Niche Happens - Christine Kane

Here’s what I wonder:

I wonder why marketers don’t consider the internal process (or the heart) of the artist when they offer theories and speculations on music sales.

Maybe it’s too hard to do. Mystery, after all, is not marketing.

In Seth Godin’s The Dip blog, there’s a riff by Derek Sivers, founder of CDBaby. In the riff, Derek encourages musicians to cut through the foggy cloud of the world’s attention by finding a niche. He then gives a few examples of people who did just that.

Great. It’s good to get ideas. Let it be known that Derek Sivers has created so many services to help artists with their careers that he’s kind of the Steve Jobs of indie music.

As an artist, though, I can’t help but notice that business types often look at trends after they happen. After the artist has walked along many paths towards this success. And rarely are marketers accurate in their assessment of how niches happen.

Niches happen because of the passion of the artist. Niches happen because the artist shows up, writes her heart out, says yes to opportunities, makes a lot of wrong turns, hands out lots of free CD’s, writes lots of emails, keeps on noticing who’s listening, pays attention to what makes her happy, and goes in that direction. It’s just as creative as writing a song. Maybe not always. But certainly most of the time.

I appreciate marketing genius. And I get that most artists need help with the business side of their work. But marketers approach an artist’s niche success as if that artist sat back, planned to be attractive to a certain demographic, and then molded her product and message around that market.

I’ve never met a single artist who did it that order.

Here’s one example: My friend Steve Seskin wrote the song “Don’t Laugh at Me” with his friend Allen Shamblin. They wrote it because Allen’s daughter came home from school one day in tears after getting teased during recess. In Alan and Steve’s hands, her story became a huge hit recorded by Mark Wills.

Fast-forward a few years. Peter Yarrow (of Peter Paul & Mary) hears the song when his own daughter plays it for him after hearing Steve play it at a campfire at Kerrville Folk Festival. Peter flips out over it. (He never heard the radio version.) Peter raises a half million dollars and creates an educational curriculum called “Operation Respect” based on the message of that song.

At a time when songwriters are losing publishing deals left and right, Steve’s career path moves away from Nashville and into a steady schedule of teaching conferences and educational programs. He’s so good at it that he’s now the author of two children’s books with another on the way. He just finished taping a PBS tribute to America’s teachers – which features everyone from Peter Paul & Mary to Judy Collins to Rosie O’Donnell to Odetta. It also features Steve and Allen’s song.

On the phone tonight, and I mentioned this niche thing to Steve. I said, “You know — I could see a songwriter saying to a music marketing expert, ‘I just lost my publishing deal, and I don’t know what to do.’ And I could see the marketing expert saying, ‘Look at that Steve Seskin guy! He created a niche market for himself!’ as if one day you decided your songs would appeal to teachers and that you should find a way to get out there in front of more teachers and schools. And the truth is — you couldn’t have planned this if you’d tried!”

So I asked him, “What do you think makes niche market success?” Steve paused for a moment. Then he said, “You know, I think it’s about quiet positioning versus pushiness. I think it’s about letting things happen rather than making them happen. I’ve found that I always have better results when I back off a little bit.”

Niche happens. You might have to learn the business of your art. But you don’t have to let business determine your art.

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23 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Mike

    Hi Christine,

    I just found your blog. Very interesting overall, and I especially liked this article.

    This topic reminds me a lot of what all the “blogging experts” keep saying over and over again, assuming of course that your primary purpose in having a blog is to make money. Or get lots of attention. Maybe some of us just write because we need to, and if someone happens to read it and benefit, then great.

    The last thing I want in my writing is a niche. Topics (or formats) include poetry, personal experiences, spirituality, politics or current events, personal growth, relationships, among others. The one thing that is common is my perspective, which is ever-changing. The readers who always come back are the ones who find some personal connection with whatever wisdom I can share. I know some people feel more comfortable with a consistent message. But my blog is not for people who want comfort!

    I make no money from my blog, nor is that my intention. Of course, for the professional artist, there is a certain balance that needs to be achieved between being true to the art and being true to professional goals. I especially liked what you said in the comments about only working with people who get you from the start. In the end, I think you’ll be able to look back and feel that you were true to yourself.

    Keep up the good work!

    Namaste,
    Mike

  • cynthia

    I enjoyed your post, very thoughtful and articulate.

    I also think one of the other commenters got it right too, be authentic and then “quietly position” as Steve mentioned.

