An Innovative Idea Whose Time Has Come: YourLDSneighborhood.com-An Online Mall BY GREG HANSEN

Print Article | Share article     

We are in the midst of a historic shift in how the world communicates, buys products, and processes information. It is more significant to our day than the printing press was to the world in it’s day.

Entire generations are reaching adulthood with a completely different mindset-they buy and communicate online, text instead of talk, and meet and greet virtually.

They have defined themselves as a generation even stronger than those of the Sixties did, and accomplished it without protests or violence. They are smart; they have developed their own virtual language, they work well in teams, and they seldom buy anything from a brick and mortar store.

Though generally, the Church membership lags behind the world market trends by several years, the same shift is being strongly felt in the way LDS people buy products and services.

Dominant mega-corporations tend to control vast amounts of commerce-the Wal-marts of the world, though important, tend to create strain on small businesses to compete. The same principles apply in the LDS market.

However, small businesses tend to be more innovative; able to perceive and fill needs faster and better than large corporations. They also tend to have better service.

YourLDSneighborhood.com is a home for everyone with something good to share. It is a marketing and promotion tool with the potential to become the LDS version of Amazon.com.

This is great news for artists, musicians, and authors.

Now a musician, author or artist with only one album or even just a few good songs can get known and heard, for a very small price Each building on the YourLDSneighborhood block represents a category of products. Within the music building, for example, you can find a directory of musicians and music, music services, cds, mp3 downloads, sheet music, and a host of other resources. It’s only $75 dollars a year to be listed there in three categories. If you don’t fit one of those categories, you can make your own. There is even a virtual Jukebox where you can listen to and comment on new artists and their songs. It is the best place around for building an audience for your work. You’ll find established people there as well as those who are up-and-comers.

Now, artists no longer have to rely on getting signed to a label. Before, if you were not one of the two dozen or so artists signed to an LDS record company, you were out of luck. If you were an independent artist, promotion and distribution were always a problem. Most good folks who went to the expense of creating a cd would end up with boxes of them gathering dust in the garage.

However, by far historically, the most broadly successful artists in the LDS market have been independents. There is a reason for that. They get more financial return per cd than a signed artist getting a mere royalty. They work harder at doing concerts and appearances. And they are unfailingly loyal to their audiences.

Now, a straight ahead, no politics, inexpensive and highly advertised venue exists to get your work out there. There are many additional promotion options available-TV and radio play, storefronts, e-mail newsletters, billboards and print media, (that are usually too costly for individual artists to even consider)-that are now within reach of the smallest creative entrepreneur. The Neighborhood buys vast amounts of ad time, then parcels that out to its members to allow everyone to get exposure they couldn’t otherwise afford.

In addition, they sponsor workshops, clinics, concerts, peer review groups, folk festivals, and albums. They do cd downloads and physical cd fulfillment. Their new online, live-host-driven, 24/7 radio station will go on-air in August. They cooperate fully with established bookstores and long-standing companies. They are real, down-to-earth, everybody-wins kind of people.

In my opinion, this is the best thing the arts have seen for a long time, enabling good art to reach a world-wide audience.

To get in the music directory, call Melane at 801-546-0771, or 888-792-5113.

To find out about additional advertising and promotion options, call Julie at 801-815-6986.

To visit the website: http://www.yourLDSneighborhood.com.

To listen to the Jukebox: http://www.theneighborhoodjukebox.com.

Greg Hansen is an independent record producer, arranger and composer. He owns Eagle Springs Records, LDSTunesNow.com, LDSMusicNow.com, and PositiveMusicandArts.com, an online magazine.

To find out more about Greg Hansen, visit http://www.greg-hansen.com