Commitment to that brand and no other

Your commitment to that brand, item, or product highlights you as that much more professional. Yes, you might have other guitars at home, but don’t bring them out unless you clear it with the endorsing company. You might have other drumsticks in your bag, but if you’re endorsing Regal Tip Drumsticks, then that’s all anyone should see.

If you feel the need to play or use items from another company, or you’re not happy with a given endorsement, you shouldn’t work with or endorse them. In a way, it’s like being an employee of that company, and you’re paid in either a discount or free items. Use what you’re advertising and follow through on stage, off stage, and in any type of videos and other content that’s put out to the public.

Noncompetitive sponsorships

Having a radio station or local print shop sponsor you in one city and then having a completely different radio station or print shop sponsor you in another usually isn’t an issue. Make sure, however, that the people and companies with which you’re involved are okay with certain other competitive-type sponsorships. For example, if Subway sandwiches sponsors a show or event in one city with you and your band and then in another city you’re offered similar marketing support from Quizno’s, check with your contact at Subway before accepting the Quizno’s sponsorship. Yes, they’re franchise-owned, but that extra due diligence and double-checking can keep you on the up-and-up track of building larger-scale sponsorships and endorsements. Your exclusivity to Subway on a smaller or franchise level could lead you to sponsorship options on a larger level. Maybe your band could go on tour and become the Jarod of musicians eating only Subway on the road.

A sponsorship from Subway or another sandwich chain that allows you free lunches for a four-person band out on the road for 30 days at $7 a person can save you $840 in touring food costs. Just saying!

Defining what you bring to the table

Endorsements go to those who have the ability to expand on the visibility of their products, company, or services. Telling a company you have 100,000 followers on Twitter is not going to cut it. Share about the tour that you’re doing, and showcase your existing online fan engagement as well as posts, pictures, videos, or audios that already involve or use their products to add an extra level of promotion.

Share information about being picked up by a label, a management group, or booking agency that can provide solid credentials, reviews, and press pieces about you. Think of it like a résumé showing what you’ve done, where you’re at, and what’s lined up for the future. These elements show that you’re more serious and professional than many others.

Getting the ducks in a row and quacking in unison

Make sure that you’ve got a strong presence with your brand, marketing, and promotion regardless of your existing audience. Although larger-scale endorsements and the free stuff is set aside for the established, more-popular and higher-profile artists, those artists who are presenting the potential for much more down the line can begin to align with sponsorships and endorsements earlier on. Chapter 7 discusses more about the brand, whereas Chapter 11 covers more about preparing your marketing.

Highlight what you’re doing right, even on the most grassroots level, to begin connections and relationships with different companies. You may only get your foot in the door, but it’s a good first step. You can get set up for other options down the road by getting on a company's radar for being responsible and professional, even while you’re still growing your fan base. Take this time to show how you use the gear you want to endorse, eat the sandwiches from the restaurant you want to sponsor you, and stay in the hotels from which you want support.

The best way to get your ducks in a row for endorsements and sponsorships is to start quacking, squawking, and talking about what you use, why you use it, and why others should use it, too. In a sense, this is the same stuff you’ll do down the line when you are partially or fully endorsed.

Start small and ask small when it comes to endorsements. Instead of requesting a free drum set, start with looking into drum sticks. Ask how you can help promote a specific brand of drumsticks as you explain your long-term interests of an endorsement, but clarify you want to take the right steps in beginning a long-term relationship. Most companies will love you for it because it’s so rare to see that kind of interaction.

Starting with a smaller brand or service with a smaller ask

Start with the smaller endorsement, with a company that would be comfortable getting involved with you for a smaller cost and less risk. At the same time, if you’re only asking for drum sticks, don’t go in asking for your own customized stick and 20 boxes of them. Instead, follow up with the due diligence and do a search on the company’s website about endorsement or sponsorship requirements.

Highlighting how you handle it to the bigger boys

Treating the smallest endorsements, such as getting some drum sticks for cost, like you’re a top-rated endorsee, is a great way to build a long-term relationship. Showcasing how you market and promote those items on the smallest scale can give those endorsers an idea of how you would market and handle yourself with more.

