Building a loyal fan base
Your music career might start with a demo in Ableton or a drum line in your studio. But then come the listeners. As you produce more tracks, those listeners turn into fans. Alongside this, you build a system to keep them coming back. You do this by sharing not just your music, but also your personality, forming an emotional connection with people.
Your system for reengaging listeners includes the following:
- Social media presence
- Social media ads
- Live events
Everyone starts somewhere. Every small show and new fan brings you closer to that big festival booking. Don’t overlook a gig or discount your first followers. Imagine 1,000 people in front of you—that’s huge!
SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Your brand is bigger than your music
Your personal brand is about more than just your music. It’s your values, key messages, story, visual style, and even the color palette for your album covers and social media filters.
Make sure your online presence is interconnected, showcases your best images, and tells your story. Music is just one part of your grand universe.
Know your fan persona
For a musician, it’s crucial to know who’s listening to your music. Build a fan persona to target these groups with your ads and music, and pick live events where they’re likely to hang out.
You’ll want to know their age and what they’re into beyond just music. You can gather this information gradually by testing your ideas with targeted social media ads. Or, check out your existing fans' social media to see what they follow, what they love, and where they’re from.
You can also hand off social listening to a third party. For instance, at Advertising.me, we dive deep into social media data to uncover detailed insights about your audience’s demographics and interests. We look at everything from their music tastes to the sneakers they wear and their favorite meals.
Meet your fans
Once you’ve identified your audience, put yourself out there in the communities, media, and events where your ideal fans are engaging with music like yours.
As your fan base grows, reach out directly to discover where they find similar music. Asking them on Instagram can give you great insights into their tastes. In the startup world, this is called customer development interviews, and it’s pure gold. You’ll benefit from it enormously, too.
Share regularly
Not overposting. Just posting. Stay on your fans' radar by planning your social media content ahead of time with a calendar in Notion and scheduling your posts. Share what feels natural to you. People connect with people, so be genuine and touch on relatable themes. This way, fans will engage with both your music and your artistic evolution. Remember, fans want to feel like they’re part of your life!
Try out different approaches and formats, and keep an eye on how your posts perform. See what resonates best with your audience. It’s all about testing out ideas and sticking with what works.
Use your socials for:
- Sharing what’s important to you, whether it’s about the new country you’ve moved to or the latest vinyl record you’ve dug up
- Posting short-form videos, whether they're professionally made or just casual UGC
- Telling your story: create a narrative and keep it consistent across all your platforms. What makes you unique? What’s your vibe?
- Engaging with and reposting your fans’ contributions, like when they tag you or share videos featuring your music
- Creating interactive content: get your audience excited with challenges, contests, giveaways, or something offbeat
- Live streaming to connect directly with your fans through Q&A sessions and more
Collaborate with others
Whether it’s TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube, find influencers who fit your style. You can collaborate with them or do cross-promotions with your music. Alternatively, you can delegate this task. For example, Sound.me has a network of 1.5 million influencers and creators worldwide who can help make your music go viral. They can create videos with your sound based on specific prompts, like dancing, lip-syncing, or transitions.
Do the same with other artists—collaborate and share audiences!
As your fan base expands, think about partnering with brands beyond the music industry. There’s a whole world of opportunities out there.
You can also curate playlists that feature your music alongside tracks from other artists who inspire you and match your style. This helps engage your fans with shared musical interests.
We’ll discuss social media ads in our upcoming posts, so stay tuned.
Building your fan base involves diving into social media, marketing, and networking. You’ll need a solid business plan and the dedication to follow through.
