Spotify has undoubtedly made my music listening life infinitely better, but there remain several areas in which it can improve. Recently the guys and gals in green made a huge stride in one of these areas, namely that of applying data to discovery.
From listen to live show, can apps like Songkick drive up show attendances?
I have plenty to write about on music discovery via algorithms versus the human touch, but here I simply want to shine a light on the elegant simplicity of integrating local concert listings into this broader recommendations channel.
From the Stream To the Show
Image Credit: Anirudh Koul
This may seem like a natural extension – indeed, one that was already available by visiting the existing Songkick app tab – but the significance of bringing the show alongside song recommendations should not be overlooked.
Many users look for guidance on what to play when they first open a listening platform such as Spotify, meaning that the Discover page will be a highly visited area. Throw in what appears to be a much refined recommendation engine, one that has thrown up some genuinely intriguing unknowns for me in the last week, and you have the potential for a lot of eyeballs perusing these listings.
If even a small percentage begin to show an interest in the concert element of the page, it seems like something that all parties involved would benefit from developing further.
Personally, I see an increasingly valuable place for services like Songkick in both becoming a go-to source when I want to browse gig listings and delivering concert news to me. Combining my online listening history with that service helps to filter and improve the latter, making both services even more useful and raising the likelihood that I can be persuaded to purchase a ticket.
Next Steps
From integrating Facebook data to recommend shows based on the upcoming events of friends, to converting fan follows and listener likes into information that artists can use to better target their marketing, there are a great many extensions of this move that may bode well for music makers.
At a time when streaming services are regularly under fire for simply making money off the backs of the creators whose content fuels their business model, it is heartening to see moves being made to use the vast data sets they collect to pull fans further into the music.
Whether or not such connections actually drive up sales and attendances remains to be seen but, as any marketer will tell you, visibility, relevance, and a compelling call to action are key. Functions like Spotify’s Discover begin to solve the first two elements, but there will be a great deal of tweaking and dealing on the third before we begin to see a truly valuable connection between the listen and the live show.
Very few things are scarce in the music industry as it stands today.
From vast online libraries of digital downloads – legal or otherwise – to over 20 million tracks available for on-demand streaming, abundance abounds in an industry that once traded on limited distribution and highly anticipated release dates.
All of which makes it crucial for today’s musicians to seize the day when a moment of scarcity arises for your art.
I define “your moments” as any opportunity to connect with a fan in a way that is unlikely to arise again for some time, if ever.
Sometimes this will be limited to deepening your relationship, but often it will include a rare chance to offer them something that supports your art monetarily. Some examples:
Talking to fans after a live performance at the merch table is a moment,
The day you release a new piece of music is a moment,
Filming a music video is a moment,
The buzz a fan feels after purchasing a ticket for your future show is a moment,
Collaborating with other artists on a new project is a moment.
Making the most of these requires you to actively nurture the nature of the moment, turning an already important interaction into something even more lasting, be that emotionally, materially, or both.
To transform the scenarios above, for example:
Creating a unique recording of that live show and offering it for sale before the adrenaline fades makes the most of the moment,
Offering limited edition versions of your new release in a physical format with creative artwork or merchandise is making the most of the moment,
Inviting fans to participate in the filming process, perhaps even helping to inspire and refine the concept, is making the most of the moment,
Capturing that excitement and channeling it into a social share or offering a VIP experience is making the most of the moment,
Planning a unique launch event for the collaboration and inviting a select group of passionate fans is making the most of the moment.
Eyes Wide Open
More important than following specific examples such as these is keeping your eyes and mind open to opportunities around you. As you create, network, and interact with fans, always keep one eye on the potential to develop a unique moment.
Anything that closes the gap to your listeners is what you’re looking for, but especially those with the potential to create a memory that can’t be replicated.
Making those moments gives you a long term, inimitable connection to the individuals with whom you live the experience, something that could be worth its weight in gold in an environment where it’s increasingly difficult to make your music stand out for a single spin, let alone the span of a career.
Where have you seen musicians creating moments that live long in the memory for you as a fan?
