Working to build a fan base is a hard thing, but often I see artists making it much harder by falling into bad (or naive) habits. Read on, little soldiers!
1) LINKING ALL OF YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES If you post the same stuff two places there's absolutely no reason for fans to be on the other page. Even though some repetition is inevitable it's good to spread the info/entertainment between the Facebooks, VampireFreaks, and Twitter accounts. And if you're thinking "Well I just need people on ONE of those to get the word out", remember that the larger your army/glee club of fans is the more potential NEW fans will be intrigued as they'll see the numbers and wonder just what this hot new underground artist is doing to have so many fans already.
2) POSTING THE SAME SPAM OVER AND OVER (and nothing BUT spam) I'll put this simply-- if you post the same EXACT copy about your new album/poem/art show repeatedly people will tune out. People definitely need to be reminded consistently about your new stuff (there's a lot of competition for your hard-earned eartime, after all), but learn how to say the same thing 12 ways. Don't spam any site more than once a day, especially if the release is a ways off, and remember that using humor makes the repetition go down a bit easier. This also goes hand-in-hand with not posting the same stuff on the same sites-- it's a good idea to alternate days when posting spammishness on different social networking sites.
Also, if all you DO is spam your new stuff you will NOT have a lot of people staying with you. People want to be entertained and waste time on the web, and if your Facebook is nothing but a virtual billboard for your new horror anthology or new single I know personally I'll remove that site from my list. This goes triply for new artists-- you need to KEEP PEOPLE INTERESTED. Bigger artists can just mention a tour date and have an orgasm of likes and comments. Why? They've established the relationship, but you haven't. You need people to remember you, and not as an annoying spambot. And not even the sexy kind, most likely.
3) STARTING DRAMA WITH OTHER ARTISTS JUST TO BE A DICK Think before you react. Yes yes yes, I know your fans will rally to your side and have a chuckle if you get into ridiculous internet drama with another artist and it engages them and all that stuff and CONTROVERSY SELLS, but at the same time (and especially for NEW artists), your being an immature douchenozzle may turn off more potential fans than you want. Sure, your 300 fans think it's funny when you (possibly deservedly) trash an artist with 5000 fans (after all, you're the CRAZY BADASS UNDERDOG...in your mind.), but those 5000 fans of the other artist might be into YOUR music given the chance, but if the other artist is trashing you back you might be closing doors faster than opening them. After all, they already like THEM, and they don't even know YOU yet.
Be professional. Be smart. Pick battles worth picking. And don't do it just because you're hungover and reactionary.
4) STOPPING PROMOTION ON A NEW RELEASE SHORTLY AFTER IT'S OUT Think of a new release like a bike and not a boxcar racer. Boxcar racers are awesome, but after that initial push the momentum can only get you to the bottom of the hill and...you're done. With a bike you can keep the momentum going, but YOU have to keep doing the work. A new release ideally has the initial excitement and a big push when it first comes out, but it will most likely lose that momentum if you stop pushing it. Sure, I know it gets old mentioning that damn album months after it's released, but that's why you try and figure out other ways to talk about it (see all the way back to #2 for that info again...did you forget it already?). Releasing digital singles, free remixes of tracks from it, etc. are a great way to re-engage fans and remind them that your awesome new music is out. And if you can do interviews or podcasts or ANYTHING after it's out then DO THEM, as this is a marathon, not a sprint, and thanks to most of us having zero publicity budget it might take some fans longer to find out about the new release. Don't let them down, darn it.
5) NOT PROMOTING CREATIVELY I've said it before and I'll say it again- let your limitations be your inspirations. You don't need a million dollar promotional budget to make a cheap, creative YouTube video to promote your new stuff. Think about what you (or a helpful friend) are good at and try and incorporate those talents into making your marketing as creative and distinctive as possible. More people probably know me because of my marketing than actual music (hell, more people probably like my marketing MORE than my music, but oh well) and that's because I've always taken pride in trying to do more with less. Luckily I'm a decent writer and am willing to take chances to get people's attention-- if you say dejectedly to yourself "I think this is an amazing idea...but I've never seen it before", YOU MUST DO THIS IDEA IF YOU CAN. People will NOTICE a great idea. People will NOT notice another boring, half-assed spam message or poorly constructed, clichéd album blurb.
