Welcome to another edition of our ongoing Haulix Advice series. Last week we discussed how to better market yourself going into a tour or festival appearance. This week we’re staying in line with that idea and looking at what needs to be done after your set. Your songs may win over the crowd, but if efforts are not made to retain those newly interested music fans your growth will be significantly stunted.
One of the biggest problems young artists face after developing a live show is how to retain new listeners they engage during performances. Fans who comes to see you will (in theory) remain fans following your show regardless of your direct interaction with them, but those unfamiliar with your music prior to seeing you live are far more fickle. They may be interested in what you have to offer, but to them you could be any one of the countless bands they’ve yet to discover and if you do not act fast you’ll lose their attention as fast, if not faster than you earned it.
We are not exactly known for our work with touring, but we realize how vital the live performance is in the career of artists who use our service and wanted to do our part in helping the talent we love further develop. To do this, we spoke with a number of industry professionals and put together a list of ___ tips to help better your fan retention efforts. You can read our advice, as well as insight from a number of our friends in the industry, below. Any questions or comments can be left at the end of this post.
1. Never underestimate the power of a strong email list – Email marketing is one of the oldest forms of digital brand promotion, and to this day it continues to be one of the most effective. Permission-based email marketing has a higher return on investment than unsolicited email, direct mail, or traditional advertising and has revolutionized the way we do business. Having an email list signup at shows encourages fans to become involved in future efforts at zero cost to them and essentially removes any major barriers to entrance someone interested in your art may encounter. It’s the easiest way for someone to show an interest in getting to know more about you, and if used properly can yield a dedicated and engaged following. That said, if used for spamming and/or endless product promotion the same list that once held a world of potential could be the first step toward failure as annoyed music fans begin sharing their bad experience with others. We suggest using lists like this or this to refine your email marketing skills before diving too heavily into this area of fan engagement, but cannot emphasize enough how important of a role it can play in long term retention.
2. All hail the mighty power of social media – We often open these lists with the most obvious answer, but this time that title moves to tip number two. Social media is the easiest, fastest, and most direct way to engage those who are just discovering your music following a live event. By reviewing your tagged messages and searching social feeds for non-tagged mentions of your name you are able to see and interact with music fans curious about your future efforts. This opens a direct line of communication between you and music fans that, if used for conversation and not hard selling, can yield dedicated and engaged new listeners. Much like email, however, incorrect messaging and/or a perceived lack of interest in who listeners are as individuals will only serve to hurt you in the long run. The people you’re hoping to reach know that you know they liked your music, but that doesn’t mean they need to sell them on purchasing whatever you have available. They’re looking for a relationship. Give it to them.
3. Post media from events and request those who attend do the same – Nightly gigs may become a way of life for you, but for the people who attend your shows any night may be the only night they see live music all year. Concerts are not a regular occurrence in life for most people, so when they do have the opportunity to attend something special they like being able to keep that memory with them for as long as possible. Blurry cell phone photos hastily posted to Instagram are one way to create such keepsakes, but your band can help fans keep their memories near by actively posting your own imagery and video from each performance. By hosting such media on your personal accounts, you establish a connection with fans who spot themselves as having been part of something that will never happen the same way again. It also promotes engagement on updates (likes, comments, etc.) and encourages those who see themselves to tell others about the image, which in turn brings additional new eyes to your page.
Additional insight from around the industry:
“Talk to them! Utilize social media to build relationships with new fans. That doesn’t mean you’re tweeting kids to buy your album – you’re talking to them as fans of all music. Plus, you can make someone’s day just by talking to them – everyone loves when a band responds.” – Jack Appleby, Siren Records
“We live in a social media world these days. Fans have access to bands in a way that is accessible like never before. I think because of this the industry is now driven just as much by the fans connection to the band as the music itself. So having band some time and reach out to their new twitter and facebook followers on a personal level is a quick way to cement a solid relationship following a fest. It is a simple gesture to show the new fans that they are just as important to the band as the band is to them.” – Josh Hammond, Publicist
“I would say whatever you do, do not let too much time pass between ending your festival run and getting back to every city you just played. Even if it means playing your new fans basement. Be humble and remember your fans don’t owe you anything, you owe it to your fans to over deliver every night.” – Danny Fonorow, Jonas Sees In Color
“This one is probably a no brainer, but stay incredibly active on social media. It’s really easy to take "time off” after a long tour or festival, but you want to stay in people’s minds, so they can continue to connect with you, the first week or two after a tour is crucial in getting people to not just enjoy your band, but want to support your band.“ – Tyler Osborne, Under The Gun Review
