You released a new song... and almost none of your fans knew. It got buried in their feed (if it showed up at all). Beyond the Algorithm helps musicians build an audience they can reach every time, through email. Sign up below if you want a direct line to your fans...the kind that turns real relationships into real music, merch, and ticket sales.
but how do I get people on my email list?
|
Hey Reader, Picture the signup form at the bottom of most artists' websites: Join my mailing list for news and updates. (...Did I just call you out? 😉) Now picture a fan who just discovered you, loved the show, loved the songs, and checks out your website when they get home...And then they don't sign up. Not because they don't like you. They just saw "news and updates" and their brain went "Do I want more email?...Nah." The thing is... "news and updates" is not a reason to sign up. It's a description of what you'll send. A reason to sign up answers the question the fan is actually asking, which is "what's in it for me right now, if I do?" That's where an incentive comes in. You set up an automated email that gives them something the moment they join. Something small that says "thanks for being here" before you've asked them for anything. The incentive (or "fan magnet") isn't just a bribe to get the email address. It's the first thing you ever give that fan, and it sets the tone for the whole relationship. They signed up, they immediately got something good, and now they trust that being on your list is worth it. You've started the relationship by giving instead of asking them to pre-save your new song or check out your latest merch drop. The part most artists get stuck on though is what do you actually offer? What kinds of things are compelling enough to fans to make them want to sign up and hear from you again? There are a few things I see working over and over again in my music marketing agency job here in Nashville, whether an artist is just starting out or if they've had #1s on the radio since the 90s: 1. Early access to your next release.Why It Works: Instant gratification and makes them feel like an insider. 2. An alternate version of your most popular (or most recent) song.Why It Works: Gives curious fans a way to engage more deeply with a song they already know they like. 3. Unreleased track(s)Why It Works: True exclusivity. Can't hear it anywhere else. (***Bonus if you send a series of unreleased songs over a few days for added value.) Pick one. Set up an automation that delivers it immediately upon signup. Make sure it's super clear to the fan what they'll get when they join. Tell everybody about it. (Give a verbal invitation on the mic at live shows, have a QR at the merch table, put it in your link in bio, drop the link into your stories a few times a week.) Then watch the fans start to trickle in. It's slow growth...but anything worth growing takes time. happy list building, P.S. Just so I know where you're at, would you mind answering a quick question for me?
|
Leigh Cara
You released a new song... and almost none of your fans knew. It got buried in their feed (if it showed up at all). Beyond the Algorithm helps musicians build an audience they can reach every time, through email. Sign up below if you want a direct line to your fans...the kind that turns real relationships into real music, merch, and ticket sales.
Hey Reader, There's this idea that email marketing is dead and that SMS is the only real way to grow an owned audience anymore. And if you're still building an email list instead of a text list, you're way behind the curve. First of all, email marketing isn't dead. (You're here, aren't you?) It is very much alive and to this day, the average ROI on growing your email list is $36 for every $1 you spend....if you use it right. SMS is great...But it serves a completely different purpose than...
Hey Reader, Picture this. You've been on three dates with someone. Three good dates. You're genuinely excited to see them again... And then they get down on one knee. 💍 You'd run, right? Not because you don't like them... because the relationship hasn't earned something as serious as a marriage proposal yet. Treating someone who signed up for your email list last week the same as someone who's opened every single email you've sent for a year, bought your merch, and shown up to three shows is...
Hey Reader, A few weeks ago I walked you through the 3 main metrics worth watching in your email dashboard: open rate, click rate, and unsubscribe rate. We talked about healthy benchmarks to aim for and what the data is telling you when you're not hitting those marks. While I mentioned optimizing your subject line as the best place to start increasing your open rates, there's another thing that creates a much bigger impact in this area than most people even realize... and that is...