In today’s modern world, building an email list may seem a bit old-fashioned. However, this is a huge misconception, especially for musicians.
We’ll break down why musicians need email lists below and showcase a couple of free tools to help you start building your own. Let’s dive in!
Why Should Musicians Collect Emails?
So, why should musicians collect emails in the first place? You might be a bit skeptical about the power of a strong email list, but consider the following benefits of building a list of your own:
- You don’t have to depend on algorithms to connect with your fans. Social media is an awesome way to connect with fans, but the reality is that your posts or music won’t always reach your target audience, even if your fans follow you. Email is one of the few forms of contact you can depend on to reach a high percentage of your included fans relative to other promotion tactics.
- Emails provide valuable data. Emails can be used to help you map out tour dates, see where your most dedicated fans are, and more. Having control of these data points can make it easier for you to build off of your current success.
- It sets you up to become a long-term artist in a listener’s eyes. Emails naturally feel more personal than what we’re fed on social media. This unique channel provides plenty of opportunities for you to connect with your fans in an entirely new way.
How To Collect Emails On Koji
Koji provides plenty of ways to collect emails through your link in bio. For a straightforward approach, simply add the Collect Email mini-app to your supercharged link. Provide a title of your link like “Sign up for our newsletter!”, description. and optional disclaimer, and your fans are free to sign up.
You also have the option to collect first and last names, though this is optional. Be sure to customize your “Collect Email” link to match up with what fans will receive by joining your email list. For instance, your link text could be “Sign up to hear tour updates!” or “Get exclusive BTS via email.”
There’s also a bunch of Koji mini apps that have email collection built into the workflow. These apps are certainly worth checking out and can help you bolster your reach as an artist, all while helping you build your email list:
- Locked Photo and Video: Share exclusive photos and videos to fans behind a pay wall or email collection.
- Giveaway: Fans can enter into a giveaway or contest by providing their email.
- Fund My Project: Crowd fund your album or any other aspect of your project and export emails of your supporters.
- Unlock By: Offer exclusive content in exchange for fans providing their email or following you on social platforms.
How To Use An Email List As A Musician
Once you’ve built up an email list, it’s time to put it to good use! Here are a couple of ways you might want to utilize your email list as a musician:
Plan Your Tour
Streaming, unfortunately, doesn’t always convert to sales. However, a controlled environment like an email list can make it easy for you to map out where your dedicated fans are located. You can offer surveys in the email list for additional information on what your most dedicated audience members are looking for, and how you can amplify your growth.
Connect With Fans
Email is undoubtedly a charming way to connect with fans. You likely aren’t sandwiched in between other fan newsletters, so there isn’t as much competition for your fans’ attention. Take full advantage of these spaces by providing more personalized content to reward your most engaged audience members.
Provide Premium or Early Access
Whether you want to do a soft merch release or offer an early-access ticket code, email newsletters are the place to do it! Email newsletters are safe spaces to test out new features and see how your top fans react to an early drop of music or content.
Announce New Releases and Features
Last but not least, email lists are just another social channel for you to share your latest works with your fans. Just like any other platform, an email newsletter can help you reach a different subset of fans than other social platforms, so it’s certainly worth exploring for that reason alone.
Announce your latest release, share tour dates, and let your fans know when you’re thinking of them! This is a great channel to stay connected with your audience even when you’re not in the thick of making an album. Consistent quality contact breeds loyal fans.
How Do I Promote My Email Collector?
To make the most out of your email collector, you need to put some promotion power behind it. Here are a couple of ways to promote your Email Collector.
Use More Than One Mini App
As mentioned, there are multiple Koji mini apps that can be used to collect emails. Take advantage of these features to capture fans from different audiences. The mini apps all offer unique incentives, so the wider your range, the more likely you are to gather more emails.
Tell Your Fans
This sounds simple, but shouting out your mini apps is one of the best ways to get fans to visit them. Let your fans know how using your mini apps helps support your art and what they can look forward to by using them.
Create a Contest
Use mini apps like Giveaway to promote email collection while offering your fans a prize or exclusive access to your art. If you notice fans signing up for your email list, be sure to show them some extra love on social media!
Showcase Newsletter Snippets
Let fans know what they’re missing. You can share small snippets of your latest newsletter on your story or main feed linking out to your Koji for sign up.
How To Make Your Emails Count
Having a list is one thing, but putting it to good use is another. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind to keep your fans engaged over email.
- Give your fans something to look forward to. When it comes to building a strong list, consistency is key. Try to pick a consistent time or schedule to send your list, so your fans know when to expect it.
- Provide quality content. Your newsletter should offer your fans a unique experience and value that they can’t find elsewhere. You can still promote your music (as you should) in your newsletter, but you need provide your fans with excellent content to back up your call to action.
- Don’t get sent to spam. Consistency is important, but you don’t want to send out too many emails and bombard your fans.
- A strong subject line makes all the difference. Don’t settle for generic subject lines. Think about what would grab your fan’s attention or stand out in their inbox. Keep it casual and personal.
- Focus on a single call to action. You don’t want to make your newsletters feel like promotional mail, so try to stick to just one or two calls to action in every newsletter. The rest of the email should be focused on providing unique value to your audience.
- Keep the design simple and accessible. Remember that your fans might only skim over your newsletter for a couple of seconds, so keep the design approachable and minimal. Make sure your newsletter is easy to read on both desktop and mobile views, and always beta test your newsletter before sending it out to the masses.
Email lists are a powerful tool that can help you amplify your audience, better own your relationship with your supporters, and connect with fans on a deeper level. Set up your profile with Email Collection below!
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