Tag: Gifts for fans

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Last-Minute Gift Ideas For Your Fans! [Video]

gift ideas for fans

It’s not too late to give a gift to the fans who spent 2020 supporting you despite a global pandemic and unprecedented levels of economic struggle.

2020 is a year we will all discuss for the rest of our lives. Where we were, what we experienced, and who we lost will be topics of conversation for as long as we have air in our lungs. In many ways, this awful year has brought us together in a way that no other can. We’re surviving something together, which is why it’s important that this year — more than any other — end with each of us giving thanks to those that have given us their support.

Let’s face it: Nobody had the mental or emotional capacity to endure 2020 alone. We’ve gone through the various stages of grief several times over by this point, and we’ll continue mourning the things that never happened, at least until some ‘normalcy’ returns. People are leaning on one another a lot, and that includes musicians. We all know an artist is nothing without fans, but that was proven undeniable this year, as a lack of live performances cratered musicians’ earning potential everywhere. The performers who continue to create now do so because their audience has given them an unprecedented amount of support, and today, we’re going to help you give back.

You probably cannot afford to send every fan a gift, but that’s okay. Fans don’t need nicely wrapped presents from their favorite musicians to feel specials. All any fan really wants is to know the musicians they love know they exist and that they appreciate their support. Christmas is a time to show this kind of recognition and appreciation, which is why we’re giving you four last-minute gift ideas in our latest Music Biz 101 update:

First and foremost, everyone loves free stuff, and your fans would go crazy for new music. If you have the time, record your take on a holiday classic and offer it to listeners. You can also share b-sides, demo recordings, or alternate versions of previously released material. Got a live recording? That works too! Give your fans something new without asking for anything in return, and your appreciation will be clear.

Don’t have any rare or unreleased music to share? No problem! Most or possibly all of your fans have not seen you live this year. Your audience craves face to face interaction, and one way to do that in the age of COVID is through sharing a video update. Tell your fans about your life amid the pandemic. What have you been up to? Are you recordings, or are you focusing on your families? Did you fall in love, have a child, or start a side hustle? Let your fans into your lives, and that will help maintain their connection to your work.

Third, and somewhat similar to the second option, is to host a digital hangout with fans. You can do that through Zoom and Google Hangouts, among other services. You can use these events to do anything you want, from talking with fans to performing new music. No matter what you choose to do, these digital events provide an opportunity for your fan community to come together, strengthening the bond between fans and between listeners and your music.

Finally, if none of those options work, consider giving your fans a discount. Use coupon codes to offer fans a final chance to pick up some merch before the year ends. 

More ideas can be found in the video above. If we missed anything, let us know! Suggestions can be sent to james@haulix.com.

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Artist Advice Business Advice Haulix News

Fans matter more than listeners

You will never please everyone, so don’t bother trying to win over those who don’t care. One-thousand diehard fans are better than one-million casual listeners any day of the week.

One of the biggest lies that has been sold to us in business is the idea that constant growth is the only way to be successful. Take a look at the largest corporations around the globe, and you will find that they are obsessed with finding ways to increase their bottom line. They want to raise revenue and cut costs no matter what, year after year, until the end of time (or the end of their business).

We bought into this thinking for a long time as well. When we first started Haulix, our goal was to be the industry’s only promotional distribution platform. We had competition even back then, but we were headstrong and confident in our product. Ten years later and the competition has only increased, all while the industry has undergone one of the most radical changes in its one-hundred-year history. We’re still here, we’re bigger than ever, but you know what? We’re still not sure if we’re truly the biggest company in our market and we’re okay with that. Really!

You don’t want to be for everyone. When everyone relies on you the opportunity to be unique is removed because you continuously have to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Creativity thrives in the margins. You want to appeal to people who get what you’re doing, and you want to empower them to spread the good word about your creative output to those who will listen. Anything beyond that, any attempt to cater to people who otherwise wouldn’t give you the time of day, is a hollow effort that will eventually burn out.