  • Christine Kane

    quick note : i love it when i return to the comments to find that people have talked to each other in here – and not just to me! that’s what blogging is all about – it’s a conversation…

    drew – i like the zebra metaphor. when i’ve worked with managers and agents in the biz, it’s been like contortion — they try to get me to be what they think i should be. finally, i decided never to work with anyone unless they just totally GOT me and loved what i did. (which means that i’ve said no to people – and which means that i had to take all of this stuff into my own hands. not always easy!) thanks for your thoughts.

    rodney – i understand about the goals and all that. i try to set goals for my work and for the things i can control (song writing time each day, etc), rather than those outside world goals (sell 100,000 cd’s, etc) – because of the very thing you wrote about here.

    thanks walter – i just love gaping void. hugh is a great artist, writer and visionary.

    rob – yea, steve is a great guy. every now and then i’ll do a teaching gig or a festival and i just click with another artist. steve is one of those people. since our first time teaching together, we’ve remained fast friends in this crazy business. say hi to him at your next taxi conference.

    thanks carla, sue and paula!

  • paula kawal

    Hi All,

    For those of you interested in an alternative way of finding your (for lack of a better word) “niche”, I just remembered a technique that I learned from a really driven and inspired life coach. He said to draw three intersecting circles. The one on the right is labeled need. He described this as being a void or vacancy in the universe (something spirit desires to manifest). The one on the left is labeled passion. This is where you place all the things that you are really passionate about. The one on the bottom is labeled skill and this is where you bring your individual skill and talent into the equation. Where these circles interconnect is where you find your “niche”.

    Just thought I’d share…

    Much love,

    pk

  • Sue O’Kieffe

    Hi Christine, I appreciate what you have written here. As a digital artist getting out in the world for the first time, learning how to remain authentic and listening to my heart has often seemed to fly against traditional marketing wisdom. Hallelujah for that, eh? Thanks for reminder.
    ~Sue O’Kieffe
    http://sacred-circle-mandalas.blogspot.com

  • Carla Sanders

    Christine, I found this article via Alyson Stanfield at http://artbizblog.com. Thank you for putting a truth spin on marketing guruspeak. I’ve been studying marketing for different business ventures for many years, and the “find your niche” mantra would always stop me. Finally I washed up on the shores of my passion, which is art, and it is my kind of art, not someone else’s idea of a niche to make art for. You have just enabled artists who are taking their art business seriously to relax and have their business activites make sense–
    because PASSION COMES FIRST.
    Thank you.
    Carla

  • Rob

    Hi Christine..

    Steve seems like a great guy! I learned about him via his involvement with the TAXI seminars. I think he’s been doing their rally for a few years now?? The more I read your writing, it makes sense that you guys would be pals. A couple of class acts, if I may say!

  • Walter Hawn

    Came upon this while following the blog-trail from here:

    “Art is simply using the tools at hand to ask the question, “What is possible?” Painting, music, literature, it doesn’t matter what media one uses. What matters is the question.” — Hugh McLeod

    http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004157.html

    I’m thinking that asking the question is what makes niche

  • Rodney Robbins

    You said, “Niches happen because of the passion of the artist,” and it is so true. One of my primary beefs against Goal Setting (and so much of arts marketing) is that it is so VERY easy to waste your life pursuing the wrong goal! Even an almost-right goal can keep you trapped for years if you won’t pull your nose off the grindstone long enough to realize, “Hey! This ain’t my pillow!”

  • Drew McLellan

    Christine,

    Too many marketing pros believe that the way you create a niche is to ask some questions, observe what everyone else in the category is doing and then “assign” a niche based on external factors.

    That’s insane. You can’t just tell a zebra to be a peacock and expect it to change. Instead…you help the zebra love and celebrate his stripes.

    That’s the real power of marketing, branding (I know a word you hate) and niches. They have to be real or they don’t fly.

    People are smarter than that.

    Drew

  • Caren

    andrea said: I’ve replaced “marketing” with “offering.”

    Thank you for this, Andrea. I really needed to hear that – perfect timing! You must be working in cahoots with Christine to write exactly what I need to hear at exactly the right time. 🙂

  • Corinne Edwards

    I opened my travel agency in 1974 at the height of a recession with huge numbers of people out of work.

    Everyone told me I was crazy.

    But, I just did it. I was the only employee but I had a low rent and it was close to my house. At that time you had to wait in line for hours for gas and I didn’t want to do that anymore just to drive to downtown Chicago.

    By the end of the year, I had made just enough to pay the rent and I just did what I do. Take good care of the people who came in. That’s what you do when you give your heart to your audience.

    You have a beautiful talent. Not a niche. And you love what you do. And you are young.

    I agree with your other friends here.

    Just do it.

  • Andrea Hess

    Thanks for this article, Christine. As I was reading it, the word that kept resonating in my head was “authenticity, authenticity …” Of course, then I scroll down and read Paula’s fabulous comment above.

