As you look forward to growing your business in 2019, I'm here to offer you my outlook on the best ways to spend your energy and dollars in the coming year.
The holidays are a busy time of year. Whether at work or home, the to-do list doesn’t seem to ever shorten, and the nostalgia of the year just passed will soon give way to the exciting possibilities of the new one. Here at PG we are gearing up for a biggest year yet, connecting with the largest and most engaged audience of guitarists in the world.
As you look forward to growing your business in 2019, I’m here to offer you my outlook on the best ways to spend your energy and dollars in the coming year: your 3-part Marketing New Year’s Resolution.
Say it with me...I WILL
Start (or increase) creating content
Creating content may feel unnatural to a lot of companies. It can seem like something that is unattainable or that has a high barrier of entry. I would encourage you to put aside your fears or doubts and just do it. Start. It doesn’t have to be on expensive equipment or have a high production value -- just get something out there and edit your methods as you go. Showing a human side to your business by highlighting your employees via a blog, giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your production process, or starting a weekly tips or how-to series is the best way to establish your brand as a place where knowledgeable PEOPLE work. Your customers want to know you. And when they know you, they can develop trust in you. Once you have a feel for simple content creation, you can move strategically in providing value to your customer that will compel them to choose your product over everything else. Gain their trust, provide them value (content), make the sale.
Take charge of advertising analytics
When you’re choosing a restaurant to eat at this weekend, stop and consider the factors behind your decision. Will it be crowded? Is the food any good? Did I get sick the last time I ate there? How long is the drive? Is it expensive relative to the quality? If you consider that many things about one meal, then where and how you spend your marketing dollars should have at least much data to back it up. In the digital age, we have more data than ever to help us make sound decisions. But, you have make the effort to acquire, analyze, and use it. Every place you spend your money should offer you analysis on the platform your ads will be displayed, why it could work for you, and the products that best fit your goals. And, most importantly, they should be helping you once your campaigns are complete to analyze the results. Was it worth the money relative to the value provided to you? Is there something that can be improved upon? What aspects showed promise and should be used in future efforts? Analyzing your ad spend is the key to increasing your ROI for future campaigns.
Set goals and a plan to get it done
This may seem like the most obvious of the three and it’s probably the most important. There is no shortage of where, how, and when to spend your advertising dollars on the internet and because of this, it can often feel like the process and procedure is the most important thing. What should I set my budget as for this Facebook boosted post? What keywords should I target on AdSense? How can I structure this giveaway to attract the most opt-in email addresses for my list? Before you ask yourself any of those questions, you need to ask yourself what you are trying to achieve. What you want to accomplish should dictate the plan by which you will achieve it. Acquiring email names, increasing brand awareness, launching a new product, or generating traffic and sales on your website all require different strategies and methods. Setting explicit goals and managing your expectations for results is the best way to do the right things again and to steer you away from making the same mistake twice. After all, you can’t hit a target if you don’t know where to aim.
On behalf of the entire staff of Premier Guitar, we wish you a joyous holiday season and continued success and growth in 2019. If you’re looking for help getting ideas for creating content, learning the ins-and-outs of advertising analytics, or defining your marketing goals and plans for 2019, PG’s Marketing Lab is here to help. Give me a call or sign up for a FREE 30 minute consultation below and let’s dig in.
Phish unveil new album Evolve and announce tour dates, including next week’s sold-out four-show run at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The title track from their forthcoming new album is available now on all streaming services. Listen here.
Phish will follow the Sphere run with a summer tour getting underway with a three-night stand at Mansfield, MA’s Xfinity Center (July 19-21) and then continuing on with performances at Uncasville, CT’s Mohegan Sun Arena (July 23-24), East Troy, WI’s Alpine Valley Music Theatre (July 26-28), St. Louis, MO’s Chaifetz Arena (July 30-31), Noblesville, IN’s Ruoff Music Center (August 2-4), Grand Rapids, MI’s Van Andel Arena (August 6-7), and Bethel, NY historic Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (August 9-11). The tour will culminate with Phish’s traditional Labor Day Weekend run at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO, returning for four nights (August 29-September 1). Limited tickets remain available for most dates.
