CONVERTING "SOCIAL LIKES" INTO SUPER-FANS:
The Importance of a Mobile Community
If you are just starting out, or have been around for years
as an artist, now more than ever, controlling the way you communicate and
engage with fans has become vitally important.
In the old paradigm of the music industry, if you were lucky
enough to get signed on talent alone, your label would take control of your
marketing and branding for you. In the NEW music industry, major labels rarely
even consider an artist who doesn’t already have 50,000+ fans on social media
and a solid email list of “Super-Fans.”
So how do you build fans on your network pages, and how do
you convert those “likes” into Super-Fans?
I’m going to first assume that you already have a strong website where fans can go to read a bio, see photos, listen to your music, find out where you’re gigging and watch videos. Your website should be a “hub” of all things “music”. It must be easy to navigate and have easy to see tabs, that fans can click on to get right to the information they are looking for.
I’m going to first assume that you already have a strong website where fans can go to read a bio, see photos, listen to your music, find out where you’re gigging and watch videos. Your website should be a “hub” of all things “music”. It must be easy to navigate and have easy to see tabs, that fans can click on to get right to the information they are looking for.
Once your website is structured and formatted for mobile
access you are now ready to engage your fans to action. The first thing to
remember is fans don’t want to be “sold”, they want to engaged with you as a
friend would, so be personal but cautiously so.
The three most important network sites on which to grow fans
are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, hands down.
Use Facebook for a quick story, Twitter for sharing
pictures, brief thoughts for the day, or a quick link to a newly posted video,
and YouTube for organizing music videos and personal interaction videos for
fans.
Do remember though, what you share on the “branded band accounts” should be managed and not be a free-for-all. The value in this cannot be overstated. If a fellow band-member posts an entertaining personal moment on their personal Facebook page, you may want to consider reposting it on the band page as well, but posts should be entertaining or informative about the music. Post something a fan can ultimately relate to on a personal level or find personally entertaining and you'll keep their attention. But keep it about "the band." By engaging the fans in this way, you will be encouraging them to feel the emotional responsibility of helping you be successful in your music career.
Do remember though, what you share on the “branded band accounts” should be managed and not be a free-for-all. The value in this cannot be overstated. If a fellow band-member posts an entertaining personal moment on their personal Facebook page, you may want to consider reposting it on the band page as well, but posts should be entertaining or informative about the music. Post something a fan can ultimately relate to on a personal level or find personally entertaining and you'll keep their attention. But keep it about "the band." By engaging the fans in this way, you will be encouraging them to feel the emotional responsibility of helping you be successful in your music career.
Make an effort to include your fans whenever you can, but don’t bore them with every little moment of the day. Choose the important, funny, beautiful or exciting moments, and share those. Just remember, share what you yourself would want to know.
Many potential new fans now live by their Smartphones and are no
longer sitting at their computers in order to stay informed. So keep it brief
but engaging. A video message is opened 75% of the time and viewed 85% to
completion depending on the content so use video whenever possible.
I encourage artists to upload a short video at least once a
week, be it a one minute backstage video, a two minute “meet my dog” video or a
three minute acoustic or acapella performance. By regularly posting on YouTube
your fans will grow to trust your friendship with them and start checking in on
your website/app and YouTube page more regularly. A loyal fan is a profitable
fan.
So now you have social network “likes,” how do you convert
those “likes” to loyal, Super-Fans?
Get their personal contact info!
Give them something for free, and fans will freely give you something in return; their email address or cell phone number.
The importance of personal contact info can’t be stressed enough!
The statistics state that out of 50,000 “likes” on social media, a 4.5% conversion rate is the average, which means 2,250 potential ticket, CD and swag purchasers. It only takes 1000 true fans to make a good living. If you target those fans, and encourage them to purchase CDs, T-shirts, gig tickets or even contribute to your Fan Funding page on Kickstarter, and engage them to spend just $100 a year on your offers, you will be earning $100,000 a year simply off their loyalty alone. Not bad for an artist that may be sleeping on friends couches and eating Top Ramen.
The importance of personal contact info can’t be stressed enough!
The statistics state that out of 50,000 “likes” on social media, a 4.5% conversion rate is the average, which means 2,250 potential ticket, CD and swag purchasers. It only takes 1000 true fans to make a good living. If you target those fans, and encourage them to purchase CDs, T-shirts, gig tickets or even contribute to your Fan Funding page on Kickstarter, and engage them to spend just $100 a year on your offers, you will be earning $100,000 a year simply off their loyalty alone. Not bad for an artist that may be sleeping on friends couches and eating Top Ramen.
MailChimp
reports that 30% of subscribed newsletters are opened on average. That means
that 70% of your Super-Fans may never read your email but the 30% that do, want
the info!
But think about this... connecting with fans in the same way that they connect with their world is not only strategic, but also highly effective. Statistics show that 97% of people receiving a text message, will read it within the first 4 minutes! …and 33% of Facebook members use a phone as their primary way to access Social Networks. If a fan gives you their mobile number in exchange for a free download or the like, they are willingly “opting in” to receive texts from you as a way to stay connected. Remember, woven into their desire to stay connected is a sense of responsibility to help you succeed and they want to be called to action. So a Mobile Fan Club is a major asset.
But think about this... connecting with fans in the same way that they connect with their world is not only strategic, but also highly effective. Statistics show that 97% of people receiving a text message, will read it within the first 4 minutes! …and 33% of Facebook members use a phone as their primary way to access Social Networks. If a fan gives you their mobile number in exchange for a free download or the like, they are willingly “opting in” to receive texts from you as a way to stay connected. Remember, woven into their desire to stay connected is a sense of responsibility to help you succeed and they want to be called to action. So a Mobile Fan Club is a major asset.
By
announcing your Mobile Fan Club at a gig, and giving something away for joining
(i.e. a free download or Meet & Greet after the show.) You have an
opportunity to make joining your mobile community an event!
Give your mobile fans the feeling of being a part of a very elite group and you’ll have the ability to engage them as such, by offering specific giveaways or discounts just for them.
Give your mobile fans the feeling of being a part of a very elite group and you’ll have the ability to engage them as such, by offering specific giveaways or discounts just for them.
While planning your strategies, remember research firms are
expecting 300 million NEW Smartphone users to be online, with mobile
interaction in the next couple of years! If you want to be ahead of the curve and
connect with fans in the same way that they connect with their world, mobile interaction is where you need to be, and
having a strategic Mobile Fan Club
will give you a major edge.
