Gain REAL Fans: 5 Steps to Getting to the 1000 True

Photo by kalandrakas

Would you like stark-raving mad fans? You know, the kind that will follow you across the country on tour and/or do just about anything you ask of them. Well, that is not going to happen if you come out the gate barking at them like a rabid Rottweiler.

In a world of push-up bra MySpace friend numbers, silicone Twitter followers and other plastic enhancements for your web presence, it doesn’t pay to be a Cherry. You have over 50,000 friends on a social networking site – so what? It does not mean a thing if you cannot get even 0.1% to pay attention to anything you say. Besides, there are way too many folks that are getting plastic surgery, which has diluted the potency of your hack. Every Ice T must have his Coco, I guess. I say “no, thank you.”

We are realizing that padding the numbers may not be as attractive as we might think, so now what do we do? How do we actually build a real fan base that we can leverage for real financial gains? Easy – all one has to do is be real and (somewhat) approachable.

That is the CliffsNotes version of it and probably not why you read up to this point. I hint at what it will take here on this blog quite a bit. Remember me talking about the Personable Geeks? Well, you just need to concede to being one and you will be well on your way.

5 Steps to Getting 1000 True Fans [in the Internet Age]

BKA How to Become a Personable Geek

BE HUMBLE
This has to be said at the start. In order to be approachable, you have to be modest in character. In order to deal with building a fan base one person at a time, you have to be able to mentally absorb the fact that it takes a bit of time. A huge ego will kill your chances at gaining real fans.

Do unto others…
I am going to keep this simple. The Ethic of Reciprocity is a universal thing. People do not like commercials like they once did. I am sure you are no exception, so cut with the “buy my stuff” approach.

Work on your handshake
This goes with the concept of being a friend first, artist last. You can do this by just taking the time to get to know a person. Introducing yourself, getting their name and offering your hand to solidify the connection is a great start.

Ask “What can I do for you?”
John F. Kennedy’s famous quote from his speech can be used here, but instead of country use fans. Set yourself up to be able to help. I have suggested to a few of my artist friends that they will find more opportunities by giving back to the community than taking from it. We are bombarded with people making requests of our time. Sometimes it is the best feeling just to be asked, “Can I help?”

Be a friend
Once you have established a relationship with your new pals, keep up with them! Make sure you know what is going on in their lives. As a musician, this is a great opportunity to get inspiration for your work. Everyone has stories, so seek out some from the very people you hope will support you. At the same time, fortifying your relationship with a few good people is the most important thing about all this.

In summary, do not be “that guy.” Set yourself apart by being genuine and kind. While this approach is a bit slower than pumping a ton of money into juicing use your sexy attributes, it is the most rewarding and the payoff is bound to be more fulfilling than anything plastic surgery could ever provide.

An Open Letter to My Local Hip Hop Scene

Okay, there is a pink elephant walking up and down Woodward Ave. I am tired of everyone seeing it and acting like it is not there.

I may be hyper-sensitive to this as I have been engaged in our scene in various capacities for quite some time now. With my current focus/contribution, I pay a lot of attention to how innocent bystanders respond to our desire to gain their attention. When I say I pay attention, I literally the study reactions and keep written record of them. I am comparing numbers, making charts and developing theories to test in future instances.

Now I see a lot of attempts to get the attention of people. People try all sorts of methods. Some beg almost to the point of nagging; some just pose like they are cooler than they are and front their way through it. Either way, it is as if folks think people are stupid. It is kind of disturbing.

We are living in crazy times right now. It seems like we are losing folks, left and right. Whether it be moving away from their hometown or just general life events, our numbers around Detroit are dwindling. The interest in hip hop in general is weak. Nothing exciting is going on, but we continue to yell about stuff like it is going to change things.

What I am calling for is a true recognition of the situation in your hometown. I am asking that you think about what it probably looks like to someone that is not like you.

I have written a lot here, but I mean this in the most serious way. The negative bursts need to cease. It looks bad, very bad.

Again, do what no one has done, teach the youth. There is a strong core of new talent that could use some seasoned guidance. If you do not know of any, I could give you some referrals.

The course of negativity needs to be reversed. It is getting annoying. If only shit comes from the top, what do you expect to sprout? Especially considering nothing is really being planted to replace whatever fruit gets picked.

Folks, I implore you. Let’s right the ship. If you have no clue as to what I mean, feel free to call me (313.820.4075).

Support Frying in Vein – Buy Music!

I am currently looking to expand things here at Frying in Vein in order to reach a broad audience. There are many that do not read. Certainly, there are many that hate the internet, so I am looking into new ways to spread my message to those that still need to hear what I say here.

That said, I will be blogging about the developments of a new podcast and a dedicated video blog in the near future. Frying in Vein swag will also be in the works as well. For the offline set, I have started on a book that kind of plays off of the advice I give on this site.

