Category: Social MediaCategory: Social Media

If you don’t think you have anything interesting to send an email once a week to your fans, tell me: what are you posting multiple times per day across several social media platforms?

It’s more mullet marketing.

Party in the back: social media is fun and loose!
Business in the front: email is for transactions! Sales!

All that stuff you share on social media (that a fraction of your audience even sees) are all things your fans enjoy and read and share.

You know this by the likes and comments.

And how many times have we seen metal blogs make an entire story about a band member’s social media post?

And who doesn’t love peteY? Business in the email (LOGO, TEXT, BUTTONS), party on the socials:

Yes, I know peteY’s whimsical videos on socials are the marketing for his real-life music which seems to be doing very well (this email was sent via UMG), but… as a fan which feels more familiar? This adorable face on the screen, or… big pre-save buttons?

And while Stray From The Path probably won’t send out an email of Craig’s rants (but shit, I’d subscribe), well… there’s no email list to subscribe to on their website anyways, so what’s any of this even matter?! Hah!

GET TO THE POINT, SETH.

What I mean is this: the audience you’re reaching on social media seems to enjoy your photos and writing and videos and commentary.

Why not share some of that with your email list audience?

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.

Don’t put all your online marketing into one social media basket.

“Six-in-ten Americans who have used Twitter in the past 12 months say they have taken a break from the platform for a period of several weeks or more during that span.”

If you’re only using Twitter to reach your fans, a lot of people have left the site, according to Pew Research.

“Among current or recent Twitter users, a larger share of women than men say it is unlikely they will be on the platform in a year (30% vs. 20%).”

If you saw a 30% dip in sales, or 30% less people showing up at your events, you’d notice.

Right now – today – is the time to think about your Social Media Escape Plan:

If anything happens to these platforms, we lose the ability to reach our fans.

So get in the habit now of asking your fans to subscribe to your email newsletter, then build a content strategy today on how and when you’re going to reach your fans with an email newsletter.

Seriously, don’t wait until you lose contact with your fans to start thinking about this.

At this rate Twitter seems like it could implode tomorrow.
Then what?

P.S. I deactivated my Twitter account this weekend. I’ve been on there since 2006, and was one of the first 3000 users. See ya.

I’ve heard the mullet described as, “business in the front, party in the back.”

Usually, an artist’s social media feeds is the party.

Loose and free, filled with witty rants, spontaneous photos, and lengthy captions.

The likes pour in, the replies, the engagement.

That’s the “party in the back.”

But then you subscribe to an artist’s email newsletter and get their “email blast.”

Some images, text, a button that says “BUY NOW.”

No lively text. No attitude. No swagger.

That’s “business in the front.”

Please, go ahead and break my inbox and my heart with your sad tales from the road. I can take it.

Show up in my inbox like you do on my social media feeds.

Make me laugh with your snarky videos, and your dry humor.

Include some photos from tour, the studio, and your practice space.

Instead of giving Zuck & Musk your best material for them to monetize, pour your magic into the emails that you send to your fans.