When it comes to even the smallest and earliest endorsements, treat them like they are the biggest endorser and give you the most. The reputation you grow with this approach brings the starter and smaller endorsements up to higher levels as you are able to have that much more ammunition and experience to go after larger products, endorsers, and opportunities.

If you’re able to find endorsement or sponsorship requirements on a website with instructions on how to apply, follow them to the tee. The first impression you make on many of these companies starts with how well you can follow directions. It’s more than just making a good impression; it’s showing an attention to detail that’s missed by many.

For-cost deals

For-cost deals are the ground-floor entry-level endorsements. They enable you to make purchases at the “for cost” price. This means you get the items at the cost the dealer pays without any profit markup and gives you a shot while not costing the endorser any money. Think of it as breaking even for the endorser. Some companies give you for-cost but ask for you to pay shipping. Don’t get cocky; do this. You’re in on the ground floor and getting the chance to build a reputation, a relationship, and a real future with that product, company, or organization.

10 to 25 percent endorsement — and act now for free shipping

A small step for man, a large step for endorsement kind. Okay, it’s not landing on the moon, but with this starting-out discount, you bypass cost, get a small discount off the price, and also the shipping fee is covered. This is one of those courting-type endorsements and is something to take seriously. Make sure you’re marketing, promoting, and showing the endorser how you appreciate it through the way you spread the promotion, marketing, and love.

Promoting a starting-level and starting-discount endorsement is about the endorsing company and not about the fact that you have an endorsement. Bragging to your fan base that you’re endorsing a product or a company isn’t good marketing. Posting content about the product, why you like it, how it helps you, and how everyone should get it is good marketing, good content, and exactly what your endorser wants to see.

Fifty percent off

Half off is twice as cool, but just as you want to shine with your promotion of a product through online content, events, and everywhere else, make sure you have a reminder and a checklist to promote the gear, company, or sponsor that’s supporting you.

Lolly! Lolly! Lolly! Get your free gear here … or at least some free gear

Some companies, usually with smaller items, take a chance on an artist and give them a free product or a set of free products like a box of strings or a brick of drum sticks (a package of 16 to 24 pairs of sticks). As they do this, just like all the other levels before and after, they have an eye on you and what you do with the products. Make sure you’re doing everything you can to promote them.

At this level, as you may be building sponsorship and endorsement connections with numerous companies, realize that they contact each other. Be that artist or band that builds up and has good references across the board from the smallest sponsorships to the largest-scale endorsements.

Full-ride endorsements

Most top-level endorsements enable the artist to get an allotted amount of items for free as well as a certain backup of those items available upon request. These endorsers also tend to be clinicians as well as musicians who can highlight, promote, and showcase the gear as well as their musical expertise on it. These also include the biggest touring acts that are seen by thousands of people per night — artists with major financial backing and yes, you guessed it, artists who might not even need the stuff for free.

Backing support

The highest echelon of endorsement support is that backing support for gear that’s needed in a pinch. These are the musicians who break a cymbal and are able to have a cymbal dropped off from a local music store or FedEx’d out to the next show. Again, this is reserved for the highest-profile artists who allow for the most exposure and sale of a product.

Understand that in the music industry there are few people who are paid to play and use certain brands. It did occur at one point in time, but it’s a thing of the past. Asking what a company plans to pay your to use their brand is not a good idea. Avoid that question at all costs!

With a clear understanding of the different levels as well as knowing what is expected of you, you’re ready to either solicit for an endorsement or sponsorship, or cool your jets and get a few more things ready before you pitch.

Your delivery is everything as you begin to search out sponsorships and endorsements. From discussing on your own social media sites to videos, and from the eloquence in how you define the product to how you promote, make yourself a representative and create information that the endorser wants to market.

Getting right to the point and clarifying your ask

A long-winded email or letter that covers the array of when you started to play music up to your most recent show will turn away people and get emails deleted. Humble, but assertive approaches that cut to the chase have the best chance of being read and considered.

