Not How Many But Who

– Posted in: Biz Booster Hot Tip! Marketing Your Act

Not How Many But Who - by Jeri Goldstein     

It’s not how many, but who are your fans? Do you know them?

How often have you been asked, “How many fans do you have on your mailing list?” Sometimes a venue booker might want to know that number to consider whether you will have a decent turn out before they book you.

You may consider having a huge list as being a great accomplishment that has taken you many years to develop. And I’d say congrats on being so diligent and keeping at it each live performance and through your efforts on your website and social media sites. Having the numbers in each market is certainly going to help to leverage the bookings at the venues you are going after.

And yet, sometimes it’s not how many, it’s who those folks are who have signed up for your communications. Now I’d like you to consider how well you know all those folks. As lovely as it might seem to have some significant numbers on your list, if you simply consider them as a number, you may be missing some great opportunities to benefit from those who have made a commitment to you by signing up.

When you know who is on your list, you are able to more adeptly involve them in the conversation.  Eventually it will get them to participate more enthusiastically in the things you have to offer, your shows, your merchandise, your projects, your career.

Here are three  things that you can do immediately to get to know the people who are on your mailing list and social media sites.

  1. Expand your conversations:

    Broaden your subject matter in your newsletters, tweets and emails to talk about more than the latest thing you are selling. Talk about things you care about, projects that might touch people’s lives in their own communities. Find items of interest in the communities in which you have upcoming performances and engage with them on their own turf by talking about topics they may care about—you’ll get better media coverage in those communities. It begins to get old when every email or newsletter from you is all about your CDs, your upcoming shows and you are always asking your fans to buy something from you.

    When you expand your conversations to include topics of concern that involve them, you’ll begin to find increased excitement towards you and what you are up to, more tickets sold to shows, more CDs or downloads bought and more prospective venue and media attention.

  1. Invite them to tell you about them:

    You may start this process by asking for their occupation on any mailing list sign up sheets or website sign up forms. People in your audience don’t just exist in that moment, they have lives that include families, jobs, civic concerns, religious participation, hobbies and interests. When you discover some of these, you may begin to get a feel for the type of person that most often attends your shows and is interested in what you have to offer. This knowledge allows you to create more specific marketing, targeted media campaigns and venue choices.

    By knowing more about the people on your lists, you can begin to pinpoint your writing, your offers and your tours. This saves you time, money and effort.

  1. Ask about them at intermission:

    Make use of the time you have during the intermissions when you are at the merchandise table. Sure you are selling and they want to know which CD had that song they loved at the beginning of the set, but also make this time one when you find out more about them. Ask them about their life, their work, their community and gather valuable info that makes them feel special and seen.

    This will again help you fine-tune your newsletters, your marketing and your bookings. Nothing builds loyalty like feeling included.

When you begin to do these three things, your mailing list will no longer feel like one big number, but rather a collections of friends who you care about, know about and with whom you are sharing a journey.

How have you made an effort to get to know the people who are on your mailing lists and social media sites?  

Leave me a comment below or on the Performingbiz Success Strategies Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/PerformingbizSuccessStrategies.

I can’t wait to hear about your success.

Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, Future Dance. Check them out at www.curfew.co.uk

And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com

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