THE INDUSTRY
I heard a friend say something the other day that sort of bothered me. He said,
“I don’t know why the ‘industry’ doesn’t support our group any more than they do?!”
Forget the industry, care for YOUR people!
When I hear the term “Gospel Music Industry” (or any “industry for that matter … Country Music industry, print industry, medical industry, housing industry), I have to wonder what he was referring to.
There was a day when a record company could discover someone, take them to a ‘hot’ producer who would make them a hit. Then they would spend tens of thousands of dollars marketing them, getting their song promoted, and getting the song played on radio. Hopefully, those plays on the radio would be converted into money that would pay the record company back for their huge investment into their career.
I guess you could call that an industry.
The problem is, that stuff RARELY works at all anymore. Things are changing EVERYDAY. Why would you want to cater to an industry anyway?
Here are some things that will never change. Your people (your peeps). Your fans.
There are only a handful of PEOPLE that you need to know about:
- people who love what you do. (fans)
- people who are curious what you are doing. (lurkers-possible fans)
- people who don’t like what you do. (dis-likers?–haters?—still possible fans)
- people who have never heard what you do. (unreached–possible fans)
- people who know about you, but haven’t been impressed enough to take action. (casual fan–but still a fan)
- people who don’t care what you do. (indifferent–the opposite of love/hate)
When is the last time an “industry” bought a CD or a book or a track from you?
When is the last time an “industry” came to a concert or bought a painting?
Serving an “industry” can be exhausting because NO ONE has to take responsibility for WHY things are the way they are. But, serving fans who love what you do can be the most invigorating thing you can undertake!
Bottom line is this:
- Take GOOD care of the people who love you
- convert into fans the people who know you
- market to the people who don’t know you yet
- forget the “industry“
- forget the people who don’t like you.
- forget the people who don’t care about you
When you consistently CARE, CONVERT and CONVERSE WITH the fans you already have, believe me, the “other” people WILL notice.
[I really hope this makes sense!]
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This is one thing Allison Speer stresses at her “Elijah Conference”- the necessity to genuinely care for people to whom you’re ministering. All the other things will fall into place if you do that and then artists will be driving the industry, not the other way around.
I believe that too Shawn. Thanks for the comment. I’ll have to find out more about Allisons conference. I’ll bet there is some good info in there. Where was the one you went to?
Kevin
Kevin, I’m actually on staff and help teach at the conference. The first one was in ’08 at River of Life in Smyrna, and starting last year, they’re at Grace Naz over by Opryland. Wasn’t able to go last year, but this year’s conference is the middle of August. She’s great! http://www.elijahconference.com
Thanks for the “heads up” Shawn.
Love the post!
Bottom line is this:
Take GOOD care of the people who love you
convert into fans the people who know you
market to the people who don’t know you yet
forget the “industry“
forget the people who don’t like you.
forget the people who don’t care about you
Thank you Robbie. I appreciate you commenting buddy.
Another brilliant post! I see too many artists who are putting all their focus into pleasing “the industry!”
Thank You Susan.
Kevin,
I couldn’t agree more. I think we all agree that we see gospel music (Christian music in general) as a way to reach “people”. Thank goodness there’s not any “industry” in Heaven.
Thanks for the feedback, Lamont, It’s so easy to lose sight of why we do what we do sometimes… myself included.
The cool thing is with all the media access we have now you really don’t need the “Industry” which has never been about the artist or art anyway. They are a business all about making money. Which is fine if you understand that and use it. But, like I said with the media access we have now (websites, e-mail, Facebook, youtube, etc.) you can interact so much more closely with your fans/friends/family that you can build a relationship with each and everyone of them to some extent. People love that! Like anything else, no one wants to feel like just another number. Then, like Shawn said everything else will fall into place.
True Karen. The people who realize this now (sounds like you do) will be way ahead in the very near future!