This also includes the subject line of your email. A subject line that showcases professionalism is key. Avoid opening with following statements:

• Endorse a great up and coming guitarist
• Wait ’til you hear what I can do on your gear
• If you give me a couple guitars, I will start using your brand
• I could be the best player on your roster of artists
• With me playing your products, the exposure will be through the roof

These are all real subject lines that were sent to a series of different companies, and not a single one of these people got a single thing. Open with a simple professional header such as:

• Query for potential endorsement and relationship with X brand
• For consideration of an entry-level endorsement from X brand
• Request for best steps to begin a relationship with X brand

All of these are much more professional openers and much more inviting for someone to read. These also start you off on the right foot with the subject line the start of a good first impression.

As you continue to the pitch or solicitation, keep it brief, and remember the who, what, where, when, why, and how of what you want, all while crafting brief sentences designed to intrigue the recipient and make them to want move. Do not overshare; you’re looking for an endorsement, not telling your life story.

Following the requested formats to the letter in your letter

Do your due diligence and research how particular sponsors or endorsers prefer to receive information. Find out what they want to see and have in place before you contact them. And if you don’t have that stuff, don’t contact them. That’s simple, isn’t it? Many music business professionals and companies look very highly on the ability to follow instructions.

These same companies are inundated with requests every single day. Stand out and get read by considering the requirements of a brand or sponsor. Look at the requirements, and save that information for future use.

As you research the various requirements from different companies and sponsors, don’t just keep searching till you find someone who accepts you. If you like a product and you begin to see a theme or set of requirements, such as proving sales, showcasing reviews or press, show events and exposure opportunities, and so on, take the time to build up those elements and don’t rush to pitch for an endorsement. The more you have in line and up to the levels these companies like, the more doors open for you.

Don’t come off bigger than you actually are. Don’t fluff the numbers, over-exaggerate or hype where you are at beyond where you really are. Especially in the day of the Internet and social media, people find out and catch on as you are branded a liar. Your honesty serves you a great deal better than trying to pull one over on a company.

Samples, footage, promo items, press, and reviews

Many of the same materials for booking, reviews, and other solicitations can be used for potential endorsers and sponsors. Never give someone a website or a social media page unless that’s all they ask for. Give them the links to the key information in the website that they want to see or a direct link to a video that showcases a great live performance rather than giving someone your YouTube channel and saying is the video’s on there.

Not every company requests it, but have the following materials prepared as well as the links to these materials readily and easily available:

• Audio samples to your songs both from recordings and live
• Video samples of your shows and other promo videos
• Press kit samples including links to your promotional materials
• Reviews and press links to stories, interviews, and articles about you

This helps a potential endorser or sponsor get a better idea about what you do and how they can benefit by aligning with you.

Testimonials, professional bullets, and achievements

The next bits of useful information are testimonials from former sponsors and other endorsers, if you have them. Testimonials from management, booking agents, venue owners, as well as festival producers and larger-scale acts that you may have worked with are also helpful. This isn’t material that you’d use online to promote to fans; this is more the type of material used specifically for potential endorsers, sponsors, and even investors. In a sense, it’s sharing about the way you practice business over the way you practice and showcase the creative. If you don’t have these types of testimonials, start asking for and collecting them now.

Achievements can include big opening-act spots, features on TV shows, radio programs, and other larger-scale media. They can also include tours you’ve been on and even the list of students you teach, or presentations for schools or music programs. It might not seem very rock-star-like, but certain teachers, both online and in music programs, can find lower-level endorsements because companies cater to students who could in turn buy the same equipment they use in class.

Sharing your total sales of music both online and off as well as other numbers including Alexa Rankings from your website can help showcase both your sales and visibility. Your Alexa ranking can tell just how often your website is being visited and its number in popularity of all the websites out there. Check out more information about Alexa Rankings in Chapter 17. You can find the Alexa ranking for your website by downloading the SEO Tool from Google Chrome. This also easily allows you to see the rankings for others sites.

Backlinks for Google as well as your Google page rank can give potential partners a real sense of how many people see you on a given day. The number is more reputable than Twitter figures because you can buy followers on Twitter. You can’t buy your Alexa ranking or your Google Page ranking. Those have to be earned when people actually go to your pages.

Companies. They’ve heard it all before and they hear it every day. Stay away from coming off too arrogant and avoid claiming how you’re new, unique, different, innovative, changing the game, and other overused words and phrases. These are good ways to turn off those who want to help you.

