’t brush your teeth today.  Nobody really wants to hear that.  Trust me.  Now, forgive me; I have to go update my Twitter status ; )

Money is power. By giving them our money, we give them our power.

We pay their enormous paychecks…we fund their extended vacations to Rome…we pay the lease on their Ferrari…we pay the outrageous electric bill in their Malibu beach house.

There have been lawsuits and fights against the major labels…a huge organization fighting the common man…David and Goliath. However, if we were to rise as one unified voice and power, the common American music listener could bring the corrupt record labels to their knees.

How to Combat the Majors
My information comes from both research and personal instruction by credible people in the industry. I’ve learned how it has gotten this bad, why it hasn’t changed, and what must be done. There is a need for change; but, in order to start changing the industry, we need to first know why it is the way it is:The major labels have so much power simply because they are huge corporations with lots of societal influence, and they have plenty of (our) money, which they’re not unwilling to spend in order to get what they want. The record labels have a lobbying group to represent them and to speak on their behalf, known as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Whenever legislation or laws are being discussed in D.C. that effect the music industry (and believe me-it occurs much more often than you are aware of, which is something we will later discuss), these lobbyists are there to persuade the Congressmen. The Congressmen get fat and happy from the lobbyists’ money and other means of persuasion, which help convince our politicians to pass the laws in favor of the major labels. Because the average American is unaware of what goes on, and because the very few people who do know what happens don’t speak up, the major record labels are continuing to grow and monopolize the music industry with virtually no effort or consequence.
The average music listener probably thinks he or she has a choice of what he or she wants to listen to; to a certain degree, I suppose they do. But here is a staggering fact, literally straight from the RIAA’s website: “RIAA members create, record, or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.”

If that doesn’t sound like a monopoly, I don’t know what does. The RIAA members don’t leave much room for the local bands, unless you consider 10% sufficient. As this blog continues, we will discuss other factors that contribute to the monopoly on music, but from this statement alone, it sounds to me like the major labels decide what is “popular”. Call me nuts, but I don’t think this is what the average music lover wants.

It used to be that in the old days you could record a demo, put together a decent press kit, and ship off a few copies to the labels. They’d listen to them, and if you were good and what they were looking for, they’d give you a call or show up at one of your gigs. Or perhaps you were lucky enough that you were just gigging like you usually did and there was an A&R rep present who dug your sound. Things were good if you were a truly talented band. And if you did in fact get signed, you were set. Think of the artists who have been around for years. Aerosmith, Mettallica, U2, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, and so many more. Then think of any artist today that will be around in the next 10 years still making hits. Or who will be considered one of the “greats”. You’ll be hard pressed to come up with more than three. And this is sad.

With the advent of the internet, we thought that it would be easier to be “found”. Record a demo, put it up in (the disgusting) MP3 format with a few pictures, and then sit back and wait for the calls from the labels.

Those calls never came. So you improved your site, worked on your songs, and then sent them to the labels. Still, the calls never came. All thanks to the influx of mediocre garage bands. Don’t get me wrong. I think it is absolutely fantastic to have these outlets for your music. I wish I’d had access to them when I was younger. But it all seems too good to be true. A little misleading. You think you’ll be able to get your music to millions, and you’ll be rich and famous. You’ve got that next big hit, right? Well, sorry, but no, you don’t. Because no longer do we as musicians and listeners decide what we want to hear. The labels have taken it upon themselves to “research” the industry and see where the trends are. They take an artist who has visual appeal and market the life out of them. If you see an artists face enough and hear their name enough, eventually you start to think there must be something to them. They’re getting all this attention, right? Well, they’re only getting it because the labels are generating the buzz. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. And the labels will go to extremes to make sure the artist sells millions of records. If they don’t, the labels drop the artist or sell their contract to another label. And there is nothing the artist can do about it…unless your name is Madonna or you’re in U2. Then you can do whatever you please.

For you bands out there that are trying to “make it big”; stop trying. Start focusing on the market that you already have unlimited access to. Your hometown. Historically, hometown fans have been the base that really supports a band and show any prospective label that the band has a truly loyal fan base. This conveys hard work and determination on the band’s part. And those local fans will spread the word about your band so you can focus on playing. Why work so hard when you can have people do it for you? And other listeners and radio stations will believe a fans word over yours. You’re trying to sell your product. The fan doesn’t have anything to gain from promoting you, though, and this is evident to potential listeners, stations, and labels. Keep that in mind.

Concentrate on making good music that you’re passionate about. This is why you began playing in the first place. Don’t rely on anyone else to get you somewhere. You have to do it yourself. For more insight and advice on the music industry, follow us on Twitter and make sure you bookmark this blog!

You get back in the office and two, three, or even ten days have passed.  You remember you met someone that was a great lead and seemed very interested in your company or service.  But you can’t remember their name, email, phone number, what company they work for, or where they’re from.  You can’t remember this because you made three big mistakes.

Mistake #1

When you first meet someone, ask about their background, what they do, and where they’re from.  Do not immediately start your spiel and try to get their interest.  Invest in them on a personal level and don’t appear like you’re trying to sell them anything.  Don’t rush through finding out about them either.  If they just keep talking, let them.  They’ll feel more of a connection if they know that you know more about them.

Mistake #2

Chances are, they’re going to use your card to write some notes down after a phone call with someone else, wad their gum in, or as a bookmark.  Don’t assume they will commit it to memory and file away for a time they need your service.  Instead, beat them to the punch and ask if they have a business card.  Better yet, ask if they have two, that way, if you know someone else that can benefit from their service or product, you’ll pass their card along without having to lose the one they gave you.  After you’ve asked them this, they will be grateful, and that opens the door for you to give them two of your cards.  That way, if they do lose one, they have the other.  Or, they might give the extra card to a colleague and you just got another potential lead.

Mistake #3

This is tied to Mistake #2.  You didn’t get their card, so you couldn’t remember who they were or what they did.  If you do the right thing, you’ll get their card.  It has their name, number, and probably location on it.  After you’ve parted ways, immediately write where you met them and a personal note about them directly on the card.  When you get back to the office, you’ll be able to remember their name, service, where they’re from, and something you guys talked about in your initial conversation.  Mention that little bit of information that you talked about (“Hey, hope your vacation in the Bahamas went well!”, or “How about that Cubs game last weekend?”) and they will be more likely to remember who you are and where they met you (because they probably didn’t write down your info on the cards you gave them; pass this blog link to them!).

I don’t know how many people I’ve met and not even asked for their card.  I thought that them having my card was enough; but I never heard from them, and I had no way of contacting them.  Or, I got to the office and unpacked to find 23 business cards from other people.  And I had no idea who was who, or what they did.  Now, every time I get a card from someone, I write where I met them or the name of the event, and one little detail I learned about them.  They won’t know that you wrote that stuff down after they left; they’ll just assume you have a great memory and were truly interested in them when you met them.  If you make this a habit, I assure you that you will generate more leads and that translates into more sales.