It is all about the now though. I was recently given the opportunity to join an affiliate program for a music download site called Dancetracks. Consider this my full disclosure. If you click on the link below and purchase the track(s), I get a cut of the proceeds. The cool thing about this site is that their MP3s are DRM-free and you can even buy WAV files for you snooty DJ types that don’t want your bang compromised.


To start, I am going to highlight the latest release of the J Dilla discography – Dillanthology Vol. 3 out now on Rapster Records. Expect when I share new music that if you see the Dancetracks player that you can help me continue to provide quality material to you by clicking through and supporting.

J Dilla aka Jay Dee – Dillanthology Vol. 3 | Dancetracks.

Ariel “CyberPR” Hyatt’s INDIE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST

Ever since I decided to provide practical advice to creatives, I have been on a hunt for folks like myself. In my search, I have come across a few cool people, most of whom have even cooler blogs like Refe at Creative Deconstruction and Justin at Audible Hype. I have also found a lot of posers, jumping on the social media bandwagon to sell “virtual snake oil” to unknowing creative types. They push their 15,000 Twitter followers or random viral video success that was probably generated by video-replay bots built by $5/hour programmers in India.

Out of all that I have found so far as career types in the music industry, it is interesting to me that there are so many that present themselves as a resource for artists, but they do not offer the proper understanding needed to master their material/tool/servuce. It makes you wonder if they even really understand what it takes to market a product successfully.


I am finding for every three (3) capitalizing music industry hack, there is one (1) genuine person that actually wants to help artists in order to have long-term clients and not just make a quick buck. The author of the featured piece is one of those genuine types. I have been able to witness this person’s passion firsthand at the New Music Seminar in Chicago as she kept questioning the habit of industry vets using industry speak that paying patrons didn’t likely understand. Getting to speak with her afterwards, I found she was really and willing to actually share the real advice people were seeking.

Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR a New York based digital firm that connects artists, authors and filmmakers to blogs, podcasts, Internet radio stations and social media sites. She, in conjunction with leaders in the new media space for the music industry, put together a list to combat a lofty one put out by Billboard on what it take to get “maximum exposure” in music today. Essentially, her INDIE MAXIMUM EXPOSURE LIST (A GUIDE FOR THE REST OF US) is a practical list of things anyone should consider when trying to build a business. If the message should be anything to artists is, there is a lot of work involved in the process to building a sustainable fan base. A music can no longer take their fans for granted.

I have only gotten through the first 20 pages and I am deeming this guide a must-have. Study the advice and commit it to memory. They should create an audio book of the document. Seriously. When you begin to devise a plan for your next creation, keep the importance of sweat equity in mind.

That is all, folks. Get back to work. This post has pushed me to do a piece on the necessity of PR in any music brand’s success. Stay tuned for that.

Masters of Content: People Under The Stairs

“I came through the door, I said it before” content is king (Rakim, “Eric B. is President” 1985). As someone that still buys CDs and vinyl records, I tend to expect a little more now with my purchases since I know they are so easy to make. If I can fabricate your CD, then there is a good chance I really don’t want to buy it. That does not mean I will not, good friend of mine. I just wish you took a little more time making something that I can justify keeping on the shelf that inevitably collect dust on a mantle somewhere.

I featured the latest video from People Under The Stairs on here and I just got their new album in the mail. Come check me out as I open my new collector’s item.


Let me clarify, PUTS have been putting together clever merchandising arrangements since way back. They understand the value of “limited edition.” The first single off their new record was only available on vinyl and there was only 500 copies made. The Stepfather album had the first “fan club” write-in program that I have seen since the early 90s, along with other hidden gems all over the CD/DVD project. I cannot forget my die-cut 10″ single of “Tuxedo Rap (remix).”
Along with PUTS, there have been many others that have put together really cool packaging and accompanying swag to go with their music projects. Hip hop is no stranger in that regard. It is just surprising how little it happens though. See this post as a “call-to-action” for artists to spend more time on what they plan to sell to their fans.

Look to acts like People Under The Stairs or Nine Inch Nails for guidance on how to create interesting merchandise that people are willing to buy. The more effort you put into your work, the more you can feel confident charging your fans to buy it. Oh, it helps if what you sell them will increase in value over time too. *wink wink* Here are some suggestion bullets to focus on:

  • No CD-Rs or forms of media that have limited lifespans. Cassette tapes are okay, but I advise against it.
  • Signatures go a long way sometimes.
  • While you do not have to spend a killing on what plays the tunes, you should spend extra on whatever is going to hold it. Paying Shepard Fairey whatever his asking price to design your CD artwork might be a good move.

I will elaborate on this some more in a future piece. I am more interested in finding more music artists that are putting out cool merch for fans to collect. PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITES IN THE COMMENTS.