Selling, supporting, and standing strong

The way you talk, walk, act, and even your posture can affect a potential endorsement or sponsorship. Whereas you may have seen very large and famous artists act like they couldn’t care less about a product that sponsors them, they have money, fame, and luxury backing them up. As a starting artist or artist without anywhere near that level of popularity or reach, you need to be a better salesperson.

Find ways to describe, showcase, or use a product in a manner that’s not been done before. This helps not only with your sell and promotion of the product or gear, but it also helps build interest the company’s interest in you. They may want to advertise or highlight you that much more because you bring something to the table that others don’t.

Using a guitar pedal as an effect with a keyboard or other less-practiced but cool types of uses for a product helps promote the product while also promoting you.

Describing the products

Be eloquent and descriptive for both the pitch and your representation of the product. Vague, overused phrases such as the following won’t get you considered for an endorsement or sponsorship:

• I swear by this product!
• It’s a great product!
• It’s the only (insert product type) I use!
• It’s the best!
• I’ve never used anything this good!
• I love this product!

These six incredibly oversaturated phrases don’t help you. Although you may hear superstars use these exact phrases, you aren’t a superstar. So to draw the interest at your level, dig a little deeper with your descriptions.

Give the potential endorser a true idea of not just why you want an endorsement but also why you play their product and what you like about it. Think of adding a short quote or pitch that could help you get that endorsement and also be used by the endorser to advertise their product in a different way.

For example, DW drum pedals are a very popular pedal, and a lot of drummers have sworn and continue to swear by them, but by digging in a little deeper and saying something like: “DW drum pedals have a great balance and sensitivity for your foot. Durable, strong, but easy to control, DW makes my feet that much better when I play on their pedals.” In that quote, from yours truly (and I truly love DW pedals), I give a little more description, more detail, and showcase a quote that doesn’t say the exact same thing as most others are saying.

No one would buy DW pedals because I played them. I was a session drummer and never a big name, but with a quote like that, I may entice someone to take a look if I was endorsing them.

The biggest difference between a celebrity or higher-profile musician endorsing a product and you is that their name and fame can be enough to draw people to buy, emulate, and copy the people they look up to. As you work to build up your name and presence, realize the more you market the products functions, features, and usability, the more doors you open for endorsement potential. Share what’s good about a product, why others should use it, and how having that item makes work and play better for you.

Delivering your best pitch

Your delivery, tactics, and tact are some of the last pieces of the endorsement presentation. Do what you can to reduce the uses of the ums, uhs, and other verbal stutters while you work to avoid stuttering altogether. The assertiveness in your voice, your tone, and your physical presence should relay confidence, comfort, and charisma.

You wouldn’t want someone who seemed depressed or morose with a stutter or slur to officially talk about your new song or promote a show, right? Well, these companies don’t want that, either. Work on your enunciation, stay aware of the volume and dynamics in your voice, and don’t talk too fast or too slow. It’s not about turning into a radio or game show announcer, but you need to find that happy medium to be able to speak highly of an endorser or sponsor and being able to speak well for them.

Actually playing the products and having a great deal of experience with them is world’s better than hopping from company to company and ask to ask. Having a trail of pictures, videos, and even plugs about that gear going way back helps you shine that much stronger for consideration.

Learning more about the company and the competitors

Take the initiative to learn about the products you want to endorse as well as the companies behind them. This helps you both for your pitch and solicitation as well as your knowledge and ability to speak intelligently about that product and that company, if you get the opportunity to work with them.

An endorsement is going to be much more than just telling people that you use a product and that they should, too. Those types of endorsements are for much bigger names that have the name recognition. Most endorsements and sponsorship requirements for lower-profile artists include requests to showcase, market, promote, and create content as well as educate those you can reach. Knowing the company’s history, cool bullet points, facts about the products, and even information of other people who use or used their gear, gives you an extra marketing edge.

By learning about the competition, you arm yourself with a better pitch as well as know what others are doing. This isn’t about bashing the other company. Stay away from saying “use this, ’cause that sucks.” It’s unprofessional. You represent the company and the product, and most companies want to stay positive about their own products.

