People will spend lots of money in the coming weeks.
Black Friday is November 25th.
Cyber Monday is November 28th.
The last Bandcamp Friday of 2022 is December 2nd.
Do your fans know about your upcoming specials?
Do your fans understand that supporting independent artists is crucial?
Are your online store fronts updated and looking sharp?
Got your LINK IN BIO service set up?
Do your social media channels have the proper links to your store? Could your merchandise images use a refresh?
Are you offering holiday bundles, free shipping, bonus items?
What happens if you get locked out of your social media accounts on Black Friday?
Yes, Spotify rates suck and inflation is a bummer - so what can we do today to capture some of the money that’ll be flying around?
Here’s your FOUR THE WEEKND tasks - complete 50% of these by Monday.
Geared more for the “online coach” crowd, but ‘How to determine what discounts to offer for Black Friday’ over at Teachable is a good read for anyone selling on the internet.
As mentioned in August, check ‘Quick Tips for Holiday Selling’ from Big Cartel.
Purchase the Black Metal Rainbows Compilation Album which benefits charities that support LGBTQ youth.
💥 Collaborate with some trusted partners and create a gift guide that you’ll all share with your own fans. Imagine five trusted friends / bands / labels all promoting solid, vetted goodies a few days before Black Friday (and keep repeating it).
Got questions about any of these? Hit reply, leave a comment, send an email (seth@closemondays.com).
☕️ Support HEAVY METAL EMAIL: buy me a coffee via Ko-Fi, Venmo (@Seth-Werkheiser), Cash App ($ethwerkheiser), or PayPal. You can also level up and upgrade to a paid subscription here on Substack.
“The world will not know how to help you unless you scream from the mountaintops what it is you like to do, and how you like to do it.”
From James Edmondson in ‘F You Money, & Don’t Release Your First Font.’
Ask your fans for the support, and stop being afraid to promote your Bandcamp or store sale. Tired of updating 13 social media platforms? Start asking fans to sign up for your email list.
“In a capitalist economy, the market rewards things that are rare and valuable. Social media use is decidedly not rare or valuable. Any 16-year-old with a smartphone can invent a hashtag or repost a viral article.”
From Cal Newport in 2016 in the NYTimes. Does your work blend in, or - like Seth Godin asks (below) - would you be missed if you were gone?
“You could be the one we'd miss if you were gone.
It takes quite a bit of emotional labor to pull this off. Consistent effort to contribute, to see possibility and to be patient. If it were the easiest or most direct path to a short-term goal, everyone would do it.”
I recently swapped a few messages with a fellow writer on the Substack Office Hours thread.
This person writes motivational posts on LinkedIn. You’ve seen those posts, I’m sure.
A lot of those folks write that stuff, in hopes of turning their LinkedIn followers into newsletter subscribers.
This was part of my reply:
Isn't what you're writing already sort of "widely available" on LinkedIn? Lots of helpful advice, things that make you think, interesting ways to look at things. Those are all great things!
But since there's a LOT of that, why do people need to subscribe to your newsletter?
Some LinkedIn folks are putting everything right there on LinkedIn. And some people (on any social media network) are perfectly fine to just keep scrolling, knowing they'll find similar content for hours on end.
What are you doing that’s so special that people will stop scrolling and click a link?
You might not be writing posts on LinkedIn, but you’re posting about your new EP, your upcoming tour, your new designs, your latest interview.
But you’re not just competing against other metal folk, you’re competing with Andor on Disney+ and NBA basketball and beautiful people dancing and pointing at words.
You got riffs? Friend, I got 50 years of riffs.
Figure out why anyone would click on what you’re offering.
Hey it’s me, Seth Werkheiser!
I started Noisecreep for AOL Music back in 2008, and among 100 other things these days (read my About page) I write HEAVY METAL EMAIL because I wanna help creative folks build a direct connection to their audience and support themselves with their art.
Fuck the algorithms.
If I can help, get in touch. Hit reply, leave a comment, send an email (seth@closemondays.com).
☕️ Support HEAVY METAL EMAIL: buy me a coffee via Ko-Fi, Venmo (@Seth-Werkheiser), Cash App ($ethwerkheiser), or PayPal. You can also level up and upgrade to a paid subscription here on Substack.