I have something for you that you can do. No excuses. And after you did it, you'll have achieved the next step for your profitable music career.

(It's only 15 minutes per day - not a millisecond longer)

Many musicians ask me "How can I get more fans, gigs, plays, interviews, features, collaborations..."

(You name it)

The answer sounds quite simple. But it is not one of these quick fixes that are advertised 24/7 on social media:

Build, develop, and maintain your personal network.

Stop! Before you ask yourself "How can I build my network? I have a day job", or tell yourself, "I don't have the time do this, my kids need me", let me make this clear for you:

You do not have to spend more than 15 minutes per day for this.

However, even though I'm a big fan of outsourcing tasks, networking can only be done by you.

(That's why it's called personal network)

I'm sure you've already heard a lot about the importance of networking. So let's skip this part, and dive right into the action.

I challenge you!

For the next five days, starting right now, I want you to grow your network for 15 minutes per day. No more, no less.

There are no excuses like a demanding day job, study time, friends and family, or music production. You have 1,425 minutes per day left to deal with that.

Focus is the key. Pair it with effectivity and efficiency, and you're a networking monster. 

(In a good way)

So all you need is a timer, a checklist, and 15 minutes:

Today: Determine your goal

What do you want to achieve this week? More fans who listen to your music? More venue contacts that could book you? More streams in Spotify playlists?

Whatever your goal is, you have a specific audience. Try to get a very clear image of who that might be. Do not think of anything else. Only this one goal. Stay focused.

Tomorrow: Brainstorm your fishing hole

Okay. Yesterday you have built an avatar. Now it's time to think about where these people could hang out on social media. But again, keep focused. Just think (do not search yet), and pick one platform for tomorrow.

Depending on your goal, you should take into consideration the interests of your audience. For example, if you're looking to get into Spotify playlists, you could think of finding Facebook groups or Instagram channels where curators communicate.

Day 3: Engage with your audience

So you have a clear image of who you wanna target, and where to look for them. Now, it's time to start commenting, sharing, and liking other posts and comments from people that fit right into your target audience.

Since we're working with social media here, you should definitely set a timer for 15 minutes. You should also focus on your mission. Do not click or check on anything that's not in the range of your goal. 

Make sure to engage in a nice way with people, do not spam them with "listen to my newest song" comments but compliment them, agree, etc.

Day 4: Create a template for VIPs

If you followed through the first three days, you could have met a few people that seemed to be the right kind of audience that you're targeting. If so, it's time for the next step. If not, just rinse and repeat the last step until you have at least one ideal person you want to engage with personally.

Next step: Sit down today, and write a short and personalized template that you can send to this audience. For example, if you've connected with a few curators yesterday, ask them to add your song to one of their playlists. And remember: always be respectful.

The last day: Reach out to your VIPs

Today, you're going to contact qualified contacts. Check your template once again for obvious typos but do not change the message anymore.

Now reach out to the first 1-3 contacts, and have a conversation if they reply. For a better overview, add them to a spreadsheet and note when you contacted them. You can also add a date when to follow up with them if they didn't reply to your previous message within some time.

Once you started this 5-step habit, keep it up.

(Forever!)

Reaching out to 5-15 people per week will result in 250-1500 contacts in one year. Some of the contacted people won't reply, some of them will turn out to be a bad fit, and some of them will be the kind of people you want to talk to. Focus on them. Follow-ups are important, too, but once you really think someone doesn't match with you, leave them be, and move on. Spend your time with the valuable ones.

If you do this and send me your spreadsheet, I will offer you a free 30 minutes mentoring call over Skype or Zoom where we can talk to identify one of the next crucial steps in your music career.

Now, go out and work on your music career.