While social media is certainly accessible and easy to use as a marketing platform, the barriers to entry are so few that the marketplace has become a bit clogged. For this reason email, while old school, has seen something of a renaissance owing to its ability to actually break through and reach potential consumers.
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Guest post from Promoly
Since the introduction of the Internet, it has been much easier to market and promote various products, services, events, causes, and even art. Social networks, particularly Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, have proven themselves to be powerful platforms for raising awareness about many subjects across a wide range of industries. Even if there is no doubt about the power of social media in terms of online advertising and marketing, the fact is that these platforms are not the only feasible and effective way to make a name for yourself.
Because social media has been proven effective, nearly all advertisers use those platforms. Many posts and ads can saturate Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Your photos, videos, and text posts can go unnoticed, buried amidst the multitude of other posts. How, then, can you market yourself online?
Email as a Marketing Tool for Musicians
Although it may seem like a dated marketing strategy, musicians can reach fans and promote their work via email. Building an email list guarantees that you can send content to audiences who may otherwise be distracted with trending content on social media.
Nowadays, becoming a successful musician doesn’t only involve creating great music. Without the right marketing, branding, and promoting strategies, an artist’s music career is unlikely to begin. While social media sites such as Facebook provides access to millions of music fans, you will be at the mercy of algorithms that you do not have control over. On the contrary, your email list is something that you own and control. You have the choice to create email content as well as choose when and whom will receive your content.
3 Ways to Make the Most of Email Marketing
To make sure that email marketing works effectively for your music career, take note of these three tips:
1. Utilize an email marketing automation service
It’s not wise to use a personal email account when emailing fans and followers. When you get started in email marketing, consider using an email automation service that will enable you to reach your leads in one go. Some of the more popular options are Aweber and Mailchimp, which provide excellent features on top of their mass emailing capabilities. Mailchimp can be used for free for the first 2,000 addresses. Aweber, on the other hand, is more feature-packed. Although it offers you plenty of functionality, it will cost you.
2. Include an irresistible call-to-action on your sign-up form
It goes without saying that you can’t get started on email marketing if you don’t have an email list full of people who want to hear from you. Nowadays, online users aren’t very keen about registering for email newsletters since they believe that they can get the information for free without signing up to anything. Therefore, it’s incredibly important for you to make a case for why they should go the extra mile. Introduce something they can’t resist in exchange for information about them— specifically, their email address. Make sure you emphasize that those who will register on your website or newsletter will get exclusive updates and content. You can also choose to offer something more, such as early access to new music.
3. Use active or actionable language
When writing any copy, whether on your social media pages or (especially) in your emails, make sure that you get your point across in a timely manner. Want them to check out your new video? Use a catchy line like: “New music video released. Watch it now!”. Want them to take advantage of a discount? Say, “Get this special limited-time offer!”. Phrases like this not only communicate the whole reason you’re sending out an email, but convey an urgency.
There’s nothing wrong with using social media to promote yourself, but you may not be reaching as many people as you would like. Consider the use of email marketing to communicate valuable information to a loyal group of fans while building a relationship with them. With these three tips, you’ll start building a name for yourself in no time!
Promoly is a music promotion platform for musicians. If you’re looking for a music PR service to deliver music to your mailing list, get in touch today to see how we can help!