Fan engagement is the not-so-hidden ingredient to an artist’s success.
Why do you think even top-tier artists like Ed Sheeran, a still host meet and greets with their fans? Because even for Grammy-winning artists, fan engagement is how they continue growing their fan base while retaining their established listeners’ attention.
But stadium-level artists have many luxuries that smaller indie artists and producers don’t. They have teams to orchestrate fan-made gatherings, managers to delegate social-media interactions, and major labels to bankroll new and inventive ways to connect with their audiences.
Indie artists must still find clever ways to connect with their budding fan bases. I would argue that it’s more critical for them than for top-tier talent because the careers of indie acts are made and broken on the loyalty of their early fan base.
Teh problem is that, when you start at square one, it seems like an insurmountable barrier… But luckily for you, it’s not. And we sat down with the experts at Bandsintown to get the most critical questions about fan engagement for indie artists answered for you.
What is fan engagement all about for indie artists?
Engagement starts with the art itself – an artist’s unique expression is the cornerstone of any engagement strategy. If the art itself is not engaging, no amount of marketing or promotion will make it so. For that reason, I strongly encourage artists to approach creation and engagement holistically and speak from the heart with their music in ways that will inspire others, to create not only for the fans but together for the fans, creating a movement from the ground up.
Once that communal spark is ignited through genuine self-expression, it’s all about nurturing relationships with that community of fans through meaningful and personal communication to create an emotional connection, just as you would nurture any other relationship in your life.
Fans admire the artists for who they are and, most importantly, for their beliefs. They want to share their vision. Fans also care about an artist’s music and what they have to say outside of the music. Once those relationships thrive, it’s important to put faces to the names at live events.
Those in-person experiences with fans at the show and interacting with the artists are the ultimate form of fan engagement. Live experiences are the number one way to engage fans and account for 80% or more of most artists’ income. Unlike social and streaming platforms, the live connection has always been Bandsintown’s primary focus.
Live events are not only a great way to meet your fans but to create new ones. And, of course, after the show, maintaining those relationships online is critical – that’s where Bandsintown’s Fan Management Suite comes in. We’ve developed a suite of free tools designed to help give artists a free way to nurture their relationships when they’re not at the show or in person.
What do 90% of indie artists get entirely wrong about fan engagement?
Many indie artists think fan engagement starts and ends with social media, and many feel pressure to be on TikTok to connect with their fanbase. While TikTok and other social channels are a great place to grow an audience right now, artists should ask themselves where they feel most comfortable as a creator and where their fans exist online. It’s crucial that artists feel comfortable on the platforms they’re appearing on and can achieve an authentic presence.
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If an artist’s fans or potential fans aren’t on the platform, there are better places to exert time and energy to build meaningful relationships.
Another misconception about fan engagement is only reaching out to fans when you have an announcement, such as new music releases or tour dates. There’s plenty of room between these milestones for artists to cultivate personal, non-transactional rapport with fans by sharing personal updates, stories, jokes, or anything you’d typically share with a friend. Allow your authenticity to shine and be yourself with your fans. It makes them feel close to you.
(Additional question: What is an excellent example of a recommended post or email you could send to fans outside of a big announcement to keep that relationship when there isn’t news?)
There’s a lot of room to get creative here, such as teasing merchandise or even asking fans to weigh in on new designs or releases, ultimately letting them be part of the process, which can also be done by posting directly to your fans using the Fan Management Suite.
In 2022 especially, we’re seeing a lot of artists having success with being super personal, intimate, and vulnerable with their fans – piercing the veil, so to speak, and allowing fans to see them as people, not just artists. Let them see the real you. The 80/20 rule is an excellent rule of thumb – don’t sell more than 20% of the time.
The other 80% should be fun, personal, or informational, such as, “Hey guys, what should we name the new studio cat?” It’s about finding the balance in this space, with the majority of it being about sharing and giving to your fans and letting them in.