The artists who thrive in today’s industry do so because they understand the value of a fan. A single fan can do more for your career than a thousand people who hear your song on the radio and think it’s “pretty good.” You know why? Because real fans feel your success in music is somehow representative of their success in life. If you can make it, they can too, or vice verse. Real fans join you on the journey.

The only way to attract this type of fan is to be true to yourself. Make the music you want to make, and the fans will follow. It may only be a few at first, but if you engage with them and make it known their support is appreciated more fans will follow in time. You see, people like to be appreciated because it means they matter to someone or something, and when they feel that way they are inclined to promote whatever makes them feel as though they belong.

You don’t want to appeal to everyone. Those who appeal to everyone are destined to get lost in the shuffle when the next great artist or song comes along. You want to appeal to the people who feel the way you do right now. If you can manage that, the sky is the limit for your career. Maybe you won’t be an international star performing to sixty-thousand people a night, but you will find a way to earn money from your creativity while engaging with like-minded people. The value of that experience has no price. It is something rare and true and only allotted to those who chase their dreams to the fullest without sacrificing themselves in the process.

Stay who you are. The rest will follow.

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News

4 Creative Ways Bands Can Show Fans Their Appreciation This Holiday Season

Christmas is right around the corner, and with it comes a unique opportunity to show your appreciation for fan support that happens only once a year. Your fans, like those you look to please with your holidays shopping list, deserve to be reminded of just how much their continued faith in you matters. We don’t suggest attempting to buy every single person who supports you work a gift, though you absolutely could if money and time allows, but we do believe there are several ways musicians can express their gratitude that will resonate with fans for months and years to come.

1. Free Music

There is an old adage about the easiest course in life often being the most obvious one, and that is very much the case with this suggestion. Your fans support you all year long in hopes that you will both come to their town and continue to release music that touches their lives. Though you are unable to be everywhere at once on Christmas, you can make your music available for anyone who has yet to add it to their personal collection. Whether you choose to make a song, album, or even your entire catalog available as a free download, you should see a rise in engagement as a result. People who have been waiting to buy your album when they see you live won’t be able to resist the free download, and there is a high likelihood they will recommend your friends take advantage of the offer as well.

2. Record and release a holiday cover (maybe give it away as well)

The world has heard countless covers of holiday classics, but the world has yet to hear your take on famous seasonal staples, and that is why you can still use them to give back to fans this Christmas. I know my favorite Christmas covers are those performed by my favorite bands, and I’m willing to bet the same can be said for most music fans. Record a holiday cover, be it in a studio or in your own home, and share it with fans in the days leading up to December 25. You can even take things one step further and ask fans about their favorite holiday songs in advance, that way your cover will have an even higher likelihood of being shared by your followers.

3. Surprise your fans with free stuff (no contest necessary)

Everyone is thinking of others during the holiday season, or at least they should be, so many fans may not have money to buy the limited edition winter merch items you have available in your online store. To show fans you understand their dilemma, consider offering a give away where you send a prize pack including numerous merch items, as well as items not available in your store (handwritten lyrics, drum head, etc) to one lucky fan. Don’t make it a contest and don’t ask for contact information in exchange for consideration. Simply pick a fan, or four, and send them a present. With any luck, the fan(s) will share their surprise with the world, and you will earn brownie points for being one of the more thoughtful artists in music today.

4. Stream an acoustic performance from your home/studio/van/bus/basement

There are few things music fans love more than seeing their favorite artists playing bare-boned versions of their favorite songs. Since there is no way everyone who follows you could attend a single performance, especially one planned close to Christmas, make the event special by broadcasting your set on one or more of the popular live streaming services that have risen to prominence over the last year. If those services require you to charge consumers, like with StageIt, then you should also consider giving all the money earned to charity. This way, fans feel like they are giving back by tuning in, and you walk away having established yourself as an artists who hasn’t lost sight of the problems that exist outside your immediate surroundings. Win-Win.

James Shotwell is the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. He is also a professional entertainment critic, covering both film and music, as well as the co-founder of Antique Records. Feel free to tell him you love or hate the article above by connecting with him on Twitter. Bonus points if you introduce yourself by sharing your favorite Simpsons character.

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