Lesson 1: Getting Started with Topspin

• The State of the Record Industry
• The Traditional Model: What a Major Label Offers
• The Traditional Model: What an Indie Label Offers
• A New Way Forward: Direct to Consumer
• Background on Topspin
• Under the Hood: Getting Started with Topspin's Software
• Assignment 1: Direct-to-Fan Marketing

Lesson 2: Social Media and Online Marketing Basics

• Defining the Emerging "Middle Class" of Musicians
• An Indie Approach to Making Money
• Terry McBride, Ian Rogers, and Derek Sivers on Finding the Right Partners
• Introduction to Online Marketing and Social Media
• The Four Major Segments of Online Marketing
• Clay Shirky and Hugh MacLeod on the Internet and Social Media
• Assignment 2: Review and Critique an Artist's Online Marketing Campaign

Lesson 3: Creating Your Online Presence

• How to Create a Compelling and Optimized Web site
• Setting Up Your Site using a Wordpress CMS
• The User Experience: Usability, Content and Effective Use of Media
• Search Engine Optimization: Metadata, Site Copy, Linking Strategy, and More
• Blogging and Establishing Your Voice Online
• Gary Vaynerchuk on Blogging Best Practices
• Under the Hood: Topspin Artist Sites with Effective Blogs
• Assignment 3: Optimizing Your Own Web Site

Lesson 4: Identifying and Targeting Your Niche Market

• Seth Godin, Tribes, and the Importance of Niche Marketing
• The 80/20 Rule in Marketing
• Demographics, Geographics, and Psychographics: Finding Your Tribe
• Branding Considerations for the Internet Age
• Importance of Segmentation and Focusing on Your Core Fans
• Assignment 4: Outline Demographic and Pshychographic Traits
• Examples of Effective and Ineffective Branding
• Defining Your Unique Selling Proposition
• Under the Hood: Topspin's Network

Lesson 5: Building Your Community and Generating Demand

• Online Channel-based Marketing for Musicians
• Demand Generation: Four Major Segments of Online Marketing
• Organic Marketing Opportunities on 3rd Party Social Networking Sites
• Under the Hood: Topspin Email for Media Widget
• Twitter in Action: Amanda Palmer, Jimmy Eat World
• Paid Marketing Opportunities on 3rd Party Social Networking Sites
• Assignment 5: Expand Your Digital Touch Points

Lesson 6: Determening Your Goals, Forecasting Your Results, and Creating Your Offer Strategy

• Key Direct to Fan Measurements
• Market Segmentation Techniques
• Direct to Fan Marketing Campaign Structure, Planning, and Implementation
• Under the Hood: Topspin's Forecasting Document
• Direct to Fan Projections vs. Traditional Retail Projections
• Product, Pricing, and the Importance of Bundling
• Case Study: Arcade Fire's Miroir Noir Campaign
• Under the Hood: Product Set-up on Topspin
• Assignment 6: Create Your Own Product and Forecasting Document

Lesson 7: Building a Compelling Offer Page, Product Set-up on Topspin, and Using DTF for Fan Acquisition

• Case Study: Metric's Fantasies Campaign
• Metric and Direct to Fan vs. Traditional Online Retail Sales
• David Byrne/Brian Eno, and the Importance of iTunes
• Building an Effective and Optimized Offer Page
• Fan Acquisition Techniques
• Tailoring Your Offer Page to Acquisition
• Expanding Your Digital Touch Points through Social Media
• Integrating Your Online and Offline Marketing
• Assignment 7: Direct-to-Fan Campaign

Lesson 8: Topspin Campaign Management: E-mail and Widgets

• E-mail Marketing: An Overview
• Seth Godin: Ownership vs. Rental
• E-mail: Best Practices
• E-mail: Building Up Your List
• Case Study: Joe Pug–Building an E-mail List by Bringing Offline, Online
• Case Study: Byrne/Eno on E-mail Messaging and Art
• Under the Hood: Topspin's E-mail Management System
• Widgets: An Overview
• Case Study: Metric and Fanfarlo Widget Campaign Results
• Under the Hood: Topspin's Widgets Management System "Spin"
• Assignment 8: Sending E-mail and Outlining Your Widget Campaign

Lesson 9: Analytics and Using Data to Direct Your Campaign

• Analytics and Data Overview
• Getting Started with Google Analytics
• More Advanced Analytic Metrics from Google
• Measuring Performance by Source and Activity
• Competitive Analysis: What Is Your Competition Doing Right?
• Other 3rd Party Analytic Services
• A/B testing: Measuring Your Campaign Results
• Under the Hood: Measure Your Topspin Performance and Overall Standing Using Topspin's "Rank" Function
• Assignment 9: Analyzing the Success of Your Targeted Online Campaign

Lesson 10: Third Party Online Retail and Distribution Options

• How to Properly Integrate 3rd Party Options into Your Direct to Fan Campaign
• Understanding Online Music Retail Models and Pay Rates: Permanent Downloads, Streams, and Advertising
• Working with Online Music Retail Outlets: iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, and More
• Online Music Distributors Deals and Details: CD Baby, TuneCore, IODA, The Orchard, and Reverbnation
• Assignment 10: Analyze an Artist's Third Party-Distribution and Retail Options

Lesson 11: Offline Marketing Strategies

• An Integrated Approach to Marketing: Engaging and Integrating Offline Marketing Verticals in Your Topspin Outreach
• Press: Communicating with Bloggers, Promoting Yourself Online and Offline
• Physical Retail: Process and Opportunities
• Online and Terrestrial Radio Opportunities
• Touring: How to Properly Set Up and Support Your Tour
• Other Online Marketing Opportunities
• Assignment 11: Identity Physical Marketing Areas of Your DTF Campaign

Lesson 12: Unleashing Your DTF Marketing Campaign

• Case Studies: Overviews of Successful Campaigns Using Topspin
• Timing of Your Topspin Campaign: How to Fit DTF in with Your Other Marketing Initiatives
• Finalizing your Campaign: Final Checklist: Summary of all Topspin Initiatives.
• Creating Your Final DTF Marketing Plan
• Assignment 12: Create Your Own DTF Marketing Plan

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