How To Market To Your Fans Effectively: Research shows their preference

     Only in a perfect world would every "Like" equal a sale, and every “Share” a guarantee of more fans who sat and read your information with earnest. It is just not happening. You're a manager, a promoter, or an independent label owner, you have all of your analytics setup for various blogs and web-pages and perhaps your mobile landing pages as well trying to figure out what content is making fans respond and ultimately earning a few more. But there is a problem. As all of the likes and shares stack up and the fans are even clicking play on the button for your attached media player, no one is buying or even seems to be talking specifically about you are promoting. We all put so much of our resources and belief into these projects that we even check back frequently thinking this has got to be the one that grabs them, nope.

     A little bit of research can help you find reports such as this one from Exact Target's 2012 Channel preference Survey found on marketingland.com. This report shows quantifiable numbers based on polls taken from fans and consumers after being asked a simple question, how do you like to receive permission-based messages and marketing materials? Email was the chosen channel 7.7 out of 10 times. Direct mail and text messaging came in second and third at nine and five percent respectively. This doesn't seem to be a fad or present anomaly that is expected to change. The report shows that the preference for permission-based email marketing over any other type has actually grown from 72% to 77% since 2008. So as they state in the article, "there is no close second-place channel."

     Here's a shocker, Social Media barely even made a blip on the radar. The report shows that consumers love to "Like" and "Follow" brands but don't respond in a way that will produce sustained sales numbers or even free download numbers as the report shows that Facebook and Twitter come in at four and one percent respectively as the channels that costumers respond to when receiving promotional messages. I can personally speak from experience that since using automated email collection and newsletter services like Fanbridge, and tying them together with promotions on other sites that allow for free mass-mail and messaging like ReverbNation and others, we have seen tremendous growth in numbers for both dedicated followers AND Sales.

    Increasingly our email list has grown as our "tried and true" fan-bases actually do forward the messages to their address books and then they buy. We have web and social pages in every country in most languages for our artists, and we did amazingly well in the beginning, but not until we tied in automated, and consistent messages, and targeted emails did we start to see real sustainable and large growth in numbers across all of our networks. Give it a try, let me know how it works for you, perhaps we can learn from each other.

Move To Where The Food Is: Setting Up Shop In Foreign Territories

     As new artists, managers, and industry professionals emerge in a world full of digital distribution points, kiosks, and mobile retailers I find it myself reminding clients more and more of foreign licensing and sub-publishing by territory instead of by store and platform. Though it is true that not every product, album or song is going to find interest in markets far from home it is still a very important strategy to attempt if for nothing else than to make sure those professionals far-away are familiar with you or have at the very least heard of you and what you have to offer. Depending on the genre and territory, consider that your IP could be worth anywhere from $1.5-6k+ for a limited amount of time and will leave you with not only the rest of the rights not licensed in that territory, but also free to explore and collect on other territories as well. Also consider that even if that one market is the only one landed, you can sill fall back on your chosen distribution method simply bypassing the single territory sold and use the money from that sale to market that endeavor anywhere in the world.

     A funny thing is that this is something every independent who "doesn't want to be signed" and/or independent labels and managers should be learning as much about as possible. The simple sales of songs and/or albums are truly not enough; licensing deals must be sought. Having a team far from home that can look after not only the commercial placement and sales of the existing material in that region but also possibly arrange for other well-known artists to perform a translated version only expands possibilities with the right agreements in place. There are tried and true money-making deals that exist, and if you can do it for yourself, then you are truly in a position to call yourself an independent. Otherwise you are just throwing your money and art into the hallway with everyone else's and hoping on hope.