I think we all recognize that in the music industry, building a fanbase is essential. In fact, it’s the most important job facing virtually every independent artist who wants to make either a living or profitable hobby from their passion for music.
I think we all also recognize that in this day and age, digital fan acquisition is a must. Gone are the days when terrestrial radio, broadcast television, and print media are the primary drivers of new music discovery in the industry. Sure, if you can secure massive national airplay on major market commercial stations, a live performance at the Super Bowl, or a cover story in Rolling Stone, you’re going to get a lot of eyes from that. But if you’ve done any of those things, chances are you already are a full-time recording artist making plenty of money.
Helping independent and small-label artists get their careers going on that trajectory is our mission here at EMG.
That brings me to the topic at hand, which are the ways you utilize digital platforms and techniques to increase your fanbase.
Clearly, social media has the power to reach a huge audience. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok. These are ways of life, and many public figures have built and monetized their entire brands through these platforms. But one question I have for you is this. When you gain a new fan on Facebook, who does that follower belong to?
You might be tempted to say you! And if you did, you’d be dead wrong.
When you gain a new fan on Facebook, that fan still belongs to…..Facebook. They get to set all the rules. Want to reach that person? Well, guess what, you probably aren’t going to be able to unless you pay…..Facebook. For the privilege of reaching your own fan (which is really Facebook’s fan).
This is why at EMG, we are big believers in utilizing social media to reach new fans, but ultimately funneling them into a much older-school digital approach. Email.
When you have a fan on your email list, that fan belongs to…..you! You can reach out to them anytime. You can segment them according to any information you have about them (city, age, sex, etc.) so that you deliver them with only the most relevant messaging.
Have a new merch item that you’d like to move and get some revenue in the door? Email your fanbase. Have a show in a market you want to promote? Email your fanbase (only the ones within easy driving distance of the venue). Have a new record coming out and want to get streams and downloads rolling? Email your fanbase.
It’s free (or virtually free, if you utilize a paid email marketing platform like MailChimp or similar), and you can hit them with as much or as little messaging as you like.
Now, getting them ported over to your email list? It takes persistence and patience, as well as giving them a good incentive to do so.
All of this is part of the digital services we provide to artists.
Interested? Just fill out our Contact Form and let’s see what we can do!
