As an indie artist, I’m at all times on the lookout for one of the best ways to have interaction with my followers. And I’m certain you are feeling the identical method. A couple of years in the past, SMS advertising and marketing for musicians turned the brand new scorching factor. However is it nonetheless related? Is it nonetheless efficient? Brief reply: sure and sure. However provided that you do it thoughtfully and deliberately. Right here’s how one can get began…
What Is SMS Advertising and marketing?
SMS advertising and marketing is simply textual content message advertising and marketing. (In case you’re curious, SMS stands for “Brief Message Service”). So folks offer you their cellphone quantity and help you textual content them about your music.
Why Use SMS Advertising and marketing?
We’ve seen social media platforms change drastically since they launched. For instance, we went from chronological feeds to curated algorithms. The businesses behind these platforms change how their apps work on a regular basis.
And that’s the factor: these apps belong to the businesses, to not you and me. We don’t have direct entry to our followers via these platforms.
This is the reason SMS advertising and marketing might be actually good for indie musicians. If and when social media apps change how issues work – or worse, in the event that they go away fully – you’ll nonetheless be capable of contact your followers instantly.
It’s the identical thought behind e-mail advertising and marketing, simply with folks’s cellphone numbers.
How To Develop Your SMS Record
So how do you get folks to present you their quantity? Listed below are some strategies you may attempt:
- Acquire numbers at your dwell performances
- Supply folks an unreleased music in trade for his or her quantity and use a key phrase they’ll textual content in (all one of the best SMS platforms allow you to do that)
- Do a giveaway of your merch
- Simply ask – publish on social media one thing like “Hey it is best to textual content me: [YOUR PHONE NUMBER]”
How To Use SMS Advertising and marketing the Proper (and Authorized) Method
Utilizing SMS advertising and marketing successfully as an indie musician means it’s a must to be considerate and strategic. So listed below are some methods to strategy textual content message advertising and marketing so that you’re staying authorized and likewise not annoying folks.
Keep authorized
That is apparent, however it’s a must to get permission. Don’t purchase cellphone quantity lists. Don’t simply textual content random numbers. Folks hate that, and they’re going to hate you. It’s additionally a authorized factor.
You even have to remain in compliance, however any respected SMS advertising and marketing platform will make sure you do that (or a minimum of present sources on your training).
Lastly, make sure that it’s clear how folks can opt-out. Respecting an individual’s option to opt-out helps them respect you, even when they don’t wish to get your texts.
Use it for (largely) important messaging
You possibly can’t textual content your followers too usually or you’ll annoy them. So listed below are some important the explanation why it’s possible you’ll ship out an SMS marketing campaign:
- Tour or present bulletins
- New music
- Unreleased music
- New merch
- Gross sales on merch
When you consider some fascinating dialog starters that match inside your model, be happy to ship out an SMS marketing campaign. Simply ensure you reply to each textual content. Folks count on a reply, and also you don’t wish to go away your followers on learn.
Phase and personalize
In your SMS advertising and marketing platform, assign your subscribers to totally different lists and use tags. This may make it simpler to contact your followers primarily based on location, buy historical past (live performance tickets/merch), and the way they opted into your checklist (like through a key phrase or giveaway).
And everytime you ship a marketing campaign, use the “first identify” tag so it would autofill the particular person’s identify. When you have the names of some subscribers however not others, you can also make the no-name subscribers’ first names “there.” That method, your message can be one thing like “Hey there…”, whereas nonetheless together with the identify of the subscribers who’ve given you their identify.
Finally, you’re attempting to construct a lifelong connection along with your followers via SMS advertising and marketing. Assume long-term. Don’t annoy your followers. At all times reply to their texts. Message them the way in which you’d be okay with in case you have been of their place.