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Your Mailing List - Are You Pissing People Off?

NOTE: This is a repost by Willie Jackson. It's not specifically about the music business, but this is a common mistake that I see a lot of musicians make and, even if you're not making it yourself, you've likely experienced it.

If you like what Willie says and want more general marketing advice from him, check out his blog.

Following networking events, conferences, and meetups, there are usually well-intentioned followups that take place electronically as a result of business card exchanges.

Sometimes, however, people will add you to their mailing lists without your consent. In addition to being slimy and ensuring that your spam newsletter does not get read, it dehumanizes the previous interaction.

If I get a newsletter from someone whose mailing list I didn’t sign up for, I opt for one of the following approaches, depending on how I feel:

1. Reporting the email as spam
   
   
2. Unsubscribing from the newsletter, indicating in the process (if it allows for feedback) that I didn’t sign up for it in the first place
   
   
3. Replying to the sender and asking if they added me to their list without my consent

The last one might be a little surprising, but I think it’s a teachable moment, and a little discomfort never hurt anyone (much). I once inquired of a spammer sender (who fit the profile of someone whom I might have crossed paths with) if he and I had met. His reply? “No, but I would like to.”

Sometimes people will be offended if you request removal from their lists, and I think that’s fine. Spam is a problem, and I have no problem aggressively guarding my inbox against unsolicited mail from dishonest marketers. It’s tactics like those that give people a general distaste of marketing in the first place.

And if someone I don’t know adds me to a mailing list I didn’t sign up for and provides no mechanism for unsubscribing (which is illegal, of course), I just report the message as spam, occasionally letting the sender know this by replying to the message.

What Do Your Fans Want? (Part 2) - The Value of Testing

When Coca-Cola introduces a new product, they don't just unleash it on the world. They start small, testing things in focus groups, and eventually a few select markets, to make sure people actually want what they've got.

Sometimes there are problems...

For example, "New Coke" was very popular in blind taste tests, but rejected when marketed under the Coca-Cola name. And "The Pepsi Challenge" in the early 1980s, had to change its method of collecting data, when more people picked Coke.

When dealing something as music, tests aren't perfect. People like music for a number of reasons, one of which is that their friends like the same music. Still, don't let that stop you from "testing" different versions of the same song, different set lists, different stage banter, and different merchandise to get an idea of what works best. Some idea is better than no clue...

In the direct marketing business, it's not uncommon to run two different marketing campaigns for the same product, at the same time. For example, if the method of reaching people were postcards, 50% of the postcards mailed would be "Option A" and the other 50% would be "Option B."

Sometimes the results, when you're testing on a small level, can be subtle... Little things can mean a big difference when you "go big" though.

If you mail 10,000 postcards, 5000 of each option, and get 37 orders from "Option A" and 43 orders from "Option B", that might not seem like a big difference, but with a mailing of 100,000 postcards, assuming you get the same percentage of orders, you'll get an additional 60 orders from mailing "Option B." And mailing 1,000,000 postcards, which isn't uncommon, can mean a difference of 600 orders.

Same work and same cost of doing business, but much different results...

You never know if you can do better than you are now if you don't test, so this is something I encourage you to look at. And once you do find something that works better, I encourage you to test something else against that, to see if you can improve things yet again.

The above method of testing is the foundation of why the process is so powerful, but something I feel most musicians will relate to is the testing that you see a comic do when he's telling jokes. 

Let's face it...some things seem funny at times, but they're not funny at other times. And what you think is funny might not be funny to somebody else.

Do how does a comic find out if most people in the audience think something is funny?

1. He tells the joke every time he's on stage.

2. He asks, "Does it get consistent laughs?"

• If yes, he keep telling it.
• If no, he tweaks it until it does get consistent laughs...or he drops it, if it can't be improved.

It's a little less scientific, but can absolutely make a huge difference in the success you're having.

