Ever since I was in high school, I’ve dreamed of being able to sing like Kevin Max.
I used to (well, still do actually) buy every album he was on and spend hours singing along with him trying to match his amazing vocal range and artistic inflections. I even remember trying to make a deal with God one time that went something like “If you’ll give me a voice like Kevin’s I’ll do anything you ask, ANYTHING!” I’m still waiting to hear back on that one.
And yes, I have his music playing in the background right now to set the mood as I write this. Actually, here’s one of his music videos (although this one is a few years old).
You see, Kevin is my favorite singer from my favorite band when I was growing up called dcTalk. In fact, a little piece of me died when they announced they were all going their separate ways ten years ago. But since Kevin was going to continue singing and release solo albums, it was ok (I am still crossing my fingers for a reunion album). Since then, I’ve bought every solo album Kevin has released, plus any other album I can find that he’s appeared on (compilations, duets, etc).
Now here’s the kicker.
Truth be told, of all of Kevin’s solo albums that I’ve bought, I really only love a handful of songs – the rest of them, not so much (sorry Kevin).
But I will STILL buy everything he releases in the future.
Why? Because he’s reached a special level of “rockstar” status in my mind that transcends my likes or dislikes, and makes me want to follow him in his artistic explorations (he’s a heck of an artist by the way, and reads poetry he’s written with a voice that makes the ladies swoon). I’ve also shamelessly promoted his albums and appearances on Twitter without even using an affiliate link.
I think it has something to do with the mesmerizing quality of his voice combined with his artistic expression creating some form of mind control hypnosis that’s impossible to resist. You’ve probably heard of this phenomenon referred to as being a “true fan” by other bloggers, but I like my mind control explanation better.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could create that same kind of loyalty in your own audience?
Well the good news is you can.
The great news is that it’s not hard to do.
And the orgasmic, “I’m going to wet myself this is so exciting” news is that I’m going to help you do it.
So here’s the deal – and my request to you – and your chance to win something cool.
I’m working on putting together some kickass resources to help you create your own rockstar awesomeness. Please don’t confuse this with Laura Roeder’s Creating Fame through Social Media course (which is also awesome). This is something entirely different, and has the opportunity to launch you to the next level in your business.
Here’s what I’m up to.
Think about your favorite musicians. Each of them has a persona that they maintain – a unique style that permeates everything they do, and that their fans rave over. It helps them project the message behind their music, separates them from all the other musicians out there, and helps them connect with their audience and turn them into fans. That’s what I help you do for your blog or business.
So right now I’m working on creating some resources that will help you do just that.
But I don’t want to just create a bunch of stuff without first asking you (because you’re awesome) what you need. What questions do you have about branding, marketing, design, blogging, or online business that you’d like me to answer? Are you frustrated over some part of your marketing that I could help with?
UPDATE: Entries for the free coaching session contest are closed. Congratulations to Jasmine Henry and Satara for winning a free coaching session and Kevin’s new album. And thank you to everyone who submitted their marketing questions! I’ll be addressing them all in upcoming posts / resources, and will probably be running this contest again in the future, so stay tuned!
Photo credit: breezy421
P.S. Kevin, if you happen to read this post contact me. Seriously. I want to design the cover for your next album, or your next poetry book, or whatever else you’re working on. Anyway, contact me.
Well, Logan.
For the last few years the message has been, “You don’t need record companies. Artists will market themselves online and . . . (Cue: ‘Age of Aquarius’)”
Now you have ten gazillion artist websites and everything you do gets lost in the noise.
So, here’s the question, “How do you make ‘good’ noise’?
Lazy
Oooo great question and one I look forward to addressing! Thanks!
With all the blogs about blogging, what can you do other than just analyze down to the end of the long tail finding a narrow niche to get into blogging?
I am with you on DC Talk- very disappointed when they broke up and their solo efforts are not setting me on fire.
However, my wife loves Foo Fighters so much (based on me introducing them to her) that I wrote this blog post about Grohl: http://tlyden.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/7-business-lessons-from-dave-grohl/
Thats a very popular question. Looking forward to covering that one!
The two questions I’d like to know the answer to are
1. How do you blog with personality?
and
2. How do you market your blog (outside of social media) when a) no sites in your niche take guest posts and b) you can’t afford advertising?
Thanks!
– Jasmine
Great questions Jasmine! Thanks for sharing them!
Hi Logan,
How do I go about identifying my brandable attributes that will inspire a rockstar following? Some say be (genuinely) quirky, outrageous, or weird. Others say just be yourself, even if you are boring (and you can capitalize on your boringness). Is there a meaningful process to doing this, or is it hit or miss, trial and error?
Lisa
Awesome question Lisa! That will be a fun one to cover. Thanks!
Hi Logan, my question is this., How long you take to complete an articulated between 400 and 500 words? not the time, simple curiosity. Best Regards.
Hi Efren! Not sure I understand your question, but if you’re asking how long it takes me to write 400-500 articles, around 30 minutes to an hour depending on the topic. Hope that helps.
Hi Logan,
My question is this: how do you keep artistic integrity, when so much of being successful online is a numbers game?
Loving this Kevin track, by the way. Thanks for the introduction. I’d never heard of him or dcTalk!
LOVE all the questions that are coming in! Keep them coming!
I have a two-part question.
1. Why you? What makes you the one advice giver (out of all the advice givers out there) to be able to help me?
And depending on the answer to #1,
2. Can you take the things I don’t want to be and help me turn them into a cohesive image without the usual cliches and regurgitated ‘help’?
Hey Logan,
I am in the process of launching a consumer based product, and Johnny B. T. will soon be working on my website w/my graphic designer. My question is how can I position myself so that I can get preorders for my product? And how long before I launch should I be online, to build awareness of my new company? I have read quite a few blogs that address ebook, workbook, course related launches but I have not found anything yet that is consumer product related. Is there even a big difference when it comes to marketing and getting preorders?
Thanks,
Satara
Thank you for the questions everyone! Winners are announced above, and I’ll be covering each of your questions in upcoming posts / resources. This was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to doing it again in the future, so stay tuned!