You Need ‘Superfans’

The top 0.4% of the music industry holds most of the money, earning a livable wage as a musician seems nearly impossible, and the best advice most can offer you as you scrape along is “Don’t quit your day job.” All of this is true, but in case you haven’t heard, the industry is changing.

Gone are the days when a record deal was the only way to make it. However you want to go about it, your goal as a DIY artist should be to run a business that makes music. That’s the dream. Breaking out and finding fame and fortune, getting signed, winning Grammys, whatever your pie-in-the-sky dream as an artist is, doesn’t happen when you aren’t profitable.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but unless you’re just one of the lucky few, it doesn’t matter how much time you’ve spent perfecting your album, who you’ve opened for, or where you’ve played. There is a part-time cover band in town that is kicking your butt across the board financially while you’re focused on vanity metrics. So, how can you compete?

As a DIY artist, you don’t. You focus on your music, your money, and your fans. More particularly, you focus on your fans that spend money on your music.

Think about it like this: To make $10,000, you’d need roughly 3 million streams. Alternatively, you could get 100 fans to give you $100. Change those numbers however you need to; it’s a much more realistic feat. Am I saying to take advantage of fans and milk them for all they’ve got? Absolutely not. Your relationship with your fans is personal as much as it is transactional. They want to engage with you and your music and support you, just like you want them to appreciate your music and pay you for your talents.

• Who are your “superfans”?
  It’s exactly how it sounds. Your “superfans” are the ones who come to each show, engage with all of your content, join your mailing lists, and share your music freely. When you drop new merch, they buy it and wear it in the front row. They also sign up for your Patreon, Bandcamp, email lists, or hit your donation links. They are the fans who provide notable support, specifically financial support.

• How do you get “superfans”?
  Maybe you have grown a pretty large social following, but how many of them convert into revenue? Give them a chance to become “superfans”! They don’t just appear out of thin air, you have to create opportunities for them. That being said, there’s some work to put in.

  • Create Community: Whether that’s a Facebook or Instagram group, an sms or email list, create a space where you connect more personally with a smaller group of fans. Run contests, announce tour dates and releases before they hit your main feed, offer limited runs of merch, or just chat with them. Whatever you do, give them priority over your average Joe audience member.

  • Get Personal: “We’ll be at the merch booth after the show” isn’t just a time-filler or call to action; it’s an invitation for your audience to meet you personally. So introduce yourself! Ask their name and if it’s their first show, what did they like? If they’re not interested in merch give them something for free, and if they are offer to sign it. (Freebie: offer autographed edition merch at a small markup, then autograph it for free if it’s their first show. People remember these interactions, and forgoing $5 there can add up in the long run).

  • Stay in Touch: Keep an email list at the merch booth and ask fans to sign up when they check out, offer some free merch, or ask them to scan a QR code linking them to your community and other key platforms. If possible, keep tabs on these folks, import your new mailing list, and keep them organized by market so you can follow up with them directly. I’ve seen bands do this before, and while it sounds like it may come off as weird, it works well to think that they remembered meeting me at their last show and would love to see me at the next one.

  • Make it Exclusive, Not Secretive:
    Don’t make your fans hang around for months before they hear about your communities. Talk about them like you would any other activity. Just do it less regularly- once a month, every other month, whatever feels right- and keeps it exclusive but not secretive. Do live hangouts during practice, post funny or engaging moments interacting with your audience, and repost posts within the community. Things like this give a glimpse into what your community can offer (and can give you extra content to keep followers engaged).

Turning fans into “superfans” is easier said than done. Even if they love your music, how can they support you if you don’t give them an array of ways to do so? Time and money have to be set aside to create exclusive content, manage your communities, and keep offerings fresh. But if you do it well, it can be well worth it. By strategizing around your “superfans” and staying dedicated to them, you can capitalize on their dedication to you.

If you need help starting or managing your communities, creating your “superfan” strategy, or are just looking for ideas, reach out to the Commune team—we’d love to help you build stronger connections with your fans.