An artist is no bigger than their audience. You live off the loyalty and willingness to pay of others, and you depend on reaching the right people. Where and how you communicate with your fans can be crucial to your success.
/ 28/03/2019 / Kristian DugstadAn artist is no bigger than their audience. You live off the loyalty and willingness to pay of others, and you depend on reaching the right people. Where and how you communicate with your fans can be crucial to your success.
It can be hard to imagine an artist's career without a handful of social media profiles. A free opportunity to reach a huge audience is every public figure's dream. However, the reality is not so simple.
More and more people are competing for people's attention, and people's attention spans are becoming more and more limited. Your online presence can feel like a battle against algorithms and technology. A battle you may feel you can't win.
There are countless different views on what is the right way to communicate with your audience. Dutch journalist and author Cor Hospes believes that social media is a waste of time. At the Eurosonic 2019 music industry festival in the Netherlands, Hospes was a speaker. The title of the seminar, “Social Media Sucks,” didn’t leave much to the imagination.
– Artists and festivals are brands, but they don't always realize it themselves. The most important thing for a brand is to build a loyal audience, but very few manage to do this. I think it's because many people use social media exclusively as a communication channel. Their own websites are outdated and unused.
Hospes believes it's barely possible to reach your audience on social media today without paying for visibility. He has a clear suggestion for what he thinks they should do instead.
– Instead, look at artists like In Flames, Katy Perry and Pearl Jam, and how they have built their own websites as news channels. They are like magazines where the artists tell stories, create engagement and sell products. A platform the audience actively seeks out.
However, there are a number of examples of careers built on social media. Norwegian music artist Matoma is an unparalleled success story. Stian Reinhartsen has been responsible for the DJ's online channels and is one of the founders of the agency Reinhartsen Media.
– There are several artists who have built their brand through social media. It is possible to get attention, but you have to be unique and stand out from the crowd. Create content that people can relate to. What value does what you communicate have for the recipient.
Reinhartsen is living proof that it is possible to make a living on social media. He believes that standing out and creating value for the audience is both the challenge and the key to attention on the internet.
– It is still possible to succeed, even without paying for advertising. But you have to make a bigger effort to stand out. You have to dare to try new ideas. If you are all A4 you will never get anywhere.
He also emphasizes that it is not necessary to have expensive equipment and enormous expertise.
– Some of the most viral things we see on social media right now are “Low production”
Value creation is an important keyword, also for Cor Hospes. Like Reinhartsen, he believes that artists must earn the audience's attention by giving them something of value.
– Talk, communicate and tell stories. We want to travel with the artists we like, know how they make music and see what they do when they are not on stage. Have regular events on regular days. This way you create trust, expectation and enthusiasm in the audience.
However, this is content that should be created on the artists' own websites, Hospes believes. Unlike social media, this is a place free from noise from other senders.
– The next step is to build a database of information about your audience. Once you have an email address or phone number, you can really engage in direct communication. For example, you can send tailored messages to those who live in the next city you are going to play in.
Databases and direct contact with fans are something Reinhartsen also believes in. He would also advise artists not to write off the opportunities social media offers.
– Time and energy are limited resources for everyone in creative professions and you should do a few “channels” well instead of doing many half-heartedly. But you don’t have to be on every platform. Be where your audience is!
