Category: sethwCategory: sethw

Since I’ve left Twitter and deleted Instagram from my phone, I’ve been missing some stuff.

I still see things (friends send me links, or I find stuff from my day job duties), but damn, everyone is still mullet marketing.

I saw some amazing photos of bands killing it at Download Festival. Then I go to their website, and see album art and YouTube embeds.

I see bands hyping their new album, re-sharing all the cool DSP playlist adds, the heartfelt thanks to media outlets, and the fans. Long, finely crafted Instagram captions paired with inspiring photos!

Get pumped!

Then I get their email newsletter and it’s just album mock ups and a BUY button.

No magic, just business.

Not all your fans follow you on every social network. And even if they do, only a small percentage are going to see your posts.

“Don’t spend all your effort on the “billboard,” then neglect your own establishment.”

Put your best stuff on your website.
Put it in your email newsletters.

Remember – when someone buys a record, or a concert ticket, a receipt gets sent to their email account.

And every smart phone comes with an email app pre-installed.

You can write an email directly to your fans. Your customers. Your biggest supporters.

Your website could look like a full page magazine spread with big photos and YOUR branding all over it.

Instead it’s low effort, so-easy-an-intern-could-send-it “email blasts.”

Like Seth Godin says, the problem with the race to the bottom is you just might win.

Ally Crowley-Duncan plays the bagpipe.

She posted a video of herself playing some Metallica songs, and of course an internet ding dong left a comment saying “bagpipes don’t belong in Metallica.”

Then Metallica leaves a reply, saying “this guy doesn’t speak on our behalf. You’re awesome.”

That’s magic.

What I’m getting at is this; don’t leave all that magic on social media, because (ahem) these sites sure didn’t.

Each one of those sites sold ad-impressions against that story. They made money from that magic.

That ain’t wrong or bad, it’s just how the internet works.

And it’s why you should be doing the same fucking thing.

Put your magic on your website, then arrange some of your merch items around it. Or tour dates.

Get enough people to your site, and people will buy something. Fans buying things is good, because then you can pay the rent.

Fill your website and newsletter with your magic; the videos, the wit, the sass, the live photos from sold-out festivals.

Your social media feeds are the party. Loose and free, filled with witty rants, spontaneous photos, lengthy captions.

The likes pour in, and the replies.

Party in the back.

Then you subscribe to a band’s newsletter and get their “email blast,” which is just a few vinyl mock-ups of their album, some text, a button.

No lively text. No attitude. No swagger.

Business in the front.

Don’t fall victim to mullet marketing – make your email newsletter and website as riveting as your social media feeds.

It’s all magic and machinery.

The magic comes first.

When asked for his music business “how to make it” insight, my dear friend says this; “write good songs.”

This is usually followed by “yeah but…”

But nothing.

Write good songs, that’s the magic.

If you’re not in a band, put out a great product, take great photos, write well, release good videos. Whatever.

Next is the machinery; a good bio photo, website, maybe a booking agent or a publicist at some point. An email list, too.

Sometimes you can make it on just magic, or just machinery.

I’ve seen talented acts over the last 20+ years go nowhere.

I’ve seen hardworking color by number acts make it, too.

Magic, art, design – its all mystical, and that’s what we’re dealing with here every single day.

This bit from Julia Evans is about email lists, and the myth of “you have to trick people into signing up for your email marketing list.”

If you clearly communicate who your mailing list will help, then people can easily filter themselves in, and the only people on the list will be happy to be on the list. And then you don’t have to send any unwanted email at all! Hooray!

I want to break down that first line a bit, and how it applies to all of us here at SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB:

If you clearly communicate who your mailing list will help…

Maybe not help, in our case, but delight. Excite. Who will love seeing our email pop up in their inbox?

Fans, right? People who enjoy what we write, what we do, the songs we play, the products we ship, the podcasts we produce.

So if you “clearly communicate” that, you’ll have “people on the list will be happy to be on the list.”

This means you can finally stop worrying about being spammy.

People signed up, right? So don’t be afraid to show up in their inbox more than once a month. Most of your fans won’t see your posts on social media because of algorithms, but most of your fans will open your next email.

Read the rest of Julia’s post, ‘A few things I’ve learned about email marketing,’ for sending out emails with less MARKETING vibes (via Kottke).

Do I want free donuts? Yes.

Do I want rewards? Well wait, what are the rewards? How do I get them?

I went out for a donut and iced coffee today.

The owner and I got talking about websites, social media, and email marketing of course – yes, I’m loads of fun at parties!

The owner told me the challenge of getting people into their reward program (buy enough donuts and coffee, get free donuts).

Her pitch is basically, “do you want to join our rewards program?”

And those go (usually) three ways:

1. Yeah, sure.
2. No, thanks.
3. Wait, what’s the rewards program?

For me, if you ask someone who’s buying donuts if they want free donuts, I think that changes the response a bit, to something like:

1. Uhh, yes.
2. Wait, what?

➡️ Think of this when writing subject lines.

Your “West Coast Tour Dates Announced” subject line is great for fans on the West Coast, but a horrible subject line for everyone else.

For someone like me in Pennsylvania, I have no incentive to open that email. Go have fun, West Coast!

But a subject line that says, “Do you remember when those cowboys got us back on the road when our van broke down?” – that’s for everyone! I want my van-repairing cowboys!

Then, of course (ahem), include your West Coast tour info later in the email, for your West Coast fans.

➡️ Think of this when asking your social media followers to subscribe to your newsletter.

When you say “sign up for updates,” people who’ve been on the internet for more than five seconds can already assume what they’re signing up for; deals, discounts, sales, bargains, big BUY NOW buttons.

Boring.

Make it easy for your fans to say “yes, I want that.”

Do you want free donuts? Yes.

Do you want more of my art? Yes.

Do you want more photos of my travels? Yes.

Do you want more writing? Yes.

Don’t tell me to sign up for updates, tell me what I’m getting.

Make your ask so good I have to say yes.