In part 2 of this three part series on fan communities and engagement, Ariel Hyatt of CyberPR explores how to identify and communicate with engaged fans. Unlike super fans, “they’re engaged with you in what the New York Times brilliantly referred to as ambient awareness.”
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Miss Part 1? Your Three Communities, Part 1: Your Super Fans
By Ariel Hyatt of CyberPR
Every Artist Has Three Communities – they are separate from one another.
The problem is most artists have only one strategy for marketing and promoting to three totally separate groups.
This post focuses on how to energize and connect with Community 2 – Engaged Fans. These fans are your Active Online Audience. They are newsletter subscribers, blog readers, video streamers, active Social Media followers who comment & engage sometimes (but not nearly as frequently as your Super Fans)
They’re engaged with you in what the New York Times brilliantly referred to as “ambient awareness.” They know who you are but they may not know you very well (yet). With this community, as with all three, engagement is critical, but here it will be different. In Community 2 contribution is critical but engagement is even more vital.
Recap: Your 3 Communities Are:
Community #1: Your Super Fans
These are fans who are primarily Your Live Audience. You know them by name. If you play out live, they attend your shows regularly and buy many things you offer (not just music). If you have a street team they are on it and they evangelize strongly on your behalf. They are the first responders when you post on your socials and they are following you on multiple channels.
Community #2: Engaged Fans
These fans are your Active Online Audience. They are newsletter subscribers, blog readers, video watchers, RSS subscribers, active Social Media engagers who frequently comment & engage with you on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Community #3: Ambient Fans
These fans are your Passive Online Audience and they are your social media friends who are aware of you via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. but don’t actively communicate with you and may not have ever even heard your music (yet).
Community #2: Engaged Fans AKA Your Active Online Audience
In Community 2 contribution is critical but engagement is even more vital.
How to Engage Community #2 Engaged Fans
Create a Checklist For Systematizing Your Outreach & Follow Up
Website:
Change the artwork on the landing page to announce the new music
Add an announcement to the News section
Mention of the new release to the Bio/About section with a link to stream (studies show people tend to take action on the Bio page!).
Blog:
Announce the release and add links to stream / buy .If you have a blog (on Tumblr, Blogger, WordPress, website, etc.)
Newsletter:
Send a newsletter announcing the release – show off the cover and add a quote or a few sentences about the making of the music!
Socials:
Facebook:
Upload a new top banner to your Facebook personal and Page, Change your profile photo to the album art (if you want!)
Edit the “About” section to include the new release and make a mini banner with “Out Now”
Boost or Buy an Ad If you don’t already have your credit card set up on Facebook to purchase boosted posts and ads, register it so you can easily boost posts throughout your campaign.
Instagram:
Change your bio to announce the release – add the musical note or an appropriate emoji too! Add streaming link and CTA to listen
Create a release tile and post with the album / single art and say “out now”
Go to Instagram Live and talk about the fact that the music is available and ask for fan feedback
Twitter:
Reskin to make sure the top banner, profile picture, and bio reflect your release
Create 5 separate tweets announcing in 5 ways
Pin the tweet to the top of the page
YouTube:
Customize the top banner, profile picture to announce the new music
Upload cover art and have track streaming in the background
Create and post a simple lyric video – If you don’t know how to do this follow this post from the DIY Musician blog
Additional Sites:
If you use these don’t neglect them!
Snapchat: Snap the release and share!
Create A Monthly Newsletter – With ONE Call To Action (CTA) Each Month
If you don’t have one you a ripping yourself off! Start sending one now(even if its only to 25 people to start). Only have one call to action per monthly communication – too many will confuse people.
When you are getting started with your newsletter send a few that do not ask for money.
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Ask for them to join you on Instagram
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Encourage them to follow you on Twitter
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Invite them to like your Facebook Page
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Ask them to become a follower on Spotify
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Presave your music in a SpotifyPresave Campaign
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Watch a video of you on YouTube and subscribe to your channel
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Suggest they follow you on Soundcloud
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Invite them out to hang with you at a bar, club, coffee house, art show, conference, etc.
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Send a survey to fill out
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Create a contest to participate in
Use This Live Gig Ultimate Fan Engagement Tip
Keep in mind: People are more interested in themselves than they are in you. Make them the main attraction. These fans will also be delighted that they have been included.
Take photos or videos at every single show from the stage or at the merch table of people that come up to talk to you and/ or purchase merch and create photo albums for each show on Facebook. When you post ask fans to come and tag themselves.
As you add everyone to the mailing list, you point them to each photoset featuring: Them! They are very likely to go check themselves out.
Parse Your Facebook Friends, Twitter and Mailing List into Geographical Lists
Another great tactic is parsing out your newsletter list and MOST IMPORTANTLY your Facebook list so that it is split up by geographical location so that when you play each market, you can personalize the message and you won’t be spamming people who live in Duluth for a show in L.A.
Go through all your friends (yes it’s a pain in the arse but spamming people makes YOU the pain in the arse) and create a separate list for each location New York, L.A, Cleveland etc etc. I also maintain a list of “Unknown City” for the people who don’t identify where they live. Send them each an individual note asking and add them to the right list.
Now when you have a show you will be laser focused in your Facebook promotion.
Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Cyber PR; a Brooklyn-based social media PR firm. Her Cyber PR campaigns, books & seminars help connect artists with new media makers and coach them to create authentic relationships with fans.