• Getting people onto your email list

    This could be on your shop window or merch table. A simple way for people to scan a code, enter their info, and be added to your email list (good to have a backup pen and paper list, too). [KEEP READING]

  • Give fans a reason to leave social media and subscribe to your newsletter

    If you want people from Instagram to subscribe to your Substack, understand that you are competing with an app built by a company with over 60,000 employees. The motivation of Meta employees is to keep you scrolling, engaged, and plugged into their ecosystem of products – Instagram, Facebook, DMs and messages. Your fans on social… [KEEP READING]

  • WELCOME EMAILS

    Here’s the second clip from Audience Republic, talking about the importance of welcome emails. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Audience Republic (@audience_republic) [KEEP READING]

  • WHY SENDING FANS TO SOCIAL MEDIA IS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE

    Had a great talk with Rod Yates at Audience Republic email marketing. The first clip is based on a post I wrote in my Social Media Escape Club newsletter, ‘Find out why you should stop promoting your social media accounts in your newsletters.’ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Audience Republic (@audience_republic) [KEEP READING]

  • Your Marketing Should Be As Unique as Your Art

    Artist Louise Stigell says, “just because other businesses (are super annoying, and sales-y, and in people’s face, and really eager) in your inbox does not mean that you have to behave that way.” Many creative folks send boring emails. It’s mullet marketing, and you have my permission to do way better. [KEEP READING]

  • RENAMING

    I wrote the HEAVY METAL EMAIL newsletter for about two years, but about ten days ago, I renamed it to SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE CLUB. That new name came about over the last two years, as I was sending 2-3 emails per week. It started with the SOCIAL MEDIA ESCAPE PLAN, a play on the mighty… [KEEP READING]

  • Less Catalog, More Connection

    Less Catalog, More Connection

    NO CURE vocalist Blaythe Steuer said from stage at Furnace Fest that he better not catch anyone littering. The band is from Birmingham, Alabama. I’m sure “mention littering” was not on the marketing plan, but the universe did its thing, and here we are. Steuer could have said nothing, of course. But he mentioned littering, and… [KEEP READING]

  • SEND YOUR FANS AN EMAIL, PLEASE

    Seven things your band could send to your email list after a big show: 1. Photos of setting up, playing, and hanging out afterwards. 2. A handful of the photos you took with fans, and the super cool people you met backstage, like that guy that wears yellow glasses and writes about heavy metal email… [KEEP READING]

  • 40% OF THE BANDS PLAYING FURNACE FEST HAVE AN EMAIL LIST

    Of the 90 bands playing Furnace Fest later this week…– 46 bands have a website (51%)– 23 bands don’t have a website, but use a “Link In Bio” service (25%)– 36 bands have an email newsletter (40%) Of the 36 bands with a newsletter, just three sent me a solid “Welcome Email,” while the others were plain… [KEEP READING]

  • MORE HAND TO HAND COMBAT

    “I would also send DMs to new Twitter followers, thanking them for the follow and letting them know about my newsletter,” says Dylan Redekop Since Twitter and other social media networks love throttling your reach when you include a link in your post, experiment with sending DMs to new followers, or maybe people that regularly reply… [KEEP READING]