One of the most frequent questions I get is “why do I need an email list?” It’s easy to get fixated on social media and Spotify as a way to propel your career forward, and for good reason. We’re on them all day and they’re always touted as a must have for artists! This is true BUT more than anything, email lists are where you’ll not only make your strongest connections, but the most money.
Despite not being the most glamorous of the platforms, it is the most effective. If you’re in this for the long haul, to build a sustainable, profitable career in the music industry, you’re going to need an email list.
An active email list is often the secret behind successful crowdfunding campaigns, Patreon subscriptions, Volume Fan Club members, and merch sales for artists. Your email list is where the real revenue is generated.
Here are 7 valuable facts about emails that will get you thinking the right way and hopefully inspire you…
#1 – No One Wants Another Newsletter – Ever.
If you are guilty of sending those monthly emails with subject lines like “JUNE NEWSLETTER” you must stop this now. No wonder no one is opening!
Pro tip: A lot of email platforms will help you come up with subject lines through AI, and you can even put your copy into ChatGPT and ask it to give you newsletter headline options. To help yourself out, make sure you give it a tone to work with like “funny subject lines related to my upcoming show” or “introspective headlines for this copy” and then paste your newsletter in.
You want to write engaging communications that are coming straight from you to them. They must be personal and resonant. You also want to be sure your emails are not just round-ups of what you are doing with requests thrown in like: come see my show! Buy tickets! Follow me online! Pre-save! Subscribe to my (fill in the blank social media) Channel!
What fans want is an email they will look forward to opening. Start by thinking about the emails you enjoy opening and see if you can discern why and emulate them. