“ Forget thinking you are going to make any real money from record sales. Make your record cheaply (but great) and GIVE IT AWAY. As an artist you want as many people as possible to hear your work. Word of mouth is the only true marketing that matters.
—
Trent Reznor, My thoughts on what to do as a new/unknown artist
I can’t emphasize how right he is, and this doesn’t just apply to music. The only way to earn brand loyalty (aside from having a good product) is by establishing loyalty to fans/potential fans. This means taking a leap of faith.
Besides, people like two things more than anything else: talking about themselves and getting free things.
