A Cunning Plan

For inspiring musicians: A thought crossed my mind when a musician tweeted for help, and here is what I came up with. I've started from the beginning and is a basis or foundation for work from.

First some background. I have gigged with a blues band (Black Cat Bone) in the UK for 2 and a half years. I've also played in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. With the Blues Band after 2 years hard work we had a following of over 500 fans (most would come to almost all of our gigs) and an offer of a recording contract. I have talked to a few people who know about the music scene in Australia and Victoria. And I don't know it all by a long way!
Now-a-days I design and build websites and have started experimenting with live music recordings. I still play a little.

This is the cunning plan. It is really just a list of suggestions of things that I have done and have worked for me. I  have found that having a list to go through means you're less likely to forget something!

Learn if you don't already know some cover songs - start with 10 and build until you have about 40. You need enough to do a 2 hour gig. Do the songs in your own style, don't imitate. This is important.
Record a demo CD of 3-5 cover songs to give away.
Go busking selling the demo CD for $1 in an honesty box, playing cover songs in your style, include the songs on the CD
Find places to gig, do first gig for free, then negotiate a price for the next. Don't gig at the same place with 6 weeks. Stay within the local area (unless invited out of course!).
Find a coffee house, bar or establishment that would suit your music that will hire you on a regular basis, even if its only to cover expenses and a meal.
This is to get yourself know to the public, to get you "out there".
Build a website or re-do your website. I would suggest using or migrating to a self-hosted wordpress base and use a pro-theme. I use Genesis by Studiopress. It is far easier than you think!
Write at least once a week (more if you can) and 300 - 500 words long, no longer than 500. Regular posting increases your Google rating.
Be active daily on the social websites, especially G+, use hangouts to do '
When busking or gigging, see if you can encourage local college budding film makers (students) to record you and start a youtube channel and a new.myspace account. Working with students will give you a new younger audience too.

live' gigs.

Doing covers is because people associate music with memories, play them a song of happy memories and they'll remember you. Bring in you're own songs later, mixed with covers to create new memories.
Busking will get you noticed along with gigs and a regular spot in a cafe, bar etc.
Editorial in music paper/magazine, local paper.
Radio/TV exposure.
To make it as a singer/song writer as i'm sure you know, is hard work. Having some tools like demo CD's and a good website can make life a little easier.

A good book which I recommend and full of useful advice is Platform by Michael Hyatt.
What are you tips or suggestions? I wish you all the best.