Flatt Dog Pound Roll

This is simple. Just keep your status updates centered on the artist or event that you wish to promote. For example you could say, “Sarah is rockin' out at the Rascal Flatts show tonight!!!” The more friends you have on twitter, the more people who see it!

1. Go to www.twitter.com.
2. Click on “Get Started---Join!” and fill out the sign in form.
3. The Next step is to add friends. You can add friends that have their own twit ter pages as friends. This will keep them notified with all your updates. Twitter makes it real easy to find and also invite friends by providing you with four options.
a. Selecting “Find on Twitter” tab allows you to search for other friends who have twitter pages by typing in their email, username, or first/name.
b. Selecting “Find on other networks” tab enables you to find friends by accessing your email address book and then seeing if anyone in it also has twitter.
c. Selecting “Invite by email” tab does exactly that. It allows you to invite any of your friends by email.
d. If you are stuck in finding more friends you can click on the “Suggested users tab” This provides a list of people you may know or people who you may want to know!

What is Twitter?
Twitter is a social networking site that was created in 2006. It is a free service that allows you to stay connected to your friends with exchanges of frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Similar to status updates on Facebook, Twitter allows users to keep others up to date by these status updates. Twitter is an easy and excellent tool to promote an artist.

A screen shot is a PICT image capture of your Mac's screen.
You can take a screen shot just about any time you want --
if you see something you want to save, or want to be able to
show your Mac's screen to someone else, this feature can
come in very handy!

You can take a screen shot by pressing the Command, Shift,
and 3 keys all at once. You'll hear the sound of a camera
shutter, that means your screen shot has been created! You
can find the screen shot in the main level of your hard drive.
It will be called "Picture 1," screen shots you take after that
will be numbered sequentially: Picture 2, Picture 3, etc.

Screen shots are saved in PICT format. You can open them
with SimpleText, AOL, or any graphic editor..

1. Take a screenshot of the entire screen. Press the "Print Screen" (it could be labeled "PrtScn" or "PrntScrn") button on your keyboard. It can be found near the top, to the right of all the "F" keys (F1, F2, etc) and often in line with the arrow keys

2. View this screen-shot for further use by using Paint or some other graphics program. Do not use Microsoft Photo Editor; this program will only record part of your screenshot. When you are in Paint at a blank page click on "Edit" and then click on "Paste" and your screen shot will appear on the blank page.

3. To save, just go through the usual steps for saving a picture or graphics item (for example, click File, then Save As or Save.)

Many websites offer free hosting, such as Geocities.com, AngelFire.com, Typepad.com, and Blogspot.com. Here is an example of an Evanescence site created by a fan: http://www.geocities.com/allywagland/

Below are step-by-step directions on how to create a GeoCities fan website:
1. Go to www.geocities.com and click “Sign Up Now” on the top right under “Get a site for free!”
2. Sign up for a Yahoo account using “[Artist Name]Fans” as your ID or something more specific if already taken. i.e. NashvilleDollyPartonFans.
3. Choose “Association/Club” as the site type, and answer questions 2 and 3.
4. Yahoo will give you your GeoCities URL address. Write this down or bookmark it for easy reference.
5. Click “Build Your Website Now!” This will take you to the home page.
6. Click “Create a Website.”
7. Click “Try PageBuilder.”
8. Click “Launch PageBuilder.”
9. Choose a Page Template. The Yahoo! PageBuilder will launch when you click on a template.
0. Fill in the boxes with appropriate information regarding the artist. For example: biography, upcoming shows, street team events, flyering events, etc.
11. Upload or post pictures on the site by double clicking on the picture boxes or choosing the picture icon from the top menu bar to insert additional pictures.
12. You can browse your hard drive for pictures or post pictures from Photobucket by pasting the URL into the URL field (see Photobucket section for information on obtaining a photo URL). If you find a picture online that you’d like to use, you can save it on your computer and upload it onto the site. Be wary of copyright issues – some sites do not want you to use their images without their permission.
13. When you are finished editing your site, save it.
14. Send your friends links to your website via e-mail and posting on MySpace.