Direct-to-fan (D2F) music was one of the first widely lauded advantages of the digital era for independent artists. With barriers removed, musicians could simply create songs, get them online, and connect them straight to listeners with no middle man delaying the gratification process. Nirvana!
At the very least – and more accurately – we need some standardized channel, because there exists a mass of music and a bewildering variety of ways to process the payment for it.
In these early years, efficient digital stores have risen up to fill the void. From iTunes and Amazon to Bandcamp and CD Baby, paying music fans have chosen convenience over a deeper commitment to their favored artists. This is understandable, given a voracious appetite for music and the ease-of-access that consumers have come to expect from online transactions.
Nonetheless, this need not eliminate the original promise of D2F, to connect artists directly to their most passionate fans and deepen the relationship between them. This includes selling music and merchandise and is an area where most artists are leaving money on the table.
Know Your Fans, Narrow Your Focus
At any size an artist needs to develop deeper relationships with listeners, but the extent to which a platform is required to do this will vary greatly according to size and stage of career. For those just starting out, the emphasis will be more on discovery and gaining attention, making the breadth of platforms more crucial than the depth.
As a fan base accumulates, however, too many artists stop short and continue to focus on that breadth, without customizing their art, content, and merch to the most passionate fans. This fails to take D2F to its most beneficial conclusion. Those building the closest ties to fans, offering the most of themselves, lay the groundwork for those same people to spend more time with – and more money on – their music.
By narrowing your focus to that small percentage of your fan base that is intrigued by everything you do, opportunities arise to better understand and cater to their needs…
Are they moved by visuals you present?
Do they react particularly well when you post lyrics to your songs?
Perhaps they praised a specific collaboration or project that you worked on?
When you know the answer to what really gets your core fan base bubbling up, you have a starting point for creatively-minded merchandise and physical records that suit the D2F approach.
Separating Merch From Marketing
Although the two are of course inextricably linked, it’s important to remember that D2F music and merchandise is largely to be considered in terms of income. It can be time-consuming to set up anything more than a rudimentary store and will require ongoing maintenance, so both the product and the demand must be there to justify investing in D2F merchandise to any great degree.
Knowing your costs and projecting what you expect to make are crucial factors in deciding just how viable any given D2F product will be.
This doesn’t preclude artists from producing simpler items for fans that can be given away at shows or included as a bonus with other orders, of course. Just remember that these are generally not items with any significant profit margin and, as such, they fall into the category of marketing materials. In the same vein as a show flyer or postcard, their job is to keep you in the minds of listeners for further connection, rather than make money in their own right.
Retaining a focus on cost and sale price helps you to judge what fits into the category of merch that you should sell directly to fans, as opposed to outsourcing the sale to an established digital store front. Limited edition releases and intricate art work related to your music are ideal starting points but this is an area where you can let your creative streak run wild, as the concept of this recent Music Think Tank article explains.
Over To You…
Was the promise of the direct-to-fan model vastly overstated or has it simply been swamped by the generic digital offerings that are presented to music fans today?
What examples have you seen of artists succeeding in offering their fans unique products?
“Open Kimono” is business jargon upon which I stumbled just last year, yet it has fast risen to the top of my buzzword bollocks list. (Yes, such a list exists, albeit deep in the annals of my memory banks, filed away for future loathing).
Are you opening a window into your world for fans? | Image Credit: Ross Mayfield
That contempt notwithstanding, the intended meaning of the phrase does actually hold deeper value for artist marketing. Especially so for music, where the creator’s connection to the listener is at the core of holding their attention and developing deeper fan relationships.
Allowing fans in to see more of who you are and how you create is as much a “must do” now as touring was before we all became digitally connected; without some context to your creations, you’re just another song in the music collection. Add an experience or a memory, however, and you move one step closer to being an adored artist in their life.
One of the best practitioners of this that I’ve seen recently is Kishi Bashi, a veteran of the indie music circuit who is promoting his new solo work in a most fresh and spritely manner.