You want to impress people, not make them regret taking a few minutes of their day reading/watching lame garbage.
6) THINKING YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING PAGE HAS TO BE EXCLUSIVELY ABOUT *YOU* Listen, when it comes down to it NONE of us are interesting or have important stuff to say all of the time, and if you do you're...well you're an idiot. And I know the majority of artists have their pages pretty much to pimp their music and give fans a place to congregate, but the best way to keep them there is give them a reason to STAY. That can't be done by mentioning the same crap over and over again. Nope, you need to cut the monotony of being a self-serving, egotistical artist with being a generous, chill sharer of OTHER cool stuff.
I post links, songs from other artists, and more stupid quips than I probably have any right to. Why? Two reasons: 1) I'm an attention whore, and 2) I get bored with myself faster than my wife does so it's more fun sharing stuff *I* like rather than always sharing my latest epic work of art. Again, it gives people a reason to stay, to pull up a comfy e-chair, smoke an internet bowl, and chill the hell out for a while and joke around. Make your social networking page more about being your man/woman cave rather than a Me Fest and you'll have a lot more fun, as will your fans.
(And psst- it's STILL a Me Fest, because it's your damn page. WIN!)
7) HIJACKING ANOTHER ARTIST'S FAN PAGE TO PROMOTE YOUR OWN STUFF Yes, I know it's important to spread the word on a new release, and yes I know X-ARTIST has a bajillion fans, but it's NOT cool to go to that artist's page and spam for your band page or new release, ESPECIALLY if you don't know them personally and ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY if you JUST added the page to pull that crap.
It makes you a disrespectful twit and will not only most likely banned from that page, but if you ever DO get any traction I guarantee if I recognize your name I won't remember you as "that artist with the moxie to work hard to realize their dreams". Nope, you'll be "that douchebag who needlessly pissed me off and pooped on my page."
Don't do it. Established artists worked their asses off to get fans-- it doesn't mean you get to try and leech them because you have a "by any means necessary" approach to pimping your art.
8) BEING PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE First off, there's two ways to be passive aggressive-- one is funny, like if you know someone and have an established relationship with them. The other way is what I'm talking about- the annoying "WHY CAN'T WE WORK TOGETHER ON A SPLIT EP, MAAAAAAN!!" person who will interject that in a thread which has nothing to do with that topic. It's the person that'll message you (which is fine) and after you respond that you can't do it will make little public comments trying to kiss your ass or, worse yet, get OTHERS to guilt you into doing something for them.
This is a surefire way to really piss someone off. Everyone, including you, is probably very busy. I'd like to think myself and most artists I know are willing to do what we can and have time for to help anyone out-- luckily our little scene is filled with good people, but pushing and prodding an artist who emphatically says "no" to something just pushes and prods them into potentially blowing up on you eventually, or worse yet if you're able to get someone ELSE to do your bidding, to let that other artist know what a pain in the ass you are.
Get this into your head and get it fast-- as artists we all know each other more or less. We all know who the asshats are and we are happy to share when someone is crazy and/or socially retarded. It can hurt your chances of doors opening for you, and yes it's all your fault.
9) GETTING DESPERATE A lot of the last couple paragraphs/examples I wrote all get down to this one thing-- nothing turns off people who like your art more than desperation. Whether it be begging for people to buy your music or being passive aggressive about disappointment that nobody comes to your shows...really, it's just ugly. It doesn't mean ALWAYS put on a happy face, but understand that how you represent yourself online represents to a lot of people who you are. And desperation just doesn't come across well, especially if it's because you invested too much money into a release and nobody's buying it. Remember that crappy sales of a release are par for course, and on top of it THERE ARE REAL PROBLEMS IN THE WORLD. I need to remind myself of that sometimes, because as artists we're generally a myopic, self-involved group of weirdos and EVERYTHING IS ABOUT US, so how could anyone NOT buy our new CD...BUT THEY AREN'T AND THE WALLS ARE CRASHING IN AND ARGHGHTTSLHGLdkghdjkhkjhkdj"
Oh wait, there are starving children in the world? Um...yeah...I'll shut up now.