For more information on how to build a GeoCities site, take the PageBuilder tutorial at http://geocities.yahoo.com/v/p/t/b.html

HTML Tutorial

What is HTML?
HyperText Markup Language is the common web page editing language. HTML language denotes certain texts as links, headings, paragraphs, lists, and supplements text with interactive forms, embedded images, and other objects by using tag commands in the form of angle brackets. Example: text. In other words, HTML allows you to format text, post links to websites, and post pictures and videos.
How do I format text?

Paragraph

Your text here.

Line Breaks
Your text here.
A line break ends the line you are currently on and resumes on the next line.
Bold: Your text here.
Italic: Your text here.
Strong Text: Your text here.
Superscripted: Your text here.
Subscripted: Your text here.
Strikethrough: Your text here.


FONTS
The tag is used to add style, size, and color to the text on your site.

Font Size Your text here.
Set the size of your font with the “size” attribute. The range of accepted values is from 1 (smallest) to 7 (largest). The default size of a font is 3.

Font Color Your text here.
Set the color of your font with the “color” attribute.
You can find color codes by typing “HTML color chart” or visiting http://www.pagetutor.com/common/bgcolors1536.html.

Font Face Your text here.
Choose a different font face using any font you have installed. Be aware that if the user viewing the page doesn’t have the font installed, they will not be able to see it. Instead, they will default to Times New Roman. An option is to choose a few that are similar in appearance.

Creating Headings
Your text here.

A heading refers to a title or subtitle. By placing text inside heading tags, the text dislays bold and the size of the text depends on the number of the heading (ranging from h1 as the largest heading to h6 being the smallest.)

Background

All of your text, paragraphs, pictures, etc. here.


The bgcolor feature controls the background color of a page.

POSTING & LINKING
When linking and posting media, it is important to understand URLs and embedding codes.

Please refer to the Youtube tutorial to find out how to obtain a video’s URL or embedding code(just above the HTML section). Refer to the Photobucket tutorial to find out how to obtain a photo’s URL or embedding code (above the Youtube tutorial).

Linking a Site Your text here.
To link text to a website, use the above HTML tags. The target=”_blank” attribute commands the link to open in a new window. To open the page in the current window, simply replace blank with self.

Posting a Picture
To specify a width and height in pixels:


Linking a Picture
To post a picture as a link to a website:
Click Here

Posting a Video
When posting a video from youtube, simply find the embedding code under “About this Video” on the right side of the screen. Copy and paste the code into your site.

These instructions will be helpful when editing your MySpace profile, posting pictures and links on profiles and bulletins, and editing text in blogs.

A group of fans who are willing to help promote. By joining the street team, you will be asked to participate in various activities/missions (online promotion, distributing promo materials, hanging up posters, etc.). The more activities/missions you participate in, the more points you'll earn. These points can be traded in for prizes, chances to win tickets, etc.

You can promote an artist by posting information about upcoming tour dates and album releases.

It is fairly easy to sign up for a forum. To find artist forums, visit google.com and type in “[artist name] forum.” Generally, to post messages on forums, you must sign up for an account. These are generally free and only ask for your e-mail and some basic information for your profile.

How do I send out an e-mail blast? What is an e-mail blast?
An e-mail blast is an e-mail sent to a mass group of e-mails promoting an event or product.

How do I develop an e-mail database?
-Collect e-mails at concerts.
-Compile a list of friends’ e-mails.
-Research press contact e-mails online

Send information about upcoming tour dates at least two or three weeks in advance to local newspapers and blogs to post in the concert listing. Most local papers have a website where you can find the music editor’s e-mail.

How do I create an e-mail blast?
You can send out e-mail blasts about anything artist-related (e.g. new album, tour dates).

Be sure to create different e-mail lists for different kinds of e-mail blasts.
For example, send blasts about new tour dates to your fan list, press list, and street team list. You should not send information about new albums or artist gossip to your press list. You should send information about new albums to your fan list. Send e-mails about postering activities and promotional events to your street team list.