Keep gear in top-notch condition

One of the best ways to represent a product is to make that product shine … literally. From the gear you use to a stage that’s sponsored by a company, make it look all sorts of “purty.” Whether you’re promoting a sponsored drum stick or a vehicle, make it all look good, sharp, pretty, and clean. And shiny. Always remember shiny.

From wiping down a guitar, to washing a car, cleaning up a sponsored stage to turning the logo of the drumsticks outward and visible for that picture, the small stuff can make a big difference. Allow that product you’re representing or want to represent to look as good as possible. Showcase just how good you can make a musical product sound as you showcase just how good it looks.

The same goes for other sponsorships and endorsements outside of music. If someone is going to sponsor some ads or print posters for you, make sure to get those posters and ads designed in a way that looks top notch, and clearly add the sponsor or event sponsors’ names with their logos and their fonts.

With any endorsements or sponsorships, make sure to get the company’s permission to use their logos, fonts, and branding as part of your promotional materials. From posters to post cards, websites to social media, show how the combination of your branding and promotion helps promote a brand and products.

Ongoing marketing and commitment

Creating reminders in your marketing schedule or editorial calendars with your marketing of a product is a helpful way to remember to continue to market for the long term and keep up good engagement for the products or companies that you are pushing. Just as you work to create fresh and new content for marketing your music, your brand, and so on, schedule different ways to promote your sponsors and their gear to keep things fresh, consistent, and ongoing.

For example, set up a calendar of different ideas to pitch to a potential endorser. Use the various media formats like blogs, videos, audios, and images over a series of posts that cover topics such as tips, tricks, showcasing, testimonials, and links to their stores or where their products can be bought.

Enduring marketing with endurance

As you create a proposal of content, or as you begin to build up the content to promote your endorsement, don’t toss it all out there all at once. You don’t need to wear a T-shirt or a hat every day, yet wear that hat or that shirt at least twice a month and at shows. Make sure the logos of the endorsers are prominent on the posters, and save copies of each promotional item that showcases their logo and their information.

With different posts from videos to pictures to blogs directly related to the product, spread them out to go up at least once a month, instead of them all going up at one time. Just as the endurance for marketing you, your music, and your products has to expand and stretch over time, the marketing of your endorsers and sponsorships should as well. Laying this out in a proposal helps your chances exponentially. Think of it this way — would you want someone to shout from the mountain tops about you for one week, or for years and years to promote your music and you? I’d prefer the ongoing town crier over the mountain yeller.

Look at what other lower-level endorsers do to promote products from the company you want an endorsement from and ask them what they would like to see more of or areas and elements they want to promote. In just asking how you can help promote and market their company or product, you showcase your willingness to help and desire to go above and beyond.

Looking at companies outside of music

Think of the items you use, support, and like outside of music for additional endorsement and sponsorship options. From gel you use to style your hair to deodorant you use for perspiration, these are just two types of products and companies that you may be able to align with for support. For example, aligning with schools or alumni to represent their programs can open doors for a sponsorship. Tying in aspects of a local branch of a national company you worked for at one point and could promote on the side of your car and on stage on a banner and on posters could also be the starting point of a sponsorship.

Maybe the whole band wears a certain clothing or shoe brand that you can approach for additional support. From Converse to Nike, Adidas to Reebok, put your foot down there and try for some support. One of your favorite foods, snacks, or even drinks might have a sponsorship or endorsement option and a place to solicit on their website.

It’s worth a look outside of music at companies and products that you like, have used, and have stories about. From the largest-scale items such as the car you drive to mom-and-pop print shops in towns you play, brainstorm and play with all kinds of different options. And then give them a try. The worst you can hear is “no.”

Search sponsorships and endorsers online. There’s a great deal of both new and innovative businesses as well as older and more established companies looking for different ways to connect with different audiences. Just as you have your daily to-do list of researching and contacting booking agents, venues, bands, reviewers, and other media, add your search for sponsorships and endorsements to your list. Even if you research and send three emails a week, you’re reaching out that much further and connecting that much more.

Using the human-interest angle

It’s not about exploiting a tragedy or sharing something too personal. Your life is your life, and you can always choose what you want to and don’t want to share. This is also an area where you might find sponsorship a little easier. Think about all those morning and afternoon shows as well as any of those talk shows and now, all the reality shows. Someone is overcoming this sickness or this situation, and the viewers connect with it for the drama, entertainment, or familiarity. From humor to heartbreak, from trivial to strife and everywhere in between, sharing these experiences and angles can enable you with that many more options with both products inside and outside of music. You probably won’t get your own reality show, but you can draw the interest in potential endorsements or sponsors with your story.

