Applied Copywriting Principles to my "Day Gig;" May have scared some people
Hey everyone!
Just thought I'd share this story...being rather insulated, without being a member of an offline local advertising community or anything, I've been grateful for the feedback and advice this community has given me over the past month or so. As I've been getting some paying gigs, I've been able to develop my skill considerably, but it's tough to work in a vacuum and not have any feedback other than my client's approval with my work (and the results it achieves)....So if I get the opportunity to work on anything of my own, I look forward to sharing it here on occasion for feedback (without getting too irritating)...
Put together this sales letter (email) for my day job (in a bizarre twist my "day job" is actually being a musician). We are starting a new project and I thought it'd be a good idea to put together a sales letter to send out to talent buyers & promoters that we've worked with in the past. The targets are not the average "club owners," but mostly people at the corporate level of some of the nation's biggest promoters and agencies (think LiveNation, etc). I don't think any of them are used to getting this kind of email from an act, and thought it would be a great opportunity to put some of the things I've learned to work for me.
Would be great to hear any feedback or criticism on the "sales" side of things. The point of the email is to acquire bookings for the new act -- I personally have a long history with many of these people but there's been some apprehension about the marketability and appeal of the new act, so that's what I wanted to address. Any thoughts on what I could have done differently to increase the response?
Thanks!
Just thought I'd share this story...being rather insulated, without being a member of an offline local advertising community or anything, I've been grateful for the feedback and advice this community has given me over the past month or so. As I've been getting some paying gigs, I've been able to develop my skill considerably, but it's tough to work in a vacuum and not have any feedback other than my client's approval with my work (and the results it achieves)....So if I get the opportunity to work on anything of my own, I look forward to sharing it here on occasion for feedback (without getting too irritating)...
Put together this sales letter (email) for my day job (in a bizarre twist my "day job" is actually being a musician). We are starting a new project and I thought it'd be a good idea to put together a sales letter to send out to talent buyers & promoters that we've worked with in the past. The targets are not the average "club owners," but mostly people at the corporate level of some of the nation's biggest promoters and agencies (think LiveNation, etc). I don't think any of them are used to getting this kind of email from an act, and thought it would be a great opportunity to put some of the things I've learned to work for me.
Would be great to hear any feedback or criticism on the "sales" side of things. The point of the email is to acquire bookings for the new act -- I personally have a long history with many of these people but there's been some apprehension about the marketability and appeal of the new act, so that's what I wanted to address. Any thoughts on what I could have done differently to increase the response?
Thanks!
| Subject: If you're booking tribute bands, you need to read this email... The tribute band market has exploded over the past decade in the US, and I feel privileged to have shared in that success with my bandmates in Frontiers, the Journey tribute. Since 2002, Frontiers has been the most in-demand Journey tribute in the nation, and though we didn't put on wigs or use props, we performed the music with a spirit and accuracy unequaled amongst our peers. With the final Frontiers performance coming up this week, I'm more excited than I've been in years about a new full-time project we've been developing. What if I told you that there was a band that had
- And you've probably never booked a tribute to this band in your venue? This is the idea behind our new project, The Waiting, a tribute to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. When became clear that Frontiers would be winding down this year, I spent months trying to come up with a concept that would be a unique and guaranteed moneymaker. There were a number of ways we could have moved forward, but as I've already mentioned, there were a ton of bands already covering everything from Pink Floyd to Neil Diamond. I soon realized, however, that there was enormous untapped potential for one particular act - And it just happened to be one of my favorite bands of all time. Initially, I heard some venues and promoters shrug off the idea. "Petty won't sell," they claimed. But it's easy to overlook an important aspect to Petty's catalog -- and what The Waiting is capitalizing on...So many tributes focus on a band that had success for 3 years, five years, tops. Journey themselves continues to capitalize on a short 5 year window that generated 90% of their hits. But the overlooked thing about Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers is that they've consistently been producing hits over the course of nearly forty years. "American Girl" and "Breakdown" were two of the band's first hits -- released 35 years ago. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers dominated MTV for the next decade with hits like "The Waiting," "Refugee," "Don't Come Around Here No More," and "You Got Lucky," before Petty himself launched a solo career ("Free Fallin'," "Won't Back Down") that eclipsed the band's previous success. What's even more remarkable is that the band's Greatest Hits collection was released not at the end of the band's career, but at its height - 18 million copies and 20 years after its release, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have continued releasing top 10 CDs, including the most recent release, 2010's MOJO, which debuted at #2 its first week of release -- With first week sales of 125,000 copies. The Waiting is the first tribute to take on a national, full-time touring schedule of this amazing band's catalog. And we're not wasting any time. Our debut performance is less than two weeks after the final Frontiers show, at the gorgeous State Theatre in Falls Church, Virginia. After that, our second and third performances will be headlining at House of Blues Myrtle Beach and the famed Amos' Southend in Charlotte NC. The response to the band has been fantastic amongst those who know our commitment to quality and showmanship. But I thought it was important to write this letter for those of you who may have been skeptical about the idea of a Petty tribute. Just because there aren't 12 Tom Petty tribute bands knocking down your door doesn't mean the market isn't ripe for an amazing tribute to one of rock's most enduring songbooks. And even if there were 12 Petty bands on your doorstep, there'd still only be one of us. We've taken the same approach that made Frontiers such a success -- No gimmicks or distracting wigs or props, no "jukebox" performances that lack imagination and don't engage the audience. We're taking all of those songs and breathing life into them - In a way that we've proven time and again engages audiences, captures their imaginations, and above all, sells tickets. We're currently booking available dates for The Waiting in January and February, and if you're a talent buyer reading this, I believe we can build a passionate and lucrative following in your market. Thanks for your time and interest, I look forward to discussing available dates as we fill our early 2013 schedule. |
After all, you're probably following a few hundred people already that aren't doing squat for you.....
- Jack Trout
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
- Jack Trout
- Jack Trout
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Direct Response Copywriting
Kick-A$$ Eight-Figure Producing Copywriting Gun For Hire | Marketing & Copywriting Blog
Direct Response Copywriting
Kick-A$$ Eight-Figure Producing Copywriting Gun For Hire | Marketing & Copywriting Blog
Kick-A$$ Eight-Figure Producing Copywriting Gun For Hire | Marketing & Copywriting Blog
Direct Response Copywriting
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Direct Response Copywriting
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.
- Jack Trout