u.s. album sales - best selling musicians

To study the best-selling musicians of all time by album sales, it’s helpful to first take a look at the music business. That's not what it used to be.

The musical landscape is vastly different from the heydays of the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, when vinyl and CD sales peaked.

The Beatles

 

For the past 60 years, the RIAA has honored music’s best through its Gold & Platinum Awards Program.

These acts have remained popular across multiple generations.

Beginning of the slideshow

 

George Strait

video storytelling

Video is hot. There's not mistaking it. Video is an excellent way to tell a story. Some say it's the only way to tell a story. That's debatable, I know, but video requires everyone's attention. Even you are not into video yet, take a look at a few a day. This will give you a handle on what is going on.

One thing for sure: videos are watched. Another thing: videos are shared. 

Video stimulates the senses in ways written text does not. Research has shown that certain words stimulate our senses. With video, using these "word objects" in the videos really have an impact. Two words are "perfume" and "coffee". Well think of this...... producing a video where the storyteller is drinking a cup of coffee. You get the meaning.

Video done correctly, stimulates many areas of the brain. That's what you want. Stimulation generally garners a response. This is rolled into the field of neuroscience, a very important field. This science helps with understanding why video works so well.

Video is to a point where it can't be ignored. I personally don't use video...... yet. But I watch several and I study them to help with my ideas. The move to video is a process. My process is at the blueprint stage. I am drawing up the plan. 

Video is storytelling that informs and entertains. It also constructs new knowledge and develops critical learning skills. 

So draw up your plan. If you need help, I can aid you. At least study what video is doing in the marketing realm.

Grow Your Business with Social Video Marketing - eClincher https://t.co/2cURhuklhj #SocialMediaMarketing #socialmediatips

— Tal Mikaelovich 😎 (@Mikaelovich) January 6, 2018

the lens of transformation

Advertising agencies are changing the scope of their business. They are seeking solutions across commerce, digital content, and media distribution. This shift has been slow. Quite frankly, they've been wrapped too tight in their own traditions. However, to their credit, they've moved with much precision.

The shift has changed the face of marketing. TV marketing is waning, giving way to social media, digital media, user experience or open source. A new wave of innovators is poised to bring their expertise to this new ecosystem.

Accenture, IBM, PwC, and Deloitte are engaged in the acquisition of agencies that have capabilities in user experiences, digital marketing, design, Web, and mobile. These organizations have services traditional agencies can't match.

Digital marketing must fit into the overall business strategy.

Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men

Client-agency relationships will be revolutionized. A new breed of ad agency will be born. This means that agencies will create websites, app, and video games. Digital initiatives for brands will be created. A variety of platforms will be created for content and production.

Newsrooms will bring a bigger power to brands. The customer experience will be transformed to deliver goods and services with the customer's journey in mind.

The customer will be a major part of a brand, acting as the salesman for the product they buy.

Creation and distribution are key. Many elements will be transformed that will give the entire spectrum of media a new meaning, a new way of doing things.

Source: forbes.com (November 2016) My 'Next-Big-Thing' List: Who Will Transform The Post-TV Ad World In 2017

Related topic: B2B and Social Media

what to do

I came across a website on LinkedIn that gave 10 items to do to become a millionaire. I liked it because there is one item on it that I feel is important and I wished to pass it on.

Rule of 500

Simply put, if you wish to become a millionaire, make contact and reach out to 500 people a month. I post this mainly for a reminder to myself, to reach out to "the 500". This makes sense if we're wanting to make money. But I'm not looking at the money angle so much. I want to make contact with a lot of people. But wait..... "the 500" a month does not mean a different set of 500 people per month. It can be the same people.

Now.... the article states to reach out by phone or email. I originally thought of social media when I saw the heading. I'm spinning my head to begin an email campaign. I'm going to have to glean my social media contacts to get a list of 500. I'll do that. I'm starting tomorrow morning. If you're interested to hear from me on a regular basis, email me to follow this blog. The submit area is at the bottom of the right-hand column of this blog.

I'll most likely send them blog post info and other items of interest. That's where my work comes in, to find the right "500".  I'm not going to be a pest. I wish to be of help. That's more for me to do.

I urge you to do the same thing. Remember...... email or phone. I suggest email first.

The article tells us that to expect at first a 5% conversion rate when reaching out. That's OK. Remember to concentrate on building relationships. That's where to start.

I tend to think email as a social media channel. To me, Facebook Messenger is glorified email. Same with Twitter. That's me though...... to make email a bit more social.

coldplay: ghost stories

The new album, Ghost Stories, out 19 May. Pre-order: iTunes http://t.co/Ag2Imhzapx CD: http://t.co/XglCkWwdzs. A pic.twitter.com/5dmveqLXPT
— Coldplay (@coldplay) March 19, 2014

Coldplay's Sixth Record

brand reality

Plenty of brands have been built without image ads.
 Reader's Digest comes to mind.

Brand Reality - Brand Presentation - Brand Building

Direct marketing is a better brand building tool than conventional brand image ads.
Focus on brand reality, because there is no substitute! Brand has power. Brand has status.
Make a brand to increase sales. A brand personality needs worked out!

Therefore, think of brands as people. Opinions are formed with information. Interaction creates more information. This creates more reality - brand reality.

This information creates a conversation for your brand. There is a message in the conversation and this conversation gets passed around. This word-of-mouth approach takes more time and is best in the long run. Your story, created by your customers, needs advertised.

Direct marketing by definition involves a company interacting with its customers. Direct marketing is a powerful brand building tool. Brands built this way really deliver.

Following a strategy which interacts with customers drives sales increases.

A marketer's concentration should focus on the reality of their brand and ways to communicate that attribute to the widest possible audience.

Direct marketing and brand reality are "peas and carrots" that create brand value.

Increase your sales (or following, friends, etc.) and boost your brand value with direct marketing.

Contact me at SwordFlameMedia to discuss a direct marketing strategy that develops a conversation, builds your brand, and increases your sales.