The core idea of this kind of sponsorship or endorsement is that while you might not have the reputation or recognition for your music, the higher-level exposure of your story or potential story can allow you a higher profile to companies based on your story and not on your current profile in music.

Learning your representative’s birthday, the company’s anniversary, and other personal style dates is not just kind; it exemplifies an additional attention to detail and helps to keep you on the radar.

Checkups, check-ins, and updates

Even before you lock up an endorsement, offer up an update plan of how you will stay in touch and update your endorser. Discuss a plan about how you plan to market them, what you can do for them, and how you plan to keep them up to date on the music and band.

From hiring a full-time publicist to getting a tour to a big article coming out, these are exactly the types of events those who endorse and sponsor you want to know about, both to see that you’re growing and building more momentum and are able to reach a wider audience for their product to be seen.

After getting that endorsement, let your sponsor or endorser know when you put out a press release or do an interview on a larger scale. It’s not just about listing them in certain press materials; they may counter your story, interview, or announcements with some additional promotion themselves.

For example, imagine you’re the drummer in a band. You have a partial endorsement from Regal Tip drum sticks, and you’re going to be featured in a Modern Drummer article with some other drummers. Be sure to give Regal Tip the advanced notice so they can include you in one of their advertisements for the month you are being interviewed.

Those checkups and updates not only show that you continue to represent the products and companies in the best way, but also offer them the chance to reinforce on their end and supplement that media to both promote themselves and you.

Giving updates to your sponsors and endorsers

There’s a lot going on when you’re on tour. From the traveling to the marketing, the crazy schedules, and juggling a thousand things, it can be easy to let certain things slip. Think of your endorsers as part of the fuel that keeps you running, from the people helping you with gear to marketing support and everything in between. Make sure they are part of any media sheets going out, added into press releases, and brought up in interviews whenever possible.

While different media outlets may not include it in their stories, it’s still your responsibility to always represent and not forget about those who work with and help you. From endorsers to sponsors to friends, stay in touch with those who make the difference for you and your career.

Again, this isn’t only good to discuss in solicitations for endorsements as well as practicing these things when you get them, but it also highlights and showcases you to other companies as well as helps to raise your support level or sponsor level in time with the endorsers you currently have.

Send out those thank you cards, not thank you emails. Thank you cards still go a long way, leave a strong impression, and show the effort of someone that companies want to know and be involved with. Every extra step you take is one more than most and keeps you moving beyond and above many others.

Linking directly to the products and companies

Hey buddy!! Get your promo links here! Fill in your website and social media pages with links as well as descriptions to where those links are going. On your website and in the About sections of your social media sites, add a short description and the appropriate links.

For example, if you’re endorsed by Pearl drums, add a link at the bottom of your bio that includes: The drums we use in the studio and on tour: Pearl Drums–http://pearldrum.com/.

List the endorsers and links on a web page, as well as some content and a testimonial that states what you like about the company and their products. This helps lead people to click through to those sites.

On that endorsement page or link page, don’t just put up Click here for Pearl Drums Website. Instead, represent them well. Add their logo, font, and links to their website, as well as a few of their key social media sites. Include descriptions from you or the band like this: Pearl drums are the only drums that Kitty Likes Avocado uses in the studio and on tour. The tone, the ability to easily tune, and the durability are just three of the reasons we love these drums as well as why they are the Best Reason to Play Drums. Here are the links to the Pearl drums website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

This gives Pearl direct promotion on a page, along with a testimonial from you that includes their tagline (Best Reason to Play Drums).

Also, on the front page of your website, add those simple graphic-based links on the bottom of the page or running down the side. Let people know what you use and who supports you.

Per endorsement and company, put up a blog that highlights all the links to them, pictures of you with the endorsed gear, why you use it, why you like it, and why it’s the best, in your opinion.

Using existing content from others as you create that much more

After you add the links and post a key blog as well as an announcement or press release about the endorsement, continue to add content in different formats over extended periods of time. This helps maintain regular engagement and promotion.

