Ten Tips To Greater Sales on GospelReggae.com: PART 5 (Video Blog)
Jan. 20, 2010 - PART 5: THE VIDEO BLOG
Go Blog Yourself! (Create Your Own YouTube Shorts)
I know that it sounds kind of weird, but the word "blog" is short for "web log." The hottest new promotional tool for music is the video blog. In many ways video blogs are much more effective than YouTube/MySpace commercials or even live performances because they capture the viewer's attention and help them to connect with the you on a deeper level.
In this digital age people no longer go to MTV and wait for their favorite video to play. They find instant gratification on YouTube. But the infrequent releases of high budget videos can't satisfy the insatiable demand of the diehard fan. And music videos can either be really expensive or seriously cheesy!
Who can afford to do a performance video for every song on their album? I sure can't! However, with our latest album "No Compromise" I still wanted to tell the stories of each of our songs in a relevant way. So I partnered up with my guitarist Obie Obien and we created our first set of video blogs. We are slowly doing one for each song on the album. To see the first four video blogs click on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/christafariband#p/u
video blogs are all the buzz right now. You may have seen the 50 videos that I posted on line as the camera followed us everywhere on our month-long South American tour. It was an honest, dramatic and sleepless look at a very rough tour. Here's the link for these videos:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=54043263097&v=app_2392950137
Monty G also did some video blogs of his last tour. Other artists such as Sherwin Gardner and Hoszia Hinds have recently been posting a lot of videos on FaceBook. One of the most famous gospel artists to do something like this is Israel Houghton. He did documentary style video blogs for his "Power of One" album. He called each of them a "Song Story." Here's an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yolgc62MCRw
CONNECT WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
Have you ever noticed that when an actor appears on the Jay Leno show stumping for a movie they spend very little time actually talking about the movie? Instead the actor tells us an anecdote or some humorous story. By the end of the interview you may not know much more about the movie, but you feel like you know the actor so much better. They've made a connection with you.
A few days later you may find yourself in the cinema watching their film because in some weird way you feel like you are being loyal to a friend. You didn't see the movie because you were sold a bill of goods or just watched a commercial. This is the kind of connection that your audience needs to make with you. They need to know you... the real you--the person behind the sunglasses.
While you can make a video blog on just about anything, here are a few suggestions that I have come up with that may help you get started:
A. GO BEHIND THE SCENES. Give the viewer a deeper look into your life, your show, your tour, your work, the recording of your album, etc... This is the most common type of video blog.
B. TELL US YOUR STORY. Whether you were a gunslinger in Kingston or a childhood soldier in Biafra, we all have a story. Perhaps your story isn't one of indiscretion, but rather of purity--even better! Maybe what makes you who you are today is the losses that you've recently suffered. Show us. We all have a testimony--tell yours.
C. TAKE US TO A PLACE. It could be the sweetest place or earth or the gates of Hell. Take us there and tell us why you brought us to this spot. It could be your favorite beach or the place where you gave your life to Christ. It could be your favorite Jerk Centre (restaurant) for a taste of some sweet pork and a demonstration of how they cook it. Take us there.
Don't know where to go? Ask yourself this question; "If a fan was visiting from foreign and you had an afternoon with them to show them around, where would you take them?" Bring us along on your journey. You may not think that waterfall is so special, but to a frostbit Canadian it could be paradise. So climb Dunn's River on camera. Some of the most popular shows on TV feature hosts trotting the globe in search of new sites and tastes. Feed the viewers curiosity and take us to a point of interest.
D. HUMOR IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL. A little laughter goes a long way towards brightening up your day. It never fails, the funniest postings that we do always get the most hits. YouTube was built on the success of hilarious clips featuring cats and small children falling down. If it works, why fix it? Do a skit or tell a joke. Anytime you can incorporate humor go for it--the funnier the better!
E. BE DRAMATIC. The number one reason why reality TV is so huge these days is because of the drama. Don't be afraid to show your true colors. If you have footage of a tour, concert or event where something dramatic took place, don't be afraid to show it. People would much rather see you almost crack under pressure than meditate in a lotus position.
Is the promoter refusing to pay you before you go onstage? Get it on film. Did the cops shut you down only 5 minutes into your set? Capture it. Did the power go out during your altar call? Show us what happened next! I know that some artists don't want to show us the nitty gritty, but that's what the fans want and expect from you.
F. TAKE US ON AN ADVENTURE: Have you ever wanted to go sky diving, fly down a zip line or learn to surf? Now is the time. Let us live vicariously through you! Wanna learn how to ride a motorcycle or get your first tattoo (Heaven forbid)? Bring us along on the adventure. Get creative and think outside the box. Do something bold for the very first time!
G. TEACH US SOMETHING: Show us how you write a song or record a track. Do you have any other skills outside of music? Even better! Teach us something that we wouldn't expect you to know. Show us how to ride a unicycle, cook your favorite meal or sew a dress. Don't know any other skills? No problem. Learn how to do something with the camera on! Above all be original and inspirational!
These seven points are just a few of my suggestions. The possibilities are endless. Mention GospelReggae.com in your video and you will win a T-shirt and a CD and have a shot at our Grand Prize. For more details on this contest check your e-mail or the NEWS section of GospelReggae.com.
Once you've recorded your video blog, upload it to YouTube and link it to your FaceBook page/group, MySpace and everywhere else you can. So what are you waiting for? Pick an idea, grab a camera and start filming!
Blessings in Christ,
Mark Mohr
GospelReggae.com