Chill out. You get more flies with honey, so be consistent, be cool, and don't let them see you internet sweat. Everything takes time, so worry about taking baby steps and gaining a few friends a day/week/month and selling a few albums a pop instead of freaking out that you have 6 more boxes to sell. It'll work out, or if anything you'll learn how to do things better next time.
Creating a fan base is glacial most of the time. Nothing happens overnight. And nobody likes a whiner.
10) BEING UNAPPRECIATIVE WHEN SOMEONE IS NICE TO YOU This is maybe the simplest thing to do, yet I see it happen all the time. You see someone compliments or pimp your band page, so what do you do?
OPTION ONE: Nothing. You: "Hey man, I don't want everyone thinking this means a lot to me because then I look like a small artist or something. I have to pretend like I get this shit all the time!"
OPTION TWO: Be gracious and thank them. You: "Thanks for the kind words/pimpage, awesome fan #1!"
Be nice. It's a very simple concept, and it's the right thing to do. Your mom was right when she drilled into your head (hopefully not literally) to say PLEASE and THANK YOU. It only takes a second to "like" someone's comment, tweet them back, or shoot them a short email of thanks (and if someone does this a LOT you don't have to ALWAYS thank them-- that just gets weird). Your fans will notice and it'll do something wacky-- it'll make them FEEL GOOD. Hell, I wished Clint Mansell (film composer and former member of Pop Will Eat Itself) a happy birthday on Twitter and when he thanked me I got all giddy like a schoolboy who dresses like a schoolgirl. While neither you nor I will ever be of that stature it still feels nice to be acknowledged when you put yourself out there to compliment an artist.
There are a multitude of ways to grow and keep a fan base and the ideas above are just the first 10 that came to mind. Having some simple strategies on how to get your name out there will not guarantee overnight (or overyear) success, but starting good habits and putting your best foot forward consistently gives you the best chance of keeping fans turned on to what you're doing. Mostly it also means you can have the most fun doing it, and for all the money artists DON'T make doing their craft that can be the biggest reward you get.
Oh, and put out great art. That helps a lot too, I hear.
There's a belief amongst artists that it takes 10 years or 1000 hours working on a craft before you're actually any good at it. That says a couple things to me:
1) Giving up means you're automatically screwed, and 2) Tenacity equals success
Most it means you/I/they have to work your/my/their asses off to succeed in whatever creative world we live in. Tom Scharpling said the following in an AV Club interview last year which resonated deeply with me (slightly edited for space):
"You get so many people who talk about what they are going to do...They talk you through it, and they’re getting the same satisfaction from your reaction as if they actually did the thing. And that drives me up the wall. Then they never do it, because they’ve satisfied themselves by talking about doing it. I’ve known a bunch of people like that in life who start a thing, and they’ll talk all day long about the thing they’re gonna do, and how great it’s gonna be. But they’re not doing the thing.
It’s hard to do stuff. That’s why everybody stops doing it. ’Cause it’s hard."
People ask me all the time for advice and how to succeed making music (and this goes the same for any artistic pursuit), and my first reaction is STOP ASKING AND GET TO WORK (or, as my DJ pals have said, "Stay home and practice"...this was of course before everyone started using software and it beatmatches it for you, but the point remains.) Work as much as you can, as often and hard as you can, and always keep learning. If you have talent you need to let that talent develop, and when you think you're "there" put your art out for the world to see and see what THE AUDIENCE thinks. If you're wrong you'll know. And don't be discouraged if you're wrong-- use it as motivation. Everything can be spun into a positive, including bad reviews or, well, a complete lack of response.