The idea is not to constantly be in a selling mode, just like you shouldn’t constantly sell your music. The idea is to create engagement with a series of posts that come directly from you as well as posting headlines and linking to existing posts or content on other sites that represent the brand you endorse.

Here are five different examples of existing content and creating new content to promote an endorser while not pushing the sale too hard but keeping the message and marketing alive:

• Add a headline to a link of someone playing the same products that people might like to watch and mention what’s cool about it.
• Add a headline to a link to a cool picture of a higher-profile artist playing on the same product.
• Share an audio link from another group with a headline that mentions the endorser or product.
• Record a short video that showcases a given endorsed item. Think along the lines of a video for Latin Percussion; their cowbells could be funny if you jump around like that Saturday Night Live skit saying “more cowbell.”
• Share a video link from another group with a headline that mentions the endorser or product.

Here’s an example of a leading headline that uses a video idea and promotes Evans drum heads: Steely Dan Live drum solo with Keith Carlock burning on the song “Josie” live from a few years back. Cool solo whether you are a drummer or not. Keith also endorses Evans drum heads - https://youtu.be/uqUq7oFIjRM.

This highlights a band a lot of people know, mentions Keith’s name, promotes Evans, and creates engagement for your fans, too!

Using stickers and signage for marketing

Your signage is wonderful when it comes to your brand; the same goes for the brand you use and especially the brands that endorse you. From adding simple stickers to drum and guitar cases, and even your vehicles, you help further the visibility of a brand.

With companies like Carsticker.com, Vistaprint, and other decal companies, you can easily highlight endorsers on your vehicle as it spends the bulk of its days out on the road carrying you from gig to gig. Artists who spend a lot of time on the road are more likely to get endorsements over the artists who play only within a limited radius.

With very affordable and easy-to- remove stickers — and even car magnets — you create a great level of visibility to all those driving by you … or if you’re a fast driver, driving by them.

Adding smaller stickers to your gear cases and even your luggage again is a great way to keep a brand that much more visible and seen by that many more people. As you add stickers, magnets, and other logos to your vehicle, your car, and your cases, make sure your name, logo, and website URL are always large and prevalent. Although you are endorsed by a company and need to be promoting them, the reason you are out there is you, and the main focus of marketing is getting you out there the most.

If you go this promotion route for use on cars, cases, and luggage, realize that while you’re branding your name, website, and endorser’s information on to these items, you’re also in a way branding that you have expensive stuff. Especially with smaller vehicles, bring in all your gear. Make sure it looks like an empty vehicle in a hotel parking lot, and try to park in well-lit areas to avoid tempting potential thieves even more. Chapter 9 discusses more about insurance.

On the stage and in the studio

From setting up to sound check, you often deal with people who can directly benefit from your endorsed product and be potential purchasers. From the sound guy to the monitor guy who loves it and can further recommend an endorsed item to another band, this is where you can have a great representation effect.

From other musicians to musicians in the crowd during the show, showcase that gear in the best way possible to draw as much interest from others as you can. Invite other musicians to give the gear a test drive during sound check if they show a real interest in an item. Your endorsing company will love you for it.

Everyone has different tastes. In showing a type of effect pedal or set of pedals that you love, use, and are endorsed by, don’t get all riled up if someone says they suck or that something else is better. It makes you look foolish and the company you represent look less than professional. Stand strong behind the gear you use but don’t be that headstrong to have to get in an argument or a screaming match about which product is better and why. Pointless.

Wear it proudly, literally

Many endorsing companies have a great deal of promotional merchandise or swag that includes T-shirts, hats, jackets, raincoats, coffee mugs, and so on. Ask for some of these items to help the promotion of the brand or company that’s supporting you.

Make sure to wear these items in a regular rotation when on the road or just in normal life to help to push and promote. This isn’t about wearing a T-shirt every day, but rather wearing an endorser’s shirt on a day when you’re doing interviews or on a road day when you’re traveling.

You don’t have to wear it on stage, and a promotional shirt doesn’t have to mess with your whole vibe or image, but show some extra support by donning that shirt or hat at least once a month and strive to get more people to see you and the brand standing behind you.