Every comic goes through this process. By the time you see a guy on HBO, he's tested everything, because a big gig like an HBO special isn't the time to find out if something doesn't work. You want to do that in the small clubs, with a limited audience, so not everybody will see you fail.

Same for musicians. Get out there, try new things, fail fast, and fail often, but keep it small. Keep the stuff that works, tweaking it to be as good as it came be, while slowly expanding it to larger and larger audiences. During smaller gigs, keep trying new stuff and really tweak the things that don't work, eventually dropping it, if you can't turn it around.

Need something to test? Try these...

• stage banter/stories
• electric vs. acoustic
• melodies
• song titles
• lyrics
• hooks
• instrumentation
• long intro vs. short intro
• solo vs. no solo
• harmonies
• extra verses
• tempos
• time signatures
• styles

Have fun!

Email Marketing - 1 Thing to Do (and 2 Things to NEVER Do)

Just got this in my email box...

The good thing about this email...

1. It's for something in Nashville.  That's good, because I'm in Nashville.

Not paying attention to where people are is a HUGE mistake I see a lot of musicians make.  When you collect an email from somebody, always make sure to note where you got it from.  You should have a different mailing list for every city you play. 

People in Seattle want to hear about gigs in Seattle.  People in Nashville want to hear about gigs in Nashville.  Mix this information up and you'll soon have a dead list.

Which brings me to my next point...

The bad things about this email...

1. I'M VEGETARIAN!!  I don't eat chicken.  Because of this, I have no need for this offer.

2. I didn't sign up for this list. Why would I?

And even though they're including this at the bottom...

...I'm still annoyed.

Don't piss on my leg and call it rain.  I know this email isn't "US Spam Law Compliant."  People who say that are like women who say, "I don't like drama."  That's a sure sign of somebody who LOVES drama, just like the graphic above is a sure sign of a company trying to cover its ass.

DO NOT assume somebody wants to be on your mailing list.  It doesn't matter if they're in the music industry or even if they've said, "Keep in touch."  The only reason for you to put people on your mailing list is if they've said, "Please put me on your mailing list."

If You Have a New Album (and It's Not Selling...)

This is a subject I've touched on before, but here's a friendly reminder...

If you have a new album and it's not selling, it may very well be that people don't know it exists.  Believe it or not, 84% of people don't know when their favorite artists release new albums.

Automated systems from music stores like Amazon and iTunes, which look at purchasing patterns and let people know about things that might be interested in, can help, but don't count on them to do all the work for you.  Nobody is going to care about letting people know you have a new album available more than you do, so if you want to make sure that happens, you need to either do it yourself or hire somebody to do it for you; it won't happen automatically...at least not in the way you want it to.

Don't be shy about promoting yourself or think "my fans are different."  Your fans are not different.

Let people know about your new release.  Do it now.

How to Build Rapport with Your Fans (and a Big Ass Mailing List)

A couple of weeks ago, Imogen Heap came through Nashville. This was just after a huge flood hit the city, causing about $1.6 Billion in damages and displacing thousands of people.

The show was full of audience participation, but this took it to a new level.  Instead of having somebody call out a request or doing a singalong, Imogen asked the crowd for a time signature, a tempo, and a key, then created a song with them.

Most shows are a "one-way" thing... The artist performs and people in the audience listen.  This changed that, since the audience was actually part of the song being created.

The song was recorded and now it's for sale.  All the money goes to flood relief. Buy the track now and see how she does it...

This is something she does in every city, by the way.  And it works on so many levels... For one, it's not just any charity; it's a charity that means something to the local audience.  It's also a moment in time, much like a photo, that lets people take the experience of a live performance home with them.  And beyond just that, it's an experience of something they were actually an active part of, beyond just sitting in a chair and watching it happen.

Lack of followup from the thousands of people touring acts play for each night is "money on the table" at its finest. For a show like this, people pay around $50-100/ticket.  They're obviously fans and fans never stop at just one purchase...but they do have to know something is available for them to buy.

