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Fan Email Marketing Made Easy
By Lance Trebesch
Using emails for online music marketing
proves to be a very difficult task to master, but a very
important one that every artist must master. Newsletters
allow fans to stay connected with the artists without the
added effort of returning to the artist’s
site. I have simplified it into three key areas for a
successful fan club email newsletter.
Perking Interest
One of the hardest parts in compiling a music newsletter
is getting subscribers to read it!
- Create an interesting subject title - Just
like blogs and articles, no one will start to read
the newsletter if the title
or subject line does not generate interest in
the fan to read the publication. “August Newsletter” does
not perk interest in a subject line.
- Make it personal to the subscriber - Instead
of writing a general “hi,” make the newsletter
specific for everyone. This makes the fan feel
important to the artist because their personal name
is used. Similarly, use the band’s name or
specific artist’s name when closing the letter
to add to the personal effect.
- Write for the reader - The newsletter
is not a place to sell products and promote music,
but rather a place to write interesting content the
reader wants to
read. Occasionally mentioning new fan merchandise
is all right, but always keep the reader in mind.
Target your content to the reader and make sure it
is relevant to their needs.
- Personalize it more - Have options the
user can choose makes the letter just for them. For
instance, allow them to insert their zip code for the
option of receiving info when the band is touring in
their area. The more personal and specific towards
the fan, the more apt they will want to read it.
- Provide relevant links - Hand-in-hand with
writing the newsletter for the fans, provide the fans
with relevant links they would want. Direct them
towards other music related sites or service.
Perfecting the Newsletter
- Find the perfect layout. The design
and layout of
the newsletter may need several revisions before finding
the perfect look. Having color and formatting are
necessary but can be overdone. In addition, inserting
picture and video that the fans would like make the
newsletter stand out more.
- Choose the correct day and time - Fans
need to expect the newsletter in a consistent manner,
whether it is every week or every month. EmailLabs reports
the best day to send emails is Tuesday or Wednesday
in the morning hours when people regularly check their
email. After
picking a day, stay consistent with that day and time.
- Encourage word-of-mouth marketing - Add
a “Send to a Friend” button where your
fans can easily
send the newsletter to anyone they believe would
enjoy it. Word-of-mouth marketing is the most
effective, so encourage it as much as possible.
- Check the newsletter before emailing it to fans -
Based on the type of server your fan uses, (Hotmail,
Yahoo, Google, AOL, etc.) the newsletter may show up
differently. Sign-up to all the major email servers
and send the newsletter to yourself to check the formatting
in each before sending a faulty newsletter to all your
fans.
Track Email Stats
Track all statistics relevant to the email
campaign. Valid metrics include:
- Click through rate
- Open rate
- Click to open
- Bounce rate
- Referral rate
- Unsubscribe rate
If these statistics do not meet standards,
chances are the design format or content is not relating
to the fans. Start by asking these basic questions:
- What are your fans not getting out of the newsletter?
- Why do they not find it valuable?
- Does the content need to be more targeted?
Email campaigns are an ongoing process requiring constant
attention and direction.
Email newsletters are important for maintaining
a constant fan base. To gain more subscribers, refer
to the newsletter as a fan club and offer exclusive offers
to fan club members only, like pre-sale tickets or discounts. Your
band will instantly see a bigger subscribing list / fan
base after implementing these techniques.
By Lance Trebesch
lance@ticketprinting.com
www.TicketPrinting.com
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