Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor
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Bob Baker's Indie Music Promotion Blog
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February 22, 2007
John Legend on Music Marketing
I've been saying it for years. A direct connection with fans is crucial to your survival as an artist. That's why a mailing list is all important.
BUT ... don't just ask people to sign up for your email updates. That's bland, boring and full of "who cares?" Instead, ask fans to join your special club. That's what rising star John Legend does.
On his fan club web site, the R&B singer-songwriter asks people to join the John Legend Network. Here's the text he uses to promote it:
I beg you to read this and understand the importance of it. Saying, "Hey, we got a mailing list over here if you wanna sign up" is dropping the ball. Connection and interactivity are key. Create special perks and incentives for people to join your inner circle. Then regularly interact with and deliver those perks (and more) to your fans.
That's the best way to promote yourself in this new era of music marketing.
-Bob
BUT ... don't just ask people to sign up for your email updates. That's bland, boring and full of "who cares?" Instead, ask fans to join your special club. That's what rising star John Legend does.
On his fan club web site, the R&B singer-songwriter asks people to join the John Legend Network. Here's the text he uses to promote it:
Members of the Legend Network Fan Club enjoy exclusive access to the following:
Advance access to concert ticket pre-sales for premier seating to John Legend's tours.
Ticket giveaways, meet and greets and concert ticket upgrades! Keys to the Legend Network store, where all items are 10% off in the official John Legend Store and limited edition merchandise will be offered.
Members-only Website - www.johnlegendnetwork.com - an unprecedented resource of John Legend news, tour information, interactive behind-the-scenes multimedia, an extensive collection of photographs, monthly contests and giveaways (for US residents only), interviews along with a members-only message board and chat room.
John Legend Membership Kit - Includes an unreleased live CD, John Legend: Live at the Tin Angel, and an exclusive laminate that gets Legend Network members special perks when they attend John Legend shows.
We welcome you to join the Legend Network, as we bring members closer to each other and closer to John Legend.
I beg you to read this and understand the importance of it. Saying, "Hey, we got a mailing list over here if you wanna sign up" is dropping the ball. Connection and interactivity are key. Create special perks and incentives for people to join your inner circle. Then regularly interact with and deliver those perks (and more) to your fans.
That's the best way to promote yourself in this new era of music marketing.
-Bob
posted by Bob Baker @ 10:32 AM
2 comments
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Bob Baker is an author, indie musician and former music magazine editor dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more CDs, and increase their incomes.
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Don't forget that you can go a step further and play the "street team" approach. This not only gets people in your circle, but offers them additional incentives to promote your music, as well.
There's no better buzz than fan to potential fan.
I love the John's Legend Network. John is doing a good job with being connected to his fan base. He posts on the messageboard with us, he's dropped in the chat room while fans;supporters were in there (not just the moderated chat that he's had with fans), and we have the coolest contests each month.
The last contest (for Valentines Day) was called "Write Your Own Baby Making Song Contest" where supporters can submit songs or poems that they wrote for their Valentine and John personally picked the one he liked best and recorded the song for the special couple.
He's really great and interested in getting to know his fan base, he remembers names and faces sometimes at shows. It's really great. I highly recommend John Legend fans to join. John Legend's community is the only celebrity community that I've ever been apart of, but it is great, and the other supporters are great too, we get to know each other on the messageboard and in the chat room, and some of us hang out together off line.
We met through our appreciation of John's music, and developed cool friendships as a result. This is one of the most positive experiences of my life.