How do you do this?  A mailing list.

But people don't just sign up for a mailing list, you have to offer them a benefit for doing so, or make it part of another transaction in which you get their mailing information.  Selling somebody a recording like this is that transaction.

People also have to like you and trust you before they'll do any business with you...and doing something for a charity they can relate to is a good way to make that happen.

Everybody has $1, right?  Everybody wants to help others, right?  Combine the two in your music marketing and you'll not only build great rapport and goodwill with your fans, but you'll also build a huge mailing list that you can use to promote other things.

Other things about this show which built rapport and goodwill...

1. Brought in a local act to open as well as join her on stage during the main performance.

2. Before the show, had people go to her website and tell her which songs they wanted to hear.

Now it's your turn... How are you building goodwill and rapport with your audience?  Post your comments below...

Marketing with Online Audio

Are you talking to your online fans?

And by "talking," I mean that literally!

You're in the music business.  You know how powerful audio is.  And online, it's fastest, easiest, and most economical ways to increase album sales and get more people to your shows.

You can go WAY BEYOND just music. Check this out...

* Collect audio testimonials from club owners and fans, then post them on your online press kit.  Let these testimonials get your next gig for you.

How to you get them?  If you use a service like Xiosoft Audio, you just email your best fans (or happy club owners) a link.  Then they follow a 4-step sequence, and you have an audio testimonial - complete with photo - to add to your website.

* Send audio in an email.  An "audio postcard" will help to build a real relationship with fans, using the power of your voice.

* Add audio to your order pages, thank-you pages, and other secure areas with Xiosoft Audio's SSL publishing feature.

One reason I like Xiosoft Audio is that you can add audio to your website in two simple steps, using the phone or your computer's microphone.  The phone service is great if you're on tour.  You can do an "audio tour update" by calling a toll-free phone number.  Everything is posted automatically, so you don't need to touch a computer.

You can also upload previously recorded audio files, such as mp3s.  This is what we do with Music Business Radio and it works great.

Try it out for 7 days for just ONE DOLLAR, and if you like it, you can keep it for just $29.95 per month.
There are no long-term contracts, and you can cancel at any time.

Does Your Personality Come Through via Email?

Email is a funny thing when it comes to communicating emotion.

I emailed a guy earlier today about sending me a bio and here is what he replied...

i sent this on to the folks that have such things. I must admit, I don't have my bio laying around the house---shit, I lived it....and my wife hears enough about it she doesn't want to read it either...

Mission accomplished.

Your Email List - Do It Right

If you're sending people emails about your music, and you should be, do it right.

1. Get a service like Aweber to send for you. 

They'll handle managing the list and making sure that your messages get through.  Not using something like Aweber can get you banned by your ISP.  And many ISPs limit the number of messages you can send.  You may think you're saving a few bucks, but it's costing you when your messages don't get through.

2. Have an unsubscribe link. 

Don't tell people to "respond with unsubscribe in the subject."  People don't want to hurt your feelings.  But if they're just junking your emails, ignoring personal emails from you, or hitting the "spam" button, you're wasting your time and may be worse off than if you didn't send them.

Aweber handles unsubscribes with one click as well as address changes, by the way.  Again, worth the money.  You're in the business of music, not list management.

3. Don't sign people up, let them do it.

I'm sure you'd be pissed if I sent you something that you're not interested in.  And that is how people feel about emails you send regarding your music.

It's amazing how many bands think that I want to get their updates.  I don't...at least not to my main email.  I send all mailing lists I'm on to a special box, so I can go through everything and look for good marketing ideas and things to post here.  Clogging up my main box gets your on my ignore list, because I know I didn't sign up for what you're sending. 

4. Have your list segmented.

There is no reason to let somebody in Nashville, like me, know you're playing this weekend in Los Angeles.  Again, this is another thing that gets people to ignore you.  It's like activating your turn signal a mile ahead of the exit you want.