In correlation with the April CBA Retailers+Resources feature articles on entertainment today, CBA has created a Top Ten list of Music Best Practices. Focusing on keeping the right business practices in music is crucial right now. It is often easy to divert one’s attention to so many different directions as a retailer, and one way the symptoms of this lack of focus show up is in declining music sales for stores. By keeping focused and implementing even just a few of these changes, stores’ music sections can be revived and transformed. If you have other suggestions or best practices, as always, let us know what you’re doing.
1. Always have best selling music on-hand—use best seller lists based on direct customer sell through like CBA’s Custom Inventory Accelerator, CROSS:SCAN and Above the Treeline provide, or the best seller list in Retailers + Resources Magazine.
2. Always have music some music on sale at a reduced price—create the perception that you do have music product on sale—look for music specials from distributors of remainder products.
3. Use Christian radio to hookup with Christian music lovers—over half of our Christian music buyers (57% from 2007 Sound Decisions research) listen to Christian radio everyday—83% listen every week—89% listen every month.
4. Listen to your customers—find out what Christian radio station(s) your music customers tune in and advertise on that station—find out information about the demographics of the station’s listeners and match to your core music customers.
5. Find out your Christian radio station’s play list—your customer will come in your store looking for the music they hear—have the product and display the list in your store.
6. Purchase a burn bar—burning CDs will help you reduce parts of your music inventory especially in accompaniment tracks—If you get a burn bar do not reduce your inventory right away, let your customers help you know what to do with inventory by how they purchase—music customers like to purchase package product and sometimes perceive burned product not to be as high quality.
7. Be watchful for channel exclusive product—many time the Christian music companies and distributors will produce exclusive product for the Christian retail channel that is different than what is released in the general market and sold at huge discounts—Fireproof DVD is a perfect example—it has ministry tools, Cross & Crown music cut, and a free Fire Proof card offer.
8. Start using digital advertising and media to help promote your Christian Music category—collect cell phone numbers—test message your teens, twenty, and thirty something’s—let them know about a limited special just for them—create excitement.
9. Use social networks both online and face to face—to get the word out that you are the best place to come for Christian music.
10. Host special events—promote special music events for both well know artists and local artists that are not so well know in your store.
What are companies that provide burn bars for retailers?
Posted by: db | October 04, 2009 at 06:17 PM
Nice points... really great post... thanks...
Posted by: market entry research | November 02, 2009 at 05:14 AM
What do you think is the best program for remixing and collaborating music?
i want to be a music producer and i thought i might get some practice producing if i could start remixing songs and stuff like that.
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