I put in at least an hour a day working on music, and at least an hour or two a day on-and-off networking (re: hanging out on Facebook and Twitter, amongst other things) and trying to keep fans engaged. I get up early as shit every morning and work on remixes, new Caustic, or music for side-projects. Would I rather be sleeping? Hell yes, but I also know that if I'm able to feed my desire to create I'll have a better day slaving away at my job all day. People ask how someone like me is so prolific, and the answer is simple-- I'm always creating, planning to create, or promoting WHAT I created. It doesn't mean I'm Beethoven or will ever be as good as all my influences, but it does mean I've put in the hours and earned what I've received, and I respect any artist that does the same.
And it's hard work. It means sacrificing sleep and not seeing loved ones or friends as much and being a self-obsessed idiot a lot of the time, but if you have a goal and think you have the talent and spark in you to reach it there aren't many other options. You're driven. You're motivated. You're obsessed. And yes, you're probably a little bit crazy. Welcome to the club.
Any artist on that's been in the game long enough knows all too well how much they've wanted to give up at times, but those same artists will tell you that when that happens and you're tired and burned out and don't think you could make another song or paint another picture, well...that's when you have to get up, dust yourself off, recharge, and get right back on the horse. It's sometimes the hardest thing to do, especially if you aren't getting the kind of recognition you feel you deserve, but you have to tell your ego to shut the heckfire up, know that things take time, and put your scabbed, bruised nose to the grindstone again.
Passions fade, writer's block happens, and sometimes you're completely uninspired and just need to take a break. Take it. It helps with perspective, but don't take too long of one. The longer you take the harder it could be to go back to your work. Think of it like going to the gym-- it's easy to motivate your fat ass that first month or so, but when it's not as interesting any more or you have to skip a week because of a vacation, then that's when you fall off the wagon. Working every day means maintaining a momentum and disciplining yourself, and that's vital. Without discipline and a strong work ethic you will have a hard time ever getting better at your craft.
For the record, "work" is both creating AND promoting your art. It doesn't count towards your 10 yrs/1000 hrs, but if you want people to hear, see, or smell (for you perfume-makers in training) your art you have a long, frustrating mountain to climb and chances are nobody is going to help you do it for a long, long time...and when they DO it doesn't mean you get to STOP promoting your stuff. It just means you have help. And should probably work harder.
But you can't start climbing that mountain until you actually start working on your craft, so get to it, have fun, and start dreaming of how awesome you'll be in a few years or a few hundred more hours of practice. It'll pay off. I promise.
I don't know about you, but when I'm making music I tend to be the least happy when I'm consciously TRYING to make it, or when I'm attempting to force an idea when my impulses are telling me to do otherwise.
In short, when I'm going against my natural instincts.
The longer you do any type of creative (or non-creative) pursuit you're passionate about the better you should get at it. Your confidence will grow as your skill set grows and as you understand the ins and outs of whatever medium you're working in. And as an artist (or at least to be one that grows) it's important to push yourself into not making the same song, painting, or story over and over again. Been there, done that, y'know?
But when "pushing yourself" turns into "stabbing blindly like a crazy person at any semblance of an idea or inspiration," well, that's when the frustration sets in and essentially you're screwed unless you get that rare instance where you luck out and actually get through that wall.
It doesn't happen often though. Believe me. Don't get me wrong, frustration is very motivating to create art, otherwise we wouldn't have a million unrequited love songs and the entire protest song market would be wiped from the planet, but there's a difference between writing about frustration and writing frustrated.
I tend to work on music in the morning, when I've had some sleep and I'm still waking up. I know a lot of writers do as well. I've realized that working then is nice because it's quiet so I can focus, and since my brain is essentially still jelly I can eke out ideas a lot more easily, unlike the end of a day where all of life's crap has built up and I'm stressed out about a bunch of different things and making a great song is THE ONLY THING THAT WILL HELP. I expect too much, so it usually turns out like crap.
My expectations are at their lowest in the morning, and therefore I'm able to rely on my instincts more and just the process flow through me. Even if the end result isn't perfect, it's often something I can work with-- It's an idea I can hone into something better.
