They Hear You… But They Don’t Feel You — That’s Why You’re Not Selling

If your overall marketing strategy is not working, then 80% of the time, it's because the customer or fan does not know where to place you in their minds. You think it's about them loving the music when really they are trying to see if parts of your identity match theirs. So let's uncover where you got the game screwed up at!

Right now, if you take a look at your content, I bet you're only showing people and giving the algorithm one thing: what you're good at. And that's great, but you've only given people 1/4 of your identity, and in their minds, they're trying to piece the rest of it together. You've got to stop making people think so hard. This puts you in a position of making it hard to scale your operation. If you make it too hard for the customer, they will go elsewhere where it's easier to understand another artist they're a fan of. Clarity is the key to winning in this business.

Story

When I first discovered the four parts of identity, I felt like I had found the secret sauce to branding. It all clicked. I realized that beyond your talent—your brand promise—fans are subconsciously scanning to see if your identity fits with theirs. These four identity pillars are rooted in a Japanese concept called ikigai, and every artist struggling to build a fan base is missing at least one of them. It wasn’t until I started searching deeper that I realized: this is all any of us are doing—looking for reasons to connect. So let’s fix that, because fan connection is the only game that matters.

What you’re good at!

What you're good at is all potential fans know about you—your talent. That's only showing us part of the pie. This talent represents what you're most passionate about in your profession. While it can bring satisfaction, it feels useless to both fans and you if it's not combined with the other three components. Your talent validates why we keep listening, but without the other three components—which are all story-based—you can't survive. So let's dive in and help you become a staple in the minds and hearts of your fans.

What you love!

If you believe nobody will love what you love, you're sadly mistaken. There are groups of people who want to resonate with you on the plane of what you love because if they love what you love, this gives them more grounds to become a supporter and a fan. What you love is combined with your life's mission and your passions, which gives delight and meaning to life for you, but it doesn't really make much money. If you've got what you love and what you're good at intertwined into your content, you can make it through, but it will still be a struggle to keep people on board with you between releases. You have to apply the other two.

What you can be paid for!

Okay, so this is where everybody misses the boat because there are certain things your customers will pay you for, and you have to figure that out. Your show might be excellent, but your albums don't reflect the same energy, and vice versa. Your merch and passion to create it may be better than your music, or your music may be better than anything else you do. Once you figure this one out, you will give your fans grounds to drop the bag in your lap. This takes effort, but it's built off your profession and vocation, otherwise known as your strongest skillset and paid occupation. There you will find your money maker. If you showcase that, I'll see you at the bank. However, you don't quite seem human just yet, so let's add the other element.

What the world needs

We, as fans, want to know your views on social issues, and while many artists choose to stay silent on them for the sake of brand preservation, if expressed at the right times, it can reinforce your brand perspective and positioning. This is comprised of your strongest skill sets and your mission. This gets you excited about what you do, and it can lead to complacency on certain issues because what we think the world needs, we can't always provide. So, to compromise, show how you make those changes in your personal world, and people will shower you with flowers. This makes you whole in the eyes of the consumer, but be careful not to go overboard here, or you'll risk self-sabotage to your brand.

What Fans Want

Most artists think showing off talent is enough to attract fans. But that’s the very thing keeping them stuck. Fans aren't just listening — they’re searching for a reflection of themselves in you.

This mistake comes from the lie that “good music sells itself.” If you keep leading with only your skills and none of your story, you’ll stay trapped in a cycle of confusion and invisibility. You’ll keep dropping fire and hearing crickets.

Instead, you need to position yourself clearly across all four identity lanes — what you're good at, what you love, what fans can pay you for, and what you stand for. That’s how fans make an emotional decision to support you.

I used to think being good was enough. But when I started showing what I stood for, what I loved, and what I could uniquely offer — that’s when everything shifted. That’s when real fans started showing up and spending money.

Quick Fix Tip:

Right now, audit your last 9 Instagram posts. Did you only showcase your talent? Cool — now add three posts: one about your passion, one about what you offer, and one about your values. That small shift creates massive clarity.

The Payoff

Fans don’t follow talent — they follow identity. And with AI, content overload, and short attention spans, your clarity is your currency.

So clarify your message so you don’t get stuck in a loop. Because the artists who know how to clearly position themselves will build loyal communities, they won’t just chase streams.

If you keep doing what you’ve always done — just posting talent-based videos and hoping for the best — you’ll keep seeing those same low numbers. But the ones who implement this identity strategy? They’re building real tribes, converting listeners to buyers, and stacking sustainable income.

The good news? This doesn’t take a massive rebrand — just a conscious shift in your content. And I’ll show you exactly how to apply it.

Here’s what you can do!

So, keep throwing songs into the void, hoping someone finally "gets it." Or, apply this identity framework and become the artist fans finally feel — not just hear. Because the real question isn’t “should you do this?” — it’s “how much longer can you afford not to?”

If you're serious about standing out, building real fans, and getting paid for your art, try it. And join me in the Music Money Makers community if you have questions.

Back Off The Cliff…

The truth is — it's not what you've been doing but more so how you've been doing it.

And you may say this ain't gonna work, bruh, because you've tried things before — and nothing stuck. But this works. This framework works. And you've got everything you need to execute it.

You don't need a team. You don't need a label. You just need clarity and consistency.

What’s it going to cost to do it yourself

Stop wasting creating content that doesn’t convert and losing confidence every time another release falls flat. Because either you’ll keep guessing — or you’ll use a system that makes every piece of content count.

At the End of the Day

Before you watched this, you might’ve thought, “My music just isn’t getting the attention it deserves.” “Maybe I need to pay for more promo or run more ads.” “I’ve got talent, but I’m still invisible.” But now? You understand what you were missing. You now have a framework — rooted in identity — that helps you connect, convert, and get paid. ****So if you’re tired of waiting for the algorithm to notice you… Stop trying to get discovered. Start getting chosen.