If you are a singer, songwriter, band member, performing artist or creative business owner you will know how important it is to reach out to potential followers and to build relationships with existing contacts BUT where do you begin?
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel confused and overwhelmed with social media and this prevents me from doing anything at all. My Inbox and Facebook feeds are splattered each day with sponsored ads offering a plethora of courses, tip sheets, web assessments, eBooks and the like… but where do you begin and who has the time to wade through all those options?
Often artists make the mistake of trying to increase their followers, i.e. to get more ‘Likes’ without considering the overall goal behind those Likes. We need to remember that first and foremost we are building relationships. Some people are so intent on getting more and more Likes that they fail to build the relationship with their existing supporters. These supporters already know and trust you but they may not remain loyal followers if you do not engage with them. Statistics are clear, it is much more difficult to acquire a new fan or client than it is to get an existing fan or client to purchase from you on a regular basis.
So, what can you do right now to build relationships with fans and potential clients? How can you use social media to increase following and increase your engagement, without spending a cent?
Your email list and your social networks are key channels to building strong relationships with your followers and potential clients.
Here are some tips to consider:
Review all your email names and addresses
Review all your emails and make a list of people you could contact. Send an email and ask your friends and business associates if you can add them to your mailing list. Take this opportunity to say hi and tell then a little bit about what you are working on and what you will be sharing with them when they hear from you in the future.
What about your newsletter?
Newsletters are a great way to engage people if they contain quality content. MailChimp is a convenient and free way to create professional looking newsletters in a short amount of time.
It’s good to aim to send your newsletter out once per month. Be sure to be consistent and don’t forget to include great images and numerous ways to contact you.
Introduce a ‘sign up’ sheet
Whenever you perform live invite people to join your mailing list. Have a sign up sheet ready at every performance. You could offer people who sign up an incentive such as a free mp3 track (if you are a muso) or something that is affordable for you and valuable for your fan/client.
Include a special offer on your website
Most people will not sign up to an email without an incentive. It is a great idea to offer something in return for the sign up such as a free download, merchandise, video, MP3 etc. There are a number of software tools to automate the sign up and to track responses such Lead Pages and Conversion in a Box.
Ask for testimonials
Ask fans and past clients for a testimonial and place these on your website or social media pages. These help build interest in you and they increase your credibility.
Get involved on Facebook
Think of your contacts on Facebook as if you were sitting with them over a coffee. If it were their birthday you would sing happy birthday, if they had a new job you would congratulate them. Be creative, use your smartphone and send a personal video message or make their day and sing Happy Birthday.
Start a Blog
Blogs are a great way to share information, thoughts, photos, videos etc. There are numerous ways to get up and running with a blog. Tumblr is a convenient platform to create and share your content. WordPress websites also provide a Blog option.
You might like to refer to my blog Blogging for Creatives for further tips on making your blog stand out from the crowd.
(By the way, if you do not have a website, I recommend you get one ASAP. You don’t have to spend a truckload of money on a website but having your own website that you control is essential.)
I hope you found these tips helpful.
Click here to download my FREE eBook ‘CREATIVELY STUCK, 5 Strategies To Unlock Your Creative Flow And Get Focused.’
I also offer a FREE Discovery Session via Skype where we work together to help you identify your specific creative blocks and how to overcome them so you get on with what you love to do. If you are interested drop me a line at monica@creativeedgecoaching.com.au and we will set up a time for your one-on-one session.
Here’s to you embracing your creative edge by increasing your ‘Likes’ on social media!
Monica O’Brien is a professionally trained and accredited Coach and founder of Creative Edge Coaching www.creativeedgecoaching.com.au. She blogs on issues about creativity and small business development for conscious artists and business entrepreneurs.
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