What is Photobucket?
Photobucket is an image hosting, video hosting, slideshow creation and photo sharing website with free membership.

How do I create a Photobucket account?
1. Go to http://photobucket.com/
2. Click “Join Now” button at top right of homepage and sign up for a photobucket account. Once you have signed up, you will be taken directly to your album where you can begin uploading pictures.
3. Click “Browse”
4. Choose the picture file you wish to post from your files and click “Open”
5. Choose a name for the picture, and type it in the box next to the Browse button.
6. Repeat these steps with any other pictures you’d like to post, clicking the “add more” button if needed.
7. Click “Upload” when finished.
8. To view your uploaded picture, click “Return to Album” and scroll down to the image.

Photobucket Tags

What is a tag?
A tag is a text that uniquely identifies a section of an image. You can add a tag for individual people, items, or sections within an image. A viewer can see the tags added to the image by moving the mouse pointer slowly over the image.

A tag can include a URL (a link to another website). This allows viewers to be taken to a website of your choice by clicking on the tag name.

How do I add a tag?
1. Click “Add Tags & Description” located to the right of the picture
2. Type a name or tag in the field.
3. Enter the URL to the site you would like to link the tag to (if applicable).
4. Click “Save.”
For example, if you are tagging pictures of Dolly Parton and you would like to link to her official artist page, you would copy-paste the URL: http://www.dollyparton.com/, into the URL field.

How do I obtain a photo’s URL Link or Embedding Code?
After uploading a photo, Return to Album and scroll down to the photo.
The URL is located underneath the picture in the “Direct Link” field, and the embedding code is located in the “HTML Code” field. The link or code can be copied and used for posting the picture on a website.

What is YouTube?
YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. YouTube membership is free.

How do I create a YouTube account?
1. Go to http://www.youtube.com/.
2. Click the “Sign Up” link to begin the account creation process.
3. Select the “Standard” profile option.
4. Fill in the fields, providing your e-mail address, a username, password, etc.
5. After agreeing to the Terms of Use and clicking Sign Up, you will have successfully created a YouTube account.

How do I upload a video to my YouTube account?
1. Click on “Upload Videos” in the upper right corner of the home page.
2. Describe your video: fill in the Title, Description, and Tags fields.
3. Choose a Video Category and Language.
4. Click “Go Upload File.”
5. Under “Broadcast” choose Public.
6. Click “Upload Video.”
7. Click Browse and find the video file on your hard drive.
8. Click “Upload Video.” Uploading can take a minute to an hour depending on the size of your video.

How do I obtain a video’s URL and Embedding Code?
In order to post a youtube video on a website (whether it is a video that you have uploaded, or someone else’s), it is necessary to obtain the video’s URL or Embedding Code.

The URL and Embedding Code can be found by clicking on the desired video and looking on the right side of the screen. Under “About This Video” you will find the codes, which you can copy for web posting. You may need to click on the triangle next to “About This Video” to access the URL.

The safety and health of our street teamers comes first. Please read through before participating in any promotional activity!

*If security asks you to stop distributing handbills or promoting, stop.

*Post in pairs or groups – it’s much more fun and safe!

*Always ask permission if posting flyers inside a store, venue, or any business.

*Try not to cover up flyers that have already been posted, unless the event has already passed or if there is no more room.

*Post on poles that already have signs posted, not on bare poles. Some poles are designated for posting, and your flyers may be torn down if they are in the wrong place.

*If you see that a bulletin board in a venue or store is covered only in thumb tacks and no staples, use thumb tacks.

*Always use clear tape! Use scotch tape for store windows and walls and clear packaging tape for poles. *Clear tape looks much better than duct or masking tape and is easier to take off of windows.

*Do not hang flyers outside if it looks like it’s going to rain! All of your hard work will be washed away. *Wait for a sunny day for outdoor posting, and post in-doors on rainy days. It’s a good idea to check out the forecast.

Market coverage is simply focusing promotional efforts in a specific market (city, neighborhood)by creating displays at lifestyle and retail locations. For example: Create a display inside of a record store in X city.

