YOUR TOUR ADMATS ARE NICE, BUT YOUR STORIES ARE BETTER
While you're doing the bare minimum, someone else is telling stories and winning hearts
If you give your fans a link, they’ll click it.
Well, hopefully 5% of your fans will click it, but hey, that’s how this stuff works.
That 5% is pretty valuable so make it count.
Like Toby Morse says, “one click, one chance.” No, wait…
See what Tegan & Sara did here in their recent newsletter? A nice personal message from Tegan to their fans about covering a song:
“I love the song ‘Sweet But Psycho’ by Ava Max. I somehow missed out on the moment this song was massive when it was released in 2018, but came across it recently when I was building a new running playlist. The song is a great, classic pop song. Easy to write off. Some of us are inherently suspicious when something is so catchy. But recently, Spotify suggested the acoustic version.”
All that, then a sweet note about learning the song as a warm-up while rehearsing for tour. Ahem, tour. WINK WINK. Tegan & Sara are going on tour.
You click the link, and you can see the dates and buy tickets.
My point is - if you’re an artist that’s maybe not as big as Slipknot, why not tell a story?
First time on the road? Tell a story about the farthest you’ve ever drive for a show (I drove eight hours into a blizzard because my friend wanted to see Abnegation in Erie, PA. We saw Brothers Keeper in a big warehouse that weekend, too).
First time selling at a market? Write about your experience of other markets you’ve been to, the people you met, why you started your creative project in the first place.
Are you a grizzled road dog? Come on - you’ve got stories; TELL THEM. Write them out, make it a video, make an audio clip with your bandmates.
Sure, you could just drop the tour admat on socials and your email campaign, but everyone does that. An unpaid intern can do that.
But, no one can tell your stories.
FOUR THE WEEKEND
Due by Monday:
Sunday, April 23rd at 9am ET is the next Social Media Escape Club meeting. It’s a one-hour or so video chat led by me where we air our grievances and bitter tales about social media (with possibly some planning on where we go next). Free to attend, donations welcome - RSVP here.
Not all your fans follow you on social media, so upload some of those cool live shots and product images to your website.
Summer’s coming. You’ve got shirts for sale, right? Tell your fans to subscribe to your email list to get 10% off their next shirt order! Sell some shirts, and that makes it easier to let your fans know about your upcoming fall tour.
“You don’t have to outrun a bear, you just have to our run your friends.” Watch my video chat with Laura Kidd about email marketing for bands, photographers, writers, and all sorts of other creative folks who are fighting a losing battle with social media algorithms.
Steal my ideas and bring them up at your next marketing meeting. Also, maybe become a paid subscriber to support my work!
Or just buy me a cup of coffee via Ko-Fi, Venmo (@Seth-Werkheiser), Cash App ($ethwerkheiser), or PayPal, or support bands and labels and buy me something from my Bandcamp Wishlist.
P.S. I’ll be at the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest this weekend in Philadelphia, PA. Say hi (I’m the nerd with the yellow glasses).
⚡️SETH WERKHEISER
⚡️seth@heavymetal.email