Promoting is a job. It is a lot of work and preparation. You have to create content, schedule content, post content, and email blogs, podcasts, and radio stations about your release. You put a lot of effort into creating a buzz for your art. Even with all that, I ask myself, how do I feel? I feel like I'm spitting at the wind.

The process sucks. I feel like quitting, but quitting would make me feel worse. Why? Because all that time spent would be for nothing. So what do I do to stay positive? I keep positive by looking at the small wins.

What are the wins? The increase in website visits, the jump in YouTube subscribers, followers, and merch sales. There is progress and a few skills that I have gained during this album rollout.

I'm getting better at making content using Adobe Premiere. I found a new editing software called CapCut, which is awesome and FREE! I like that the software did not disrupt my workflow at all. If anything, editing has gotten faster. I recommend you check that out.

I'm getting more comfortable managing, editing, and administering my website on Squarespace (SQ.) I found a pretty cool tool. SQ now has a mailing list feature. You can tag and insert your existing products inside the email for your subscribers. It is easy to use, and the analytics are straightforward to understand. You can see a list of users who opened and see what content your subscribers click. There is a lot of helpful information. SQ is great. This is just a few of the things I have learned. But is it enough?

Although I feel my efforts are a waste, the small wins and skills I gained during this album rollout help me think otherwise. They help me keep pushing and quiet that negative voice in my head. As artist the lack of engagement and constant fight against algorithm can get discouraging. Seeing the growth is a positive reinforcement. I also realize that finishing the album is only the beginning.

I remember when we finished the album. I got excited. I released records in the past, but I had never had a solid way to market and release a project. I freestyle posts. My links were all over the place. I reposted the same boring flier with no variation. I needed more organization. I knew I wanted to do things differently with Trial and Error this time.

From November to January, we got to work. We shot three music videos, pressed CDs and tapes, ordered hoodies, purchased the right shipping material, and uploaded the music to CD Baby with pre-order and official release dates. It's a lot of shit. I wanted to have everything in place before announcing my release.

So what was next? I needed to know when and what I should post. I had just finished reading Blueprint's book "The Social Media Cheat Code." The book says to create a content creation calendar. So I did that. I made an excel sheet and created a tab for every week leading up to the album's release.

During the first week, I planned to post content announcing the album. So I made a video, posted the album cover, etc. The following week was to tell everyone about the new upcoming music video, Halfway Woke, and announce its release date for the next week (the third week). You can watch that video here. I created content for that by making clips of the video for social media. I made a lot of media off one video in many formats (stories, reels, standard posts). The next week was to post merch-related content from the album. The rollout is ongoing, so you'll have to come along to see what I release next.

The Social Media cheat code is helpful. Another useful tip is to be deliberate with your post. Post effectively. Make sure the posts direct people to your website, music video, or anything you promote.

Do you want to know something funny? I always ask myself before all this, what the hell will I post? I used to get upset because I thought I had no content. But I noticed the more planning I did, the easier ideas for content started to flow. Surprisingly, it reminded me of writing raps. Sometimes or even most of the time, I have NOTHING! But the more I write, the more ideas start flowing.

I'm not one to tell folks what to do, but I will today. If you're going to do something, do it right. Prepare, organize, execute, and follow thru on YOUR plan to meet YOUR goals. My goal for this whole thing was (1) to create buzz and (2) to expose my art effectively to my current audience, and (3) to follow thru on my album rollout. I'm an independent artist. There is no machine, focus group, or label behind me funding shit. It's all me and running off belief and sheer will.

Before I leave you, I want to acknowledge my folks. Shout out to my big homie Bukue One for the merch game. Sankofa for sharing his rollout plan and shipping tools. Chef Mike for putting the Artwork together. Saccentric for shooting my videos and making me look like a real rapper. My siblings take me seriously now. The homie Willy Will for the graphics, desing and fliers. I want to shout out my brother Paavo, who probably won't get to this because he hates reading.

Also, thank you to those who have pre-ordered the album and those who have visited the website.

I see you Finland, France, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czechia, the United Kingdom, Philippines. The states back here at home, I see you too Ohio, Minnesota, Oregon, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Alabama, Indiana, Arizona, Utah, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Washington.

To those closer to home, I see you El Sobrante, Berkeley, Fremont, San Pablo, Rodeo, San Jose, Union City, Daly City, San Mateo, Camrillo, Fontana, Hayward, Dublin, San Diego, Richmond, Sacramento, and to the city across the water in the Biggity Biggity O, last but definitely not least yeah, right there in the San Francisco mothaf***'bay.

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