Opening Up Your Art
Formely a tour player with Canadian Athens, Georgia’s indie oddballs of Montreal and the iconic Sondre Lerche, amongst others, Kishi Bashi released his own album proper, ‘151a’, this time last year. Since then he has undoubtedly benefited from copious blogger coverage and brand interest, yet the lingering impression is far more than just a clever marketing campaign.
The first thing that comes to mind for me, both as a fan and marketer, is a gregarious human being who truly loves and embraces his art. By extension, he communicates that passion to his listeners, who can’t help but become wrapped up in his world. Fans for life invariably follow.
Here we’ll look at some of the specific approaches that Kishi Bashi uses to open up and bring fans further into his fold. But first the vital statistics…
Artist: Kaoru Ishibashi (aka Kishi Bashi)
Facebook Fans: 22,952
Twitter Followers: 4,947
YouTube Channel: 2, 057 subs /257,700 views
Google +: Negligible presence
Be Yourself
Age old dating advice… that no-one ever follows, of course. But Mr. Ishibashi pours himself into his social media channels almost every day. One swift scan of his Twitter feed or Facebook page reveals a commitment to offering daily insights into his world, from the mundane aspects of touring to marveling at a piece of music.
Each update builds a picture of his personality for listeners, adding context to the music for a stronger connection.
Window To Your World
Social networks are increasingly reliant on visuals, hence the increasing popularity of Pinterest and its ilk. Kishi Bashi’s platforms are awash with tour photos, shots from the previous night’s show, fan art, and anything that he comes across that offers a visual hook to stir a reaction. Even from a purely data-driven perspective this makes sense, as Facebook’s Edgerank is based on audience feedback such as likes and comments, which studies have shown fans are more likely to provide for posts with visual content.
On a more human level, visuals help fans to understand more about your life, offering a window into your world. Daily shots from the tour – even the most mundane elements – can connect in a way that text simply cannot. Sharing creative inspiration visually is also a strong emotional link to fans, especially if they’re further inspired to share it with their own network.
Conversations
The time when artists could hide from the demand of fans is largely behind us. All but the most overblown or enigmatic of artistic egos need to embrace the age of access and developing stronger ties to fans through one-on-one conversations.
It helps that Kishi Bashi is a gregarious chap by nature, but the dedication to communicating with listeners on daily basis is what cements these relationships. Whether deep conversations about song lyrics or a simple thank you to a fan who attended a show, visibility and gratitude are two traits that have served him well. And with a Twitter following that grew by over 400% during 2 month period of most recent US tour, the results of connecting on an individual basis will extend beyond that single interaction and provide a stronger foundation for his next creative move.
Collaborations
Getting fans involved in your creative process is a wonderful way to make it about more than yourself. It’s a win-win scenario, as the artists receives the assistance they need and the fan(s) become even more invested in the art that results.
Kishi Bashi frequently calls on his community to submit show photos, create derivative works inspired by his art, and those random requests like the one to the left here, involving multi-language lyric translation. It’s all part of being okay with asking, which has been a popular discussion of late.
Takeaway
The point here isn’t to copy the Kishi, but to bring your fans into the fold by bringing yourself out into the open. Utilize the plethora of open access channels available to you and start putting your interests, info and insights out there for fans to consume.
Not everything will catch, but the more you share, the more you’ll understand your listeners, what they love about you and want to see more of. Experiment, review, and refine your posts until it’s second nature to share stuff that will get your social sphere buzzing.
What about your own case… what do you put out there that inspires interest in your art?
NB. Edited 5/1 for my ghastly lack of background knowledge regarding of Montreal. Thanks to the readers who set me straight! Sticking to my guns on the odd factor, of course…
Less than a share, if you agree with the latest marketer analysis, but plenty of artists are seeking the thumbs up across social media, with the king of social networks being the most vibrant hub of activity.
Facebook’s place in the realm of music marketing has topped my mind this past week for various reasons. It also seems to be a popular topic for you, with my 25 tips for a friendlier Facebook fan page being the most regularly visited piece here, so I thought I’d focus once more today on the platform everyone that loves to hate.
First Up, A Fail
In my opinion at least, this Facebook music advert that I came across recently fails in a few places. Take a look and consider the case for and against:
Pros:
Relates to an existing listener passion point with the Dave Matthews link,
Integrates an easier call to action with the ‘Like Page’ button (although this is all Facebook, not the artist).
