Monthly Archives: September 2018

Stop Boosting and Start Funneling (Part One of a series)

By Eric Wenning

 I know many of you out there are struggling to advertise on social media with little to no success. Let me guess what you are doing. You have a picture of a packed dance floor in your ad that states something like “Book us because we are AWESOME and PROFESSIONAL” and are clicking on ‘Boost Post,’ thinking that will help bring more traffic to your site and you’ll get more sales…

Am I getting close?

As a successful multi-op who also owns a company that specializes in social media solutions for other companies, I’m here to help you with some of the marketing troubles you face on a day-to-day basis.

First, you have to understand there are many components in a successful ad.

  • Targeted Ad Copy
  • Targeted Audience
  • A Clear and Precise Irresistible Offer (to lure them in)
  • A Video to Grab Their Attention
  • A Clear Call to Action
  • Send your Leads through a Proper Sales Funnel
  • Installing a Facebook Pixel so you can track everyone

I know this might seem overwhelming, but you have to first know the ingredients to understand how something’s made, right? Almost all of you running ads are running them to COLD Traffic. Say what, Eric? WARM and HOT Traffic are leads from a friend, family or vendor referral. Cold Traffic are people that have NO IDEA who you are.

You have to target Cold Traffic differently than you would Warm and Hot Traffic.

What makes you stand out from your competition when it comes to Cold Traffic? Almost nothing until you get them on the phone, right? All they see are the same flashing lights and people having fun that appear in any DJ ad. But what can make your company look different in their eyes…

You have to understand that people price shop tangible products all the time. You and I both do it. We do it at the grocery store, Amazon, anywhere we can save a buck. Now put yourself in the bride and Groom’s shoes as they look at your company and your competition. The prices are almost the same, but what is going to give that Cold Traffic a push in your direction?

An offer they can’t refuse.

Without getting into the dreaded price conversation, you have to understand once that couple becomes a client they are more likely to spend more money because you have a trust factor with them. Prospects that are still on the fence are a harder sell to because you have not gotten them emotionally involved. The method to sell to Cold Traffic is to get them in at a cheaper price with an Irresistible Offer and then UP-SELL them once they are a client.

To accomplish this, make sure you have an Irresistible Offer. Make sure that offer is clear and precise. Make sure to have a clean landing page that CLEARLY states the offer you are making or your ad may get denied from Facebook.

Start with a broad audience, then narrow it down and retarget the people that saw your ad and did not convert. Create a video that has Stopping Power, meaning your video makes them stop and watch so you can explain your offer. Stop just using photos.

To recap, start CREATING COMPELLING ads instead of just boosting a post, and start to Funnel Your Clients!

In addition to his highly successful multi-op business in Pittsburgh, PA, Eric has degrees in Graphic Design and Marketing and also owns a full ad agency that specializes in Social Media Advertising for many different types of companies. For more info or to contact Eric visit www.wenningmethod.com

Digging for Diamonds

By Tony Fernandez

Through my travels on the web and through the various DJ pages, I keep seeing a recurring thought: The state of music, specifically current music, is at an all-time low. If that isn’t enough, that state of mind puts DJs into the frame of mind of: what are the good songs that should be played? The stuff out now is crap… blah, blah, blah….

I gotta tell ya, I really have no sympathy for the DJ who can’t figure out where to get “good” music. Let me explain my position before you flame me…

A long time ago in a galaxy not far away, there were these things called record stores. These record stores would have music on physical formats that people would purchase. DJs, at least the proactive DJs, wouldn’t go to a “regular” retail stores where troglodytes would buy their music. Nope. DJs would go WAY off the beaten path to find outlets that catered to them.

In these establishments is where bonds were formed, deals were made, fortunes found.

Now I’m not really going to wax on about record stores. That’s not the point. The point I’m trying to elucidate is: if you are lacking “good” music, go find it. It’s out there. Nothing worthwhile is just going to drop in your lap.

With the dawn of the digital age, record stores met their demise. As such, music is currently traded around, downloaded, and acquired in the digital scheme. That scenario, I think, has made a lot of DJs lackadaisical, complacent, passive and downright lazy to a fundamental aspect of being a DJ…

You have to dig to find that diamond in the rough. You have to put a bit of effort in your musical acquisitions. There is absolutely no reason to be obsequious in this aspect of your job. Make the time. It’s part of your job.

Just because you keep up with charts, subscribe to record pools and/or remix services doesn’t absolve you of keeping up. You really can’t just sit back and expect format radio to break the next “hot” song.

If you haven’t figured this out… format radio isn’t in the business of breaking music. Format radio is in the business of selling advertising time, to make money. They use music to do that.

You can’t just wait for your inbox to give you a notification that your downloads from the pools/remix services are ready and you’re good to go.   It’s not the job of record pools to pad your hard drive. Pools are at the mercy of the record labels and their release schedules.

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of tracks that radio, the charts, the pools, the remix services are NEVER going to pick up on, play, or release. It’s incumbent on you to seek those out. To at least listen and see if something new and different is worth playing it or your crowd.

I also realize that people are creatures of habit. They like familiarity. They like things they know. They like things they’ve heard. I get that. I’m in no way saying that DJs need to play unreleased, white label, bootleg versions of songs to be cool or relevant. The vast majority of DJs play to the general public. As such, we need to keep our music programming recognizable. I do get that.

Since music now is in a digital medium, we ALL have access to the SAME tracks. (Pretty much…) We all are drinking form the same fountain, as it were. Because that’s the case, we need to set ourselves apart. Finding new music and/or remixes to current / popular music is an aspect that DJs need to take advantage of. There is good music and good remixes out there. Just don’t expect it to fall into your hard drive.

Keep ‘em spinnin’ and dig around a bit. You’ll never know what you might find.

Based out of Richmond, VA, DJ Tony Fernandez has been a DJ, Remixer, Producer, Musical Soothsayer and Audio Gear Oracle since 1980. Find him on facebook. Email djtonytf@gmail.com

Bedroom to Main Room: Pioneer Introduces the XDJ-RR

Make the transition from playing at home to performing at parties, bars and eventually clubs with Pioneer’s new XDJ-RR 2-channel all-in-one DJ system for rekordboxTM . The system inherits all the basic features from their club-standard NXS2 set-up and packs them into a lightweight, portable body that’s easy to take to parties and gigs as you progress through the DJ ranks.

The XDJ-RR offers you flexibility, so you can practice and perform however you prefer. It’s compatible with our professional performance application rekordbox dj (license included) but if you don’t want to use a PC/Mac, you can export your rekordbox-analyzed music to USB storage devices, plug them into the controller and play tracks directly from them.

Keep an eye on all the information you need thanks to the XDJ-RR’s 7-inch full-color screen and use performance features and FX inherited from the NXS2 set-up – such as Hot Cues, Slip Loop and Beat FX – to craft unique mixes on the fly.

Unleash your creativity with the XDJ-RR and follow your dreams from your bedroom to the club.

A license key for rekordbox dj worth $129 is included with the XDJ-RR so you can plug it into your PC or Mac straight out of the box and start mixing. If you already own rekordbox dj, upgrade to the latest version to use the XDJ-RR.

To help protect your XDJ-RR on the road, the DJC-RR BAG will be available from October (EMEA only). The high-quality bag is perfectly sized to snugly fit the all-in-one DJ system and features a Durashock molded body and ballistic polyester to prevent damage from knocks and vibrations.

The XDJ-RR will be available from mid-September at an MAP of $1,099.

 Watch the introduction video or find out more about the all-in-one DJ system.

KEY FEATURES OF THE XDJ-RR 

  1. Layout and features from club-standard NXS2 set-up

The XDJ-RR inherits its layout design and many of its performance controls, features and FX from our flagship CDJ-2000NXS2 professional multi player and DJM-900NXS2 professional mixer set-up. You can play rekordbox-analyzed tracks directly from USB storage drives or connect your PC/Mac to the XDJ-RR and use rekordbox dj – our professional performance application. You also have the option to use Link Export mode.