When your confidence grows you're able to trust your instincts more, and that doesn't necessarily mean you'll always go where you're comfortable creatively. In fact I think trusting your instincts speaks more to knowing your comfort zone but also understanding when it's important to step out of it if you're curious, pushing yourself naturally, and ESPECIALLY if you fear doing it. Following odd ideas, regardless of trepidation about being successful with them, can inspire the most growth in an artist. Good instincts can help light the way down new creative corridors, opposed from working against them and trying to force an idea (and I know this sounds pretty zen) that simply may not be yours to have. And don't get me wrong, following every creative path won't end with you having a brilliant song/painting/story, but that path CAN lead you to another path (and another, and another...) that will cause you to get to that successful idea.
We live in an era of musical creation where we don't need to necessarily book a studio for a month, record on an analog machine, or ever worry about running out of tape any more. A song can be redone a thousand times if necessary and the only thing you need to worry about is making sure it doesn't get deleted, so there's no excuse to not screw up a LOT while following your instincts. The more you trust them the less you'll have to worry about slamming your head against the wall.
Patience is the key with instincts, though. Sometimes the idea won't come for months, but it WILL come if you understand that your process may mean needing to occasionally take 50 long, dead end paths to move one inch creatively.
To succeed as an artist in today's world you need to have a few things that weren't as necessary in the Good Olde Days of music past, when information was tightly controlled by labels and PR firms through publications and television appearances. We're now in a time when an artist can tweet a picture of his balls and within five minutes have it retweeted 25,000 times.
So yeah, people have more access now (and please don't tweet pictures of your balls). While some artists still remain shielded in a world of mystery, most artists in the current market that aren't 50 years old or in Tool have a very direct bond with fans through websites. As I'd mentioned in a blog from a few weeks ago Louis CK understood this bond and was able to successfully self-release a filmed performance, making back his investment within 48 hours of its release. While the main thing that will make you fans is the quality and originality of your music, the thing that will help them REMAIN a fan and REMEMBER you is your personality and how you treat them. Good will goes a hell of a long way when a potential fan has literally hundreds of thousands of bands they can listen to at any time. It also goes a long way when you're developing relationships with other artists.
Here are a few common sense ways to generate potential good will with people:
1) SHARE Music isn't a competition, so if you're an artist and like another artist (especially another small artist) it's a great idea to tell other people about them on your artist page. Why? Well, first off people appreciate being turned on to new music, and secondly the other artist you pimp will appreciate it, hopefully one day returning the favor in some way. It should never be expected, but if the other artist isn't a total dickhole they'll appreciate the gesture.
2) ENTERTAIN The pages of artists I most visit are ones that are fun to visit, whether it's because they're funny or just interesting to read. They're also the ones who post regular content. To stay in people's minds you need to give them a reason to remember you, and I've seen a few popular artists lose steam by not bothering with a web presence. So think about it-- if popular artists can lose steam imagine how hard it is to keep any momentum if you're a smaller artist? Exactly. Engage your audience on a regular basis and you'll have a better chance of keeping them around.
3) GIVEAWAYS Have a new release? Give away a track for free. Give away some remixes too while you're at it. While some artists can bitch all day and night about nobody wanting to pay for music these days (and yes, it's worth bitching about, but still...), but if you want to turn people on to your stuff and ESPECIALLY spread the word, then give them a taste of what they'll be buying. While plenty of people take without asking, more people appreciate it when an artist goes that extra step and freely gives it away, especially since it's guilt-free. This doesn't mean EVERYTHING needs to be given away if you don't want it to, but the cheapest promotion is putting some music out there and hoping people enjoy it enough to tell their friends. Word of mouth is everything.
Giving away stuff like stickers at shows is also a great way to have a fan remember you AND help spread the word on your music.
4) BLOG I write a lot about this scene, giving advice and ranting about all sorts of shit. So does Tom Shear. So do a lot of other artists. Part of the reason (I think) we all do this is we enjoy sharing information and giving our opinions, but a nice side effect of this is, hopefully, we HELP people, whether this be by showing them how to avoid a pitfall, take a shortcut, or simply introduce them to a piece of software they might enjoy.
I'm trying to do people a favor by writing some of this stuff, whether they want it or not. So share your experiences and knowledge, as it gives people another avenue to relate to you even if they aren't really into your music yet. If nothing else it gives you more of the aforementioned content for your site and another reason to visit it.
5) POSITIVITY I don't know about you, but the last thing I need in my freakin' life is more stress, so seeing someone I barely know whining and bitching about low sales or how shitty every other band is or whateverthefuck means I'm probably not going to visit their site very much, unless they're brilliant at eviscerating people with their words or just hysterical to read. It's a good general rule of thumb to figure that if someone's on your site/VampireFreaks/Facebook page that they like what you do and support it, so ranting on about how the whole world sucks because nobody bought your new album just seems...ungrateful...to those on your page that DID. Sure, it might mobilize your fans that purchased the album, but it also might turn off the people that WANT to but haven't yet. Whining isn't going to convince anyone to buy your album in a way you want, where they're just trying to shut you the hell up (and that won't work, as a few sales is still less than what you DESERVE, right? Get over yourself.) Whining just makes people roll their eyes and avoid your page.
People appreciate it when artists keep it light, or at least light most of the time. Again, give them a reason to stick around.
6) SINCERITY Don't bullshit people. I know you might think you're clever and smarter than everyone else, but if you don't appreciate the people that are buying your albums or even took that second to "like" you on whatever site you're on, then...just shut up. Sometimes good will can be best achieved by shutting your trap and letting less say more, especially if you can't express yourself well with words. And hell, some people appreciate it when someone just shares a link or posts a song without any commentary.
However, if you ARE sincere about your appreciation (and god, I hope you are) then show it. Some people think showing emotion or appreciation is cheesy or weak, but you know what? People can relate to emotion and vulnerability a hell of a lot more than someone putting up a wall and being safe all the time. Does this mean you should reveal that you got fondled by a kangaroo last time you were at the zoo and liked it? No, but it wouldn't kill you to be "real", or even "keep it real", as them thar hip-hoppers say. To me vulnerability shows fearlessness and a desire to really connect with people, which is something I really appreciate in an artist. _________________
Fostering good will is something that, coupled with amazing music, can create a loyal, awesome fan base. Amazing music can of course do it on its own, but having a strong relationship with your fans can make a huge difference and can be developed simply by you, for lack of a better term, just being cool.
Now is the time of year where we all have to buy presents for friends, gift cards for family members, and deal with endless lines filled with mall knuckle draggers. While the holidays can be a stressful, depressing affair full of outdated traditions and songs (I'm still trying to find a sleigh on eBay. I hear Kia makes one now.), remember that there are plenty of things that you can do to spruce up your holidays and irritate your relatives. With Santa Claus (as in Claus Larsen, aka our industrial Santa) lubing up his sled and reindeer for the big night's journey, here are a few tips to get through your Christmas season and make it a mofo of an INDUSTRIAL Christmas:
1) Hang ornaments in all your piercings, and remember that gentle tugging can feel mega-awesome. Except when relatives do it.
2) Christmas lights look bad ass in dread falls. Standing next to an electrical socket for hours on end is a bit annoying, however.
3) Finding the midi version of your favorite holiday song + assigning as many Virus presets as possible + screaming the lyrics through distortion = New holiday club hit.
4) Remember: tripping balls during midnight mass makes Jesus COME BACK TO LIFE!!!
5) Change your screen name to 31F F1573R.
6) Use a Sharpie and draw Santa hats on all of your anime tattoos
7) Complain a lot about how consumerist our society is during the holidays yet be disappointed when you don't find an iPad 2 under the tree.
8) Get in corpse paint and pose for your Christmas card picture over a red-nosed deer carcass.
9) Hide jingle bells in your orifice of choice. Jump around a lot to confuse grandma.
10) Put mistletoe over as many men's room doors as possible. Record the ensuing awkwardness and/or sexiness for posterity.
11) Getting shit from an ignorant/sexist/racist relative? Drink a butt-ton of egg nog and puke on their windshield while everyone's vegging out watching Christmas Story for the eleventeenth fucking time. This is particularly effective if it's freezing out.
12) Collect Salvation Army money in Second Life for needy avatars.