Market coverage is simply focusing promotional efforts in a specific market (city, neighborhood)by creating displays at lifestyle and retail locations. For example: Create a display inside of a record store in X city.

Show coverage is simply promoting at a concert or event. You can promote by passing out postcards, stickers, fliers, etc.

It is best to hang flyers a week prior to the concert. There will be less chance of flyers being torn down or covered up, but enough exposure time to effectively advertise the show.

Do not hang flyers outside if it looks like it’s going to rain! All of your hard work will be washed away. Wait for a sunny day for outdoor posting, and post in-doors on rainy days. It helps to check the weather first. (http://www.weather.com)

A great way to advertise is to distribute handbills at concerts of similar genres to the artist you are promoting.

Distribute handbills during the concert.

Distribute handbills at the door as people arrive or leave.

Mention the artist website as you distribute handbills. i.e. “Hey check out [artist] on myspace!” or “Listen to [artist] on artist.com.”

Leave some handbills and any other promotional materials at the merch table. Ask the merchandise person for permission first.

Most clubs also have a table near the entrance where you can leave a stack of flyers or stickers.

If security asks you to stop distributing handbills or promoting, stop!
Always ask permission if posting flyers inside a store, venue, or any business.

Leave handbills on car windshields in the venue parking lot during shows of artists with a similar fan-base to the artist you are promoting. Always do this in groups!

Check your local newspaper for upcoming shows. You can also search for shows in your area on ticketmaster.com.

To find out if artists with upcoming concerts in your area have a similar fan-base to the artist you are promoting, you can visit www.last.fm, type in the artist name in the search box on the top right, and see “User Tags” for musical genre on the right. The “Similar Artists” section on the left may also help you to determine whether this show is a good place to promote your artist.

The team leader will either send you a physical copy of the flyers and handbills for photo-copying or a link where you can download the flyers and handbills and print them from your computer. Four handbills fit on one 8.5 x 11” page (standard computer paper), and should be cut into fours with scissors or a paper-cutter (you can use these for free at Kinko’s).

What is Facebook?
Facebook is a social networking website which allows users to join networks and easily connect with others in the same network. An estimated 64 million people are active users of facebook. Facebook is an excellent tool for promoting concerts and artists.

How to Create a Facebook Account
1. Go to http://www.thefacebook.com.
2. Fill out the information in the light blue box on the right of the page and click “Sign Up.”
3. You will need to confirm your e-mail address before continuing.
4. Create your profile by following facebook’s step-by-step directions.
5. Join any Networks you might be a part of (school, geographic location, workplace).
6. Add friends by browsing through these networks or by searching for specific people using the search box.

Change Your Profile Picture
You can help promote an upcoming show by uploading the flyer as your profile picture.
1. Save the flyer on your hard drive.
2. Click on the “edit” link next to “Profile” on the top menu bar.
3. Click on the “Picture” tab.
4. Click the “Browse” button, search your hard drive for the flyer, and select it.
5. Check the “Terms of Use” box and click “Upload Picture.”

Send or Post Messages
You can send messages to your friends to remind them of an upcoming concert.
1. Search your friend’s name in the search box on the left of the page.
2. Click “Send Message.”
3. Type a Subject in the Subject Line.
4. Type your message and click “Send.”
Example: Hey Bertha! Dolly Parton will be performing at the Opera House on May 5, and I think you would really enjoy the show. I already have my tickets, because I heard the show is going to sell out. You should get yours soon! You can buy them online at ticketmaster.com or at the box office. Hope to see you there! -Sally

-OR-

You can also post messages on your friends’ walls to remind them of the upcoming show.
1. Search your friend’s name in the search box on the left of the page.
2. View their profile, and scroll down to their “Wall.”
3. Type your message and click “Post.”

