Leveraging your skill sets when you can't play live music
by Joy Ike for Bandzoogle
As musicians, touring, performing, and creating often begin with staring at a screen doing all the administrative tasks which keep the creative side alive. Here are some outside-the-box ideas as you consider what your ‘work’ is for the foreseeable future.
Create and maintain websites
Do you maintain your own website? No matter what platform you use your skillset is necessary right now! People (especially small businesses) are realizing now more than ever that they need a website in what now feels like a virtual-only world. And believe it or not, most people don’t know how to make one. Offer this talent. Someone needs your expertise.
image courtesy: bandzoogle
Provide Social Media Help
And guess what? People who need websites also need help with their social media presence: Facebook Business pages, Instagram accounts, Twitter, subscriber mailing lists, and the like. Remember that while online communication takes a front seat to in-person communication, small business owners need help doing this better.
Teach someone
Because you’re an internet beast and you know what you’re doing, you have the tools to teach others. Offer your services as an online tech coach or assistant. Teach someone how to better use their social media, how to update their website, how to create a newsletter, how to improve photos with online editing, how to run a professional Zoom call. You get the picture!
Be the patron saint of all things small business
I’ve found that some people are at a loss on how to move forward with their storefronts. Offer a brainstorming session with local businesses in your neighborhood. You may be able to partner with them and help them:
* get or design better signage that makes them stand out in this time
* get the word out about how they are adapting in this pandemic
* take better photos that get the attention of people on social
* media who never knew they existed
* adapt their face-to-face services for a digital paradigm
* better connect with neighbors
Your fans are still your fans
Do not underestimate the importance of your fanbase right now. Even if they can’t attend a show, they still love you and want to support you. For example, the first website I created this year was for a fan who knew I had experience setting up and maintaining a website because she had been on mine over the years. She also knew I could help with her mailing list provider for sending newsletters because she receives mine.
A few more ideas...
Voiceover work: The mic you use to make demos is probably just as good for this second use.
Video editing: Your video editing software now has two uses - making simple tour recaps and creating short social media promos for others.
Designing: Business cards may not be getting passed around as much, but online postcards, posters, and flyers are still in demand.
Event coordinating: Online virtual events need your help. Help an organization create their event page and handle online ticketing and event promo with suave.
Audio editing: It’s the year of podcasts! Offer to clean up a podcaster’s audio, make it more cohesive, and add some music to it. Give it the professional boost it needs.
Copy editing: Make someone else’s words sound better...or write the words for them. So much content is being created. Someone’s gotta make it look good!
Live stream assisting: Most people don’t know how to create high-quality live-stream with great sound, better lighting, and a decent-looking space. Offer your expertise.
Give lessons: Ok, this one might be a no-brainer but maybe consider teaching a few lessons each week. Again, start with your fans. They already have a relationship with you and it’s a much easier sell. If they don’t want lessons, they might know someone who does.
Look, even if you don’t have a degree in any of the above areas, you have experience and that always trumps a piece of paper. Do what you know and use what you know! The possibilities are endless. Good luck!
