One problem I see amateur artists make over and over again is not being diligent in the area of staying in contact with their fans. Most major artists don’t need to worry about this as their social media is enough, however for those independent artists, those who are on the rise, it’s those artists that are made or broken by their ability to communicate with their fans. There is a strategy to emerging on the scene as an artist and building a fanbase and moving towards building relationships with industry professionals… and Lil Dicky just so happens to be one of those intelligent artists who followed a blueprint for success in the industry. With a single release of a viral video, which featured an almost shocking topic, a beautiful girl, and a twist at the end of the video… Dicky made internet history when the video got a million views in a few short days. However, he was smart enough to ride that wave, and released a new video each and every week or so – making history, when after he exhausted his resources, pouring the rest of his savings into producing new videos, when after leaving his fans wanting more, so much that when he launched his Kickstarter, he raised over $100,000. This is an important lesson… when you communicate with your fans, providing consistent updates, leaving them wanting more, when you ask them for assistance in that goal, they respond. You may not be able to release full music videos each week, but a simple video update, links to some merchandise you’re offering, and perhaps a screenshot of your social media updates and a link to your monetized YouTube Channel. You increase your odds that when you run into a wall, which you will, your fans that you’ve worked so hard to make can help you over whatever hurdle you come across. Collecting e-mails is important, and organizing your phone numbers is even more important. I’ll be writing an article about another service I use called Zoho where I organize all of my contacts by the industry they are in – so that if I reset my phone, as I often do to start afresh, I can have full access to my contacts and share that with others. Regular newsletter updates give your fans a reason to keep you in mind, and effectively serves as an open door to getting more people at your shows – which opens more doors at more clubs, as well as putting more money in your pocket, and being a safety net when you need it the most. Constant Contact is what you need in order to stay in contact with your fans, using their mobile app, you can plug in their e-mail to your list immediately and even send a thank you e-mail with your links to them that night (or day after) of your performance or however you met them.
Don’t make the mistake of letting your fans slip through the cracks, they are your bread and butter, they are your base fans that will watch your new videos, share them, comment on them, and they are the ones that make you who you are, treat them well, and you’ll be in a much better place.