  1. Dual USB-A ports and single USB-B port

Connect your PC/Mac to the USB-B port at the rear of the XDJ-RR and plug USB drives into the dual USB-A ports on the top of the system to ensure seamless handovers between DJs.

  1. 7-inch full-colour screen

Browse and select tracks quickly and intuitively via the 7-inch full-colour screen, using the GUI design and large rotary selector from the CDJ-2000NXS2 multi player. Get a quick visual reference of track information such as playback position, BPM and waveforms for more accurate mixing and scratching.

  1. Performance controls

Enhance your sets using dedicated controls for performance features:

  • Hot Cues – mark various points in your tracks and instantly play from them by hitting the Hot Cue pads. Create live remixes by triggering Hot Cues in unique sequences.
  • Beat Loop – loop a section of a track and the XDJ-RR automatically sets the loop-out point based on the BPM. You can chop up loops on the fly for even more creative performances.
  • Slip Loop – switch on Slip Loop and tracks keep playing silently in the background when you’re scratching or using other performance features. Then, when you’re ready to drop the track back in, it plays from exactly the right place.
  • Beat Jump – easily change the way a track develops by jumping backwards or forwards by the number of beats you choose.
  1. Mixer section with professional FX

Perform smooth, precise mixes using the EQs and channel faders, which feature curves equal to those on the DJM-900NXS2 professional club mixer. You can spice up your sets with FX also inherited from the flagship mixer:

Beat FX – change the sound in sync with the beat:

  • Echo
  • Reverb
  • Flanger

Sound Color FX – add texture and tension by simply turning the knob:

  • Filter
  • Noise
  • Dub Echo
  • Pitch
  1. Lightweight and portable

Take the XDJ-RR wherever you want to practise or perform thanks to its portable design. It’s compact and weighs just 5.2 kg – almost 4 kg (43%) less than the XDJ-RX2 – making it perfect for carrying to your next house party or gig.

Other features

  • All-in-one design enables simple and speedy set-up

Connect the XDJ-RR to a power source and your speakers or sound system and you’re ready to perform. There’s no need for cables between the player and mixer sections.

  • External audio input

Play music from external sources or mobile devices thanks to the AUX input.

  • Link Export mode for rekordbox

Connect your laptop directly to the XDJ-RR with a single USB cable and play the tracks in your rekordbox library without exporting them to a USB drive.

  • Includes rekordbox dj license key

Activate the rekordbox dj license key (worth $129) bundled with the XDJ-RR to use our professional performance application. And, if you add the DDJ-XP1 DJ sub controller to your set-up (available separately), you can unleash even more of rekordbox dj’s features – for example, by using the 32 Performance Pads to trigger extra FX – and bring more creative flair to your performances.

XDJ-RR Specifications

Frequency characteristic 20 Hz to 20 kHz (USB, AUX, MIC)
S/N ratio 112 dB (USB)
Total harmonic distortion 0.003% (USB)
Input / Output terminals Inputs AUX x 1 (RCA)

MIC x 1 (XLR & 1/4-inch TRS jack)

Outputs MASTER 1 x 1 (XLR)

MASTER 2 x 1 (RCA)

PHONES x 2 (1/4-inch stereo phone jack x 1, 3.5-mm stereo mini jack x 1)

USB USB (Type A) x 2

USB (Type B) x 1

Dimensions (W x D x H) 625.0 mm x 388.5 mm x 74.2 mm
Main unit weight 5.2 kg
Accessories Power cord

AC adapter

USB cable

Instruction manual (Quick start guide)

rekordbox dj license key card

 

rekordbox system requirements

Compatible OS Mac macOS High Sierra 10.13 (updated to the latest version)

macOS Sierra 10.12 (updated to the latest version)

OS X 10.11 (updated to the latest version)

Windows Windows® 10, 8.1, 7 (the latest service pack)
CPU Intel® processor CoreTM i7, i5, i3
Memory 4GB or more of RAM

 

Website: http://www.pioneerdj.com