How to Create an Event
1. On the News Feed screen, click “My Events” from the left menu.
2. Click “Create Event” on the top right of the page.
3. Fill in all the details about your event, including the time and place. You can always edit these later, but try to get as much detail in as you can initially. Allow and enable all “Options,” leave “Access” as an open event, and leave the “Publicize” box checked.
4. Upload a photo of the artist from your hard drive using the “Browse” button.You can find a good picture of the artist on the official website of the artist, or just searching Google images (http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi). Save the picture onto your hard drive by right-clicking on the photo and selecting “Save As.” Choose a flattering, good quality picture of the artist. (Obviously!)
5. Invite guests. Select your friends on Facebook and other users to attend your event. You can even send emails to people not on Facebook.
6. As the concert date approaches, send messages to all who have RSVP-ed to remind them of the event. You can send a mass message through the event home page.

*It is best to create an event about one to two weeks before the event occurs. This way, it is fresh in the minds of those invited, but not too late for your friends to make plans to attend.

How to Create a Group
1. On the News Feed screen, click “Groups” from the left menu.
2. Click “Create a Group” on the top right of the page.
3. Create a Group Name: Groups should be network-related, as they will create the feel of a close-knit personalized community. Members will feel more motivated to help you promote the artist.
Here are some examples of effective network-related group names: Nashville Fans of Dolly Parton; Keith Urban Fans at Vanderbilt; Atlanta Ice Cube Street Team
4. Choose “Global” under Network. This will make your group available to all users of Facebook.
5. Fill in the rest of the fields, if applicable. A) Under Description, write a quick summary of what the group is about. You can also copy-paste a short bio of the artist from his/her homepage or from Wikipedia.org.
Example: This is a group for all fans of Dolly Parton who live in Nashville. Dolly Rebecca Parton, born January 19, 1946, is a Grammy Award-winning country music singer/songwriter, composer, author, actress, and philanthropist. She remains one of the most successful female country artists in history, with 25 number-one singles (a record for a female country artist) and 41 top-10 country albums (a record for any country artist). She is known for her distinctive mountain soprano, unique humor, and flamboyant fashion.

B.) Group type will most likely be Music. Select the genre most appropriate for the artist.

C.) Under Recent News, post news updates from the artist’s official site. You should also post information regarding upcoming concerts in or around your region, or upcoming album/EP releases, new merch available, etc.

*Any time you add something significant here (e.g. album release, upcoming concert), also send out a message to all group members.

D.) Office, Street: you can leave these sections blank.
E.) City/Town: Self-explanatory!

6. Choose Privacy Settings: Leave group open, enable all features.
7. Create Group.
8. Upload a photo of the artist from your hard drive using the “Browse” button.You can find a good picture of the artist on the official website of the artist, or just searching Google images (http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi). Save the picture onto your hard drive by right-clicking on the photo and selecting “Save As.” Try to choose a flattering picture of the artist. (Obviously!)
9. Invite guests. Select your friends on Facebook and other users to attend your event. You can even send emails to people not on Facebook.
10. Add more pictures of the artist to the Photos section.
11. Add videos of performances or interviews. Again, these should be good videos - not embarrassing or terrible or low-quality.
12. You can also post items, such as the official website of the artist.
13. Begin discussions on the discussion board. For example, “What’s your favorite song by [artist name]?” or “Favorite Live Performance by [artist name]”
14. Assign officer positions: Choose friends and fans who you know are dedicated to promoting the artist.
15. Keep your group alive by constantly posting information about flyering and promotions. Connect people to the echo street team. Get others excited so they don’t join the group and forget about it a week later.

What is MySpace?
MySpace is a social networking website which offers an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music, and videos for teenagers and adults internationally. An estimated 106 million people have accounts on MySpace. MySpace music has greatly influenced the music industry, and the website serves as a significant catalyst for the success of new artists.

There are several ways to promote on Myspace, including posting flyers on others’ profiles, posting bulletins, creating blog entries, forming groups, posting events, and displaying the flyer as your profile picture.

How to Create a MySpace Account
1. Go to http://www.myspace.com.
2. Click on “Sign Up” and fill out the Sign Up form.
3. MySpace will ask you to upload a photo, which you can do by clicking the “Browse” button and choosing a picture from your hard drive.
4. MySpace will prompt you to send e-mails to invite friends to MySpace.
5. Add friends by browsing or searching your friends’ names.

