Managing the Fans
You Love: Part 2
From the Editor: Hurricane Katrina, like other catastrophic events, reminds us of the truly important things in life, like letting the people that are dearest to us know that we love and appreciate them. And this truism applies to more than ones immediate circle of friends and family. Not to be glib, but as we covered in last month's intro to Fan Base Management, nothing, I mean nothing, is more important for an Indie artist's career than to wrap your arms around your fans and continually give them a group hug. The route to success involves more than just creating music, you must also develop a following, a community of fans that support you and that you support in return. Another lesson to be gleaned by events such as Katrina, is that good communication is an essential element of any successful venture - the lack of it jeopardizes lives and careers. Here in part 2, we explore how integrating mobile (text) messaging can help you communicate more effectively with your fans and can increase the overall efficiency of your Fan Base Management efforts.

Text messaging ("texting") is absolutely ubiquitous in Europe, partly because wireless carriers across the pond generally don’t charge recipients to receive messages, which is often how it works in the U.S. But in case you haven’t noticed, text messaging is catching on in the U.S. as well and fast becoming a powerful marketing tool. And Indie artists and music biz entrepreneurs, wherever they dwell, must constantly be on the prowl for creating and maximizing opportunities.

Such was the case with the U.K.-based band, Carma, who last September approached the British company TextYou, to see how they could adapt the company's BarPromoter software, which helps club owners promote shows at their venues, for the band's own promotional efforts. "They quickly realized that what we were doing with the nightclubs could help them," says TextYou Managing Director Chris Newell. By December 2004, TextYou had developed "Fanbase Manager" an online fan base management service that helps bands consolidate all of their fan communications in one place for a monthly fee. The new version just out this month includes scheduling, which allows artists to cue up all of their emails and text messages and schedule them to go out at particular times (quite useful for the touring band that wants to alert fans to shows without constantly getting to a computer). "We can now keep our fans updated easily and with maximum impact, even when we’re on the road thanks to Fanbase Manager" says the band.

Expect to see more services like these to pop up and with increasingly "futurama" capabilities. Mobile phone companies are already working on "location-based" marketing tools that utilize GPS chips (global positioning systems) that will notify shoppers of retailer's special deals as potential consumers walk past shop windows.

Assuming this doesn’t completely creep people out, you could potentially find out which fans were within a half-mile radius of the club and then send them a message asking them to come on over. That’s a bit off in the future, but there are plenty of less Orwellian opportunities available right now. For example, bands could use texting to offer fans special gifts or discounted tickets to shows, or maybe just wish them a happy birthday. "That personal touch can help you build loyalty," Newell says.

It can also cost you some money. For example, sending text messages through Fanbase Manager costs about 12 cents per message. Subscribers to the service can manage and send out all the email they want as part of the monthly fee. It’s probably a good idea to strike a balance between good communications and that which borders on, well…annoying. For example, your fans may not appreciate a constant barrage of messages and emails, even if they love your music. Stay in touch, but do so in moderation. "The big risk you run is people opting out of your fan base" because you overdid it on the communication front, says Newell.

Fanbase Manager actually offers some premium services that can involve monthly fees, but you can get started for a one-time fee to send text messages and emails. In fact, TextYou is offering a special $49.95 sign-up fee for Atlas Plugged subscribers if you check Atlas Plugged in the "where you heard about us" box when signing up. Newell says the text messaging function should work with U.S. phones. And while this stuff can cost money, Newell insists that proper fan base management is worth the investment because it can pay dividends as the band’s fan base increases in size. "We’re trying to pitch it to the band who really wants to make it," he says.

Of course, you don’t have to spend a lot of coin to take advantage of new technology. Even without signing up for a service like Fanbase Manager, a band’s front man/woman can still capitalize on mobile messaging. Perhaps the singer announces in the middle of a set that attendees who text message a particular cell number (perhaps the designated "band cell phone") with their contact info gets an automatic discount on the CD or other merchandise. That way, no one needs to find that mailing-list clipboard in the corner or a pen, for that matter. The possibilities are endless, really. And for emerging artists, increasing the realm of possibilities is always a good place to start.

(Mike Grebb is a writer, journalist and singer/songwriter based in Washington, D.C. He has written for numerous publications, including Wired and Billboard. He just completed his debut solo record, Resolution, which is available at www.mikegrebb.com).