    People in the healing arts are generally about as good at marketing as musicians are (coming from both worlds, I think I can safely make that statement). But while all the marketing experts have wonderful ideas and things to say, we must allow our hearts and Souls to shine through our work – and we’ll attract those we’re meant to attract.

    There’s also something about “marketing” – this idea that it’s about going after people, targeting your niche. In my vocabulary, I’ve replaced “marketing” with “offering.” We offer up a little piece of ourselves through our work, and the more authentically we can do this, the more joy we can find in whatever business we’re in.

    Blessings,
    Andrea

  • paula kawal | paulakawal.com

    From my perspective, it starts with authenticity…by being really connected to yourself, and being absolutely clear about what stirs your heart, why you are here, your talents and abilities and how you use them in ways that are unique to you to tap into passion.

    At this point it reminds me of something a record producer once told me about defining a group’s message, he said, ‘The people tell you what your message is.” This was absolutely profound, because the work you produce will mean something different to each person who is touched by it, and to allow space for your meaning and theirs calls for a type of promoting that it is less constructed and categorized. ‘Niche’ marketing requires the product to be perceived and or experienced it in a particular way.

    So this is how I perceive the meaning of Steve’s statement about quiet positioning…allowing space and room for the listeners to have their own rich and fully connected experience of your art. The idea of making room for the audience to have their own experience is subtle, vital and often times never even considered in a marketing plan 🙂

  • m

    Christine I think you might like Hugh MacLeods Gaping Void blog http://www.gapingvoid.com he’s into new ways of marketing and creating ‘conversations’ instead of the traditional sell.

    He wrote an interesting long blog about creativity as well

  • K-L Masina | Be Conscious Now

    Hey Christine,

    Great thoughts and I totally agree. I used to have those same thoughts during English at high school.

    Fascinated by the writing process, I wondered if writers were sitting thinking about themes and imagery and all that literary stuff as they wrote their books… or if they just wrote what they felt and saw and that stuff happened along the way…

    Because if art is an expression of the heart, of the truth… then how much intellectual thought goes into the initial process?

    It’s like looking at the skid marks left by car accidents and concluding that because every accident site has skid marks… that the skid marks must be CAUSING the accidents…

    Love your work,
    KL

  • Rafe

    Nice blog, interesting thoughts.

    Everything is easier said than done, just have to keep chugging.

  • Christine Kane

    laura, ed and judy – thanks for your additional thoughts!

  • Judy

    I agree that you can’t mold your art to fit a market….at least not if you want your art to be authentic. But as someone who is and artist, and has been a marketer, it seems to me that good marketing comes from what you said….paying attention to who is responding to your work, then trying to figure out how to reach more people like that. Good marketing is as much art as science.
    My all time favorite marketing professor shared how when he was a consultant for a toy company, he went and worked in a toy store for several weeks, so that he could understand more about how people buy toys. Noticing details about the process, so that he could help his client increase the chances that the right people would have an opportunity to connect with their toy.
    You are right that the postgame analysis can miss way too much of the reality of what happened, and why.

  • Ed Brenegar

    If we stop labeling ourselves, as simply a singer or a consultant, then we’ll realize that a lot of the things that we do well are tools for expressing our passion. And that we actually have more tools for expressing our passion than we realize. We just need to find the appropriate niche spots to express them.

    This is what I saw in Coral Jeffries who I wrote about here – http://edbrenegar.typepad.com/leading_questions/2007/09/real-life-leade.html Out of her passion for low-income, minority kids, she started a school. She was “just a mom” who volunteered in the schools. She found her passion, and everything changed.

    I had a guy ask me the other day, what do you do with the passion dies? I asked him “What changed?” His answer, “Everything.” My response, “The passion is still there. You just need to find it in the new context.” He then proceeded to tell me about a trip that he took that had revolutionized his whole thinking about his work. So, his passion is still there, the tools, in this case, his daily business responsibilities, had changed.

    I agree that business people often get the cart a head of the horse, and try to mechanically create a market that may be out of synch with the person. Living in the moment, listening, adapting is the way to go.

    Great post Christine.

  • Laura West

    Hi Christine,
    Having one of those nights I can’t sleep and listening to Wayne Dyer say….get up at 3am and listen to the world. Well, I happened to be listening(reading) your blog about Niching from the inside and you are so right!

    Whether it’s music, writing, speaking, chiropracting…. we as consumers/passionate users can tell when it’s something created from the inside expressing out or if it’s created from the outside perspective only. It has a more hollow ring to it don’t you think?

    Dare to do the inner work first!

    Cheers –
    Laura West