Hello Echo: The Online Marketing Guru
Every unknown artist is on a search to find a way to promote his or herself and build a fan base. On the other hand, well-known artists are trying to keep in touch with large fan bases despite not being able to have personal interaction with every single fan. In the last few years, the emergence of an online company has revolutionized the way artists communicate with their fans, fans communicate with artists, and fans communicate with one another. Echo is a music website development company started by CEO Mark Montgomery that is based around creating a medium and community in which musicians and their fans can interact.
Echo is unlike any other company because it focuses on every aspect of promoting an artist and building a network. Echo currently works with Kelly Clarkson, Janet Jackson, Keith Urban, Ozomatli, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, and many more. Artists working with Echo are given a website that is tailored specifically to them and their fans. The sites are easy to navigate, inviting, and offer unique features to make every visitor’s experience feel personalized. Echo has created blogs in which fans can discuss the artist’s music, ask questions, or meet people who have the same taste in music. There is also an online store for each artist where fans can purchase merchandise, music, and more. Echo has utilized many online marketing techniques and combined them to create one package that will offer something to everyone.
Echo strives to create a sense of community with every new venture it takes on. Their slogan, “Hello. Hello,” represents the interaction between two people, the musician and the fan. For example, the Grammy award-winning Latin hip-hop band, Ozomatli, needed help promoting their latest album and getting the message out to fans. Promotional services have “been instrumental in promoting the upcoming Ozomatli record and introducing their unique sound to new audience groups.” Echo worked closely with the band in order to create a logo that would appeal to Ozomatli fans. After figuring out “the look,” Echo set up a website that met the artist and listener’s needs. By really learning about the group, the company was able to create appealing content and develop a stronger connection between fans and the band.
Like the owners of Google, Montgomery devised a way Echo could track fans that log into the websites. This allowed them to understand the interests of each visitor. Echo’s website has a running feed of messages being posted to artist websites by fans. Montgomery has his own blog www.hellomarko.com in which he talks about everyday occurrences in his life, anything appealing in the music industry, and message boards for anyone who visits his blog. Mark, like Echo, encourages interaction between people, and in the end, it’s the people who give Mark and Echo a purpose.
The major problem Echo faces is devising a way to cater to the needs of unknown artists. Luckily, all of Echo’s artists are established and have large fan bases. Unfortunately, a rising artist does not. Since Echo is a marketing company, it should eventually develop a way for unknown artists to promote themselves. It is understandable that the majority of unknown artists may not be able to afford Echo’s services, but hopefully there will ultimately be a way to offer an online marketing package to every artist in a cost-efficient way.
Regardless of whom they are currently working with, Echo has found a way to build a foundation for artists. To a large degree, a fan’s taste in music is based upon a perceived connection with a band or artist. Echo has found a way to encourage interaction between artists and fans by always offering something new. These online communities are continuing to grow and win appeal from many different artists. It is only a matter of time before Echo’s strategy becomes the standard in the music industry.
By Ardie Farhadieh