Evolve arrives via JEMP Records on Friday, July 12.
Cover Painting by Mehdi Ghadyanloo.
This summer will see also Phish hosting Mondegreen, a four-day festival set for August 15-18 at The Woodlands in Dover, DE. The band’s 11th self-produced festival and first in nine years, Mondegreen will see Phish performing over four days and nights, alongside an array of interactive fan experiences, specially curated regional food and drink, art installations, and much more.
For more information, please visit phish.com.
Phish Live 2024
APRIL
18 – Las Vegas, NV – The Sphere (SOLD OUT)
19 – Las Vegas, NV – The Sphere (SOLD OUT)
20 – Las Vegas, NV – The Sphere (SOLD OUT)
21 – Las Vegas, NV – The Sphere (SOLD OUT)
JULY
19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
20 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
21 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
23 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena (SOLD OUT)
24 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena (SOLD OUT)
26 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Music Valley Music Theatre
27 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Music Valley Music Theatre
28 – East Troy, WI – Alpine Music Valley Music Theatre
30 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
31 – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
AUGUST
2 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
3 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
4 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
6 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
7 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
9 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
10 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
11 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
15 – The Woodlands, Dover, DE – Mondegreen
16 – The Woodlands, Dover, DE – Mondegreen
17 – The Woodlands, Dover, DE – Mondegreen
18 – The Woodlands, Dover, DE – Mondegreen
29 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
30 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
31 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
SEPTEMBER
1 – Commerce City, CO – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park
Ernie Ball Music Man's Custom Design Experience is an online custom instrument configurator that allows customers to design and build their dream StingRay bass guitar.
Customers can choose from 4-string and 5-string models, right and left-handed orientations, single and double humbucking pickups, a multitude of finish options, many neck, pickguard, hardware, string gauges, tuning, case options, and more. All Custom Design Experience instruments are built in the Ernie Ball Music Man San Luis Obispo, CA, facility and are shipped directly to the consumer.
Ernie Ball Music Man: Custom Design Experience
Options include
- Right or Left hand
- 4-string or 5-string
- Single H or double HH pickups
- 30 unique finishes
- 3 hardware finishes
- 5 pickguard options
- 12 fretted neck options
- 2 fretless neck options
- Regular or SLO Special neck profiles
- 4 tuning setups
- 3 string gauges
- 2 cases
Jessica has been Slash’s main stage guitar since 1988 when Gibson sent him the original Jessica, a factory second. Now Gibson adds the Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard model to their Slash Collection—a new model based on Slash’s old favorite, street-priced at $3,199.
Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver fans will undoubtedly be familiar with the guitar that Slash named “Jessica.” Jessica has been Slash’s main stage guitar since 1988. The original Jessica was a factory second and one of two Les Paul™ guitars that Gibson sent to Slash in the late 80s. Now Gibson is proud to introduce a new model based on Slash’s old favorite.
Jessica features a three-piece plain maple top on a non-weight-relieved mahogany body and a mahogany neck with a ’50s vintage neck profile—a 12" radius Indian rosewood fretboard with a 24.75" scale length, plus medium jumbo frets over binding. The nut is a Graph Tech. Jessica is powered by a pair of Custom Burstbucker™ pickups with alnico 2 magnets that are hand-wired to Orange Drop® capacitors. The tuners are vintage deluxes with keystone buttons, and there’s an aluminum Nashville Tune--o-matic bridge. Originally a bright cherry sunburst, Slash had Jessica refinished, which is reflected, minus the considerable road wear on the original, in the gloss nitrocellulose honeyburst with red back finish used on the new model. Slash’s signature is reproduced on the truss rod cover, and Schaller Strap Locks are preinstalled on the guitar. Other extras include a Slash pick set, a USA leather strap, a multi-tool, and a blank truss rod cover in the included hardshell case.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.