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If you only had 30 minutes a day to focus on fan engagement, how should you spend it?
Use your time wisely and spend your time where your fans and potential fans are – don’t waste your time in other places. It’s different for every artist and depends on what they’re comfortable with or can become comfortable with as a creator and be good at, doing it consistently.
This goes back to finding the platforms you can be most authentic on. As an artist, see where your fans are showing up the most, and then focus your creativity for 30 minutes a day there. Take it daily, and don’t be afraid to mix up how you spend that time so you don’t get bored or feel monotonous.
Additionally, don’t believe you have to be everywhere. It’s better to be in a few places and do it well rather than spread yourself thin, making it hard to give the most to your fans. Measure how you’re doing in terms of engagement, so if you’re putting time into a platform and not getting the response, you can shift gears.
Who are some indie artists you think are doing a fantastic job of engaging with their fans?
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Phoebe Bridgers does a beautiful job of keeping the conversation up with her fans daily and talking about anything with them – whether it’s social issues, TV shows she’s into, or even sharing a playlist of songs she’s been listening to help her fall asleep.
BLOND:ISH also does a fantastic job at making fans feel seen by using text messaging. She takes the time to text with some of her fans regularly to build deeper connections with them. For her, that route felt authentic, whereas, for some artists, that might feel uncomfortable or abnormal for them. It’s all about finding what works for you.
When in their career should indie artists start focusing on fan engagement, and where should they start?
Again, artists must look at engagement holistically with creation, so think about making inherently engaging music through emotion, humor, political perspective, etc.
Building an email or SMS list from day one is essential, even if you’re starting small – and almost everyone is starting small. Engaging with fans at live shows can be so effective, even at intimate, local venues. Invite your fans to get dinner with you after a show and see who attends.
Engage outside of online and make those genuine, lasting relationships.
Get to know your fanbase by identifying your core fans from the beginning. If artists manage to personally get to know their first 1,000 or even 100 followers on a platform, such fans will turn into friends and prove as long-lasting supporters. They’ll feel privileged to have discovered their artists early on and will likely engage with an artist’s content forever. To know those true fans, they have to play live, organize meet and greets and be present online through live streams and other activations.
With the Fan Management Suite Email Builder, artists can deliver messages straight to their fans and maintain these relationships by using the templates provided or creating their own, targeting specific audiences based on location and event activity.
Overall, indie artists should start where they feel most comfortable and where their audience is – that’s the mantra. Don’t worry about results, in the beginning, being spectacular. See if there’s a slow and steady upward curve, and keep at it.
How is fan engagement different for an artist with 100 followers than for artists with 1k? And different from an artist with 10k?
If you don’t adopt your fan engagement and communication style early on, you can lose that personal touch as your audience scales up. Be mindful once you speak to a larger audience and continue to use your personal touch to maintain that authenticity as if it’s still just you and your 100 fans.
Just be yourself and do your best not to get overwhelmed by the idea of maintaining the relationship with so many more fans.
Continue to do the things you did when you held a smaller following, even if it’s not directly reaching every fan. All fans will hear about it one way or another, and they’ll still feel good just knowing that other fans are having these experiences, too.
How is brand-building and fan engagement similar? How are they different?
Some artists are great at building a brand and image but might fail at maintaining fan engagement. Those are the artists who typically dissipate over time.
No matter how cool your brand is, it must stand for something and be inspiring to those around you – otherwise, it’s just a charade without a real fan relationship underneath it, and fans will quickly move on to the next thing trending.
I suggest putting more attention on developing those relationships with fans rather than your image because YOU are the brand and image at the end of the day. It’s nice to have a cool logo, website, fashion sense, etc., but those things must reflect who YOU are, and the best way for fans to learn who you are is by talking to them.
As part of the Fan Management Suite, we’ve launched the Bandsintown or Artists Playbooks to give artists step-by-step guides to keep communication strong with fans, grow a foundation and promote their audience effectively.
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