Cons:
No mention of genre, style, location, or some other bridge from Dave Matthews to this unfamiliar name,
Poor copy writing, with mixed calls to action (conflicting with like button) and awkward flow,
Immediate command (to an unfamiliar listener, remember) to buy the album… hold my hand before you grab my bottom, won’t you?!
So it’s easy enough to critique an unappealing ad, but what makes for a more effective Facebook advert?
First things first, consider your options…
The Difference Between Facebook Ads & Sponsored Stories
Although Facebook explains its advertising options to a limited extent, both the ad components and the layout of the site itself change on a (frustratingly) regular basis.
Adverts are more explicit statements about your page, often with copy that you write yourself with a specific goal in mind (such as the reader clicking a link or liking your page). They stand out from the usual flow of a user’s Facebook news feed and are labeled as “Sponsored” in the lower post details, both of which can make some people wary of their presence.
The onslaught of ever-evolving ad units since the site’s flotation on the stock market last year has created some resistance to clicking on (and therefore encouraging) obvious adverts, but you can still make some headway with them. For me, they provide the most direct, short and sharp shot into a potential listener’s social feed.
There are also various sub-types of adverts, from the simple “Suggested Page” option that is a basic accelerator for page likes, to promoting specific posts to reach existing fans (and their friends), in addition to the more customized ads discussed above.
Sponsored Stories are more integrated into the fabric of Facebook , showing off activity on existing content from your page rather than the direct copy that you can customize for an advert.
The bonus here is that they “fit” more naturally into the news feed and actions that people are already undertaking, such as commenting on a friend’s activity or liking articles they read, which lessens the resistance that comes from out-and-out adverts. This focus on engagement can be useful for those of you wishing to drive interaction even further on your page, although the content itself is selected by Facebook and you have less customization than you may require.
The other important aspect of sponsored stories is the connection that they make to friends of those you reach, for example “Joe Schmoe likes Band X”. Simply placing a familiar face or name next to an unfamiliar page can bridge the trust gap that paid advertising creates, hence the rising popularity of social media ad campaigns. If you’re trying to reach new listeners, connecting through your existing fans and on to targeted friends of theirs can be a key advantage of a social ad.
Important Note: Facebook is changing rapidly at the current time and, at any point, distinctions between different types of ad unit may become blurred. Always check the ad preview to understand exactly how your paid promotion is going to appear!
The video below is tailored to deeper business marketing types but still has some valuable snippets for more advanced music advertising, if you’d care to delve even deeper.
Key Questions to Ask Before You Advertise Your Music on Facebook
Answer the following questions to understand what you direction you want your Facebook advertising to take:
What is my main goal from this advert? Examples may be increased page like, engagement, website traffic, music player spins etc.
Do I want to reach existing fans or new listeners?
Is the ad a standalone test, or part of a wider campaign?
What is my daily (or weekly) budget?
What is the “call to action” of my ad? (i.e. the step you want people to take and
What metric will prove that the action has been taken and can I measure it? (e.g. a Like, which Facebook will report to you, or a spin of a track, which you will need to monitor more closely yourself)
It can be tempting to just dive in with Facebook’s newer ad offerings, as they have plenty of “press play” options popping up alluringly in your page admin section. This simplicity is helpful but you will still benefit from taking some time to consider what you want from your ad spend, where it fits with your other promotional efforts, and how you will measure success.
Dig Deeper
This is really only the tip of the iceberg with advertising on Facebook. We can take in-depth looks at ad copy writing, split testing, ad optimization, cross-platform campaigns and results analysis, to name just a few of the areas that may be of use to enthusiastic music advertisers.
What I’d love to know is what level of Facebook ads you’ve undertaken as an artist and whether (and which of) these deeper topics are of interest to you?
Do you want to read detailed how to pieces or just “press play” on those easier ad options that Facebook is now inserting into your fan page?
Let me know in the comments below or e-mail me at [email protected] with your specific questions. I’m here to help!
Pros: