Gig success tip #4 - Email, email, email…

Despite what you may hear, email remains the 'killer app'

Its the most effective digital marketing - and arguably marketing period, tool there is.

But if its success was measured in 'column centimetres' dedicated to it, you would think it was a complete dud.

Of course I'm talking about that crusty old last millenium mainstay, email marketing or as the pros call it, EDM (electronic direct mail).

Because any way you want to measure it, email marketing trounces all comers when it comes to all important Return on your marketing Investment.

Lets unpack those benefits.

Unparalleled reach and visibility

First is its visibility compared to other channels.

Unlike its much more fashionable marketing cousin social media, email marketing actually gets seen - even if its just a subject header, by a massive percentage of its recipients.

So even if the email isnt 'opened', recipients can still receive your news of gigs or other happenings with a succinct subject header.

There isnt much data on music-specific email results but it stands to reason that the visibility of your email is as high as the high 90% of recipients for reading the subject header and up to 60% email 'opens'.

Compare this to what is now less than 3% of your social media followers who actually see your posts let alone take an action like clicking.

Compare it too to some ordinary (say consumer) products and services where a 10% open rate is regarded as a successful campaign. According to some industry reports, the ‘open rates’ ‘artist’ email campaigns achieve are second to only religion!

The reason for such high open rates is the high loyalty or interest in your music. It stands to reason that your followers won't 'sign up' for an email unless they are very interested in it.

This is an advantage that ordinary products and services simply can't match. No matter how much you love a certain consumer product, signing up to receive an email about it is very rare compared to doing so for musicians and other artists.

Cheaper than chips

The second massive advantage is its negligible cost.

If you are using ordinary email and a 'list' you have compiled, the actual cost of sending it is pretty much zero.

To pay so little for something that has such high visibility is a benefit few other marketing channels can match.

The hardest part of the email marketing equation lies in growing your list - and this is where the greatest time investment is required.

Signing up subscribers

Its quite a task to legally and consensually collect email addresses at every turn. You need to do this manually, for example by asking friends if they wouldnt mind signing up, before using less labour intensive methods like promoting your eNews in social media and adding a signup form to your website.

Don't underestimate the value of having a paper based signup form at the door where you are playing or at the merch stand if you have one before manually entering signups into your email system.

Then there are amazing services like the one offered by digital gig guide Bandsintown that actually send emails to all those who follow you on their app and website along with - and this is digital gold, sending emails to those who follow bands who are simply similar to yours.

This capability is absolutely free but also has a paid option for you to send emails from their service not just to your followers but to others on their database.

So as soon as your act can manage it, its important to setup an email marketing capability, along with its signup capture mechanisms, as soon as you possibly can and reap the benefits it so effectively delivers.

Social media's boring cousin

So just why does email marketing get so little attention in the social and traditional media?

Quite simply because it just isnt 'sexy' enough compared to the newer kids on the block like social media, podcasts and the like and also because there are few developments around it, unlike newer technologies.

As a result its probably the best kept marketing 'secret' there is especially for artists who don't have huge marketing budgets to begin with.

Have you benefited from email marketing? Tell us about it below.

Need professional help with your marketing? Reach out to Craig today.