How to Edit Your Profile
1. From the home page, click “Edit Profile.”
2. Fill in the fields under the various profile sections (Interests & Personality, Name, Basic Info, Background & Lifestyle, Schools, Companies, Networking, Song & Video).
3. To get creative, use the basic html guides below. You can change the color of the text and background as well as posting videos, pictures, and links on your profile.

How to Upload Photos
1. To upload photos, navigate to the home page and click “Add/Edit Photos.”
2. Click “Upload Photos.”
3. Click the “Browse” button, choose a picture from your hard drive to upload, and click “Next.”
4. Select an existing album or create a new album for your photo, and click “Upload.”
5. You may add a caption to the image on the next page, or leave it blank.

To Assign a Default Profile Picture
A great way to promote a show is to set the concert flyer as your default profile picture.
1. Click “Add/Edit Photos.”
2. Click on the image you wish to be your default profile picture.
3. Click “Set as Default” and click “Ok.”

How to post a flyer on a friend’s profile.
1. Upload flyer on to Photobucket (see Photobucket section below).
2. Copy HTML code from Photobucket by highlighting the code, right-clicking on it and clicking “Copy” (see Photobucket section below on how to obtain HTML code).
3. Navigate to friend’s profile and click “Add Comment.”
4. Paste HTML code into field by right-clicking in the field and clicking “Paste.”

How to post a bulletin.
Another way to promote a show is to post a bulletin about the show.
1. Navigate to the home page.
2. Click on “Post Bulletin.”
3. Type your message in the bulletin field.
4. You can add a picture, link, or video. See Photobucket, Youtube, and HTML tutorials below for details.
5. Preview and Post Bulletin.

How to write a blog.
You can also promote shows and artists by writing blogs.
1. Navigate to the home page.
2. Click on “Manage Blog.”
3. Click “Post New Blog.”
4. You can upload pictures by clicking on the picture icon and pasting the URL.
5. Use the tool bar to change the font.
6. Click “Preview & Post.”
7. Click “Post.”

How to create a group.
1. From the home page, click on the “Groups” tab at the top center of the page.
2. Click “Create Group” on the left of the screen.
3. Fill in group details.
4. Invite friends to group.

How to create an event.
1. From the home page, click on the “Events” tab at the top center of the page.
2. Click “Create New Event” on the left of the screen.
3. Fill in event details.
4. Invite friends to attend event.

In Stores and Businesses
Hang posters / displays in the front of the store if possible.
Other great places include near the sales area, cash register, or on bulletin boards already established for flyer posting.

Use clear tape when hanging on windows or on store walls.
Use thumb tacks or staples for cork boards.

If you see that a bulletin board in a venue or store is covered only in thumb tacks and no staples, use thumb tacks.

On the Streets
Use staple guns for posting flyers on wooden street poles. Regular office staples will not work on street poles.

Staple hammers are more expensive than staple guns but worth the investment if you will be posting a lot of flyers. They are much easier to use than staple guns.

Use clear packaging tape for metal street poles.
Try not to cover up flyers that have already been posted, unless the event has already passed or if there is no more room.

Post on poles that already have signs posted, not on bare poles. Some poles are designated for posting, and your flyers may be torn down if they are in the wrong place.

Do not hang flyers outside if it looks like it’s going to rain! All of your hard work will be washed away.

Wait for a sunny day for outdoor posting, and post in-doors on rainy days. It’s a good idea to check out the forecast.

In Venues
Post flyers inside bathroom stalls. They won’t get torn down as quickly by venue owners.

Sometimes venues have established a bulletin board for upcoming shows.

Usually they will not allow you to post a flyer for an event at a competing venue.

Missions are tasks that team leader assigns to the team members. These tasks include the following:

1) Distributing promotional material at shows, festivals, college campuses, high schools, etc.

2) Hanging up posters and creating displays at record stores, tattoo shops, clothing stores, etc.

3) Voting online to get the band/video to the #1 spot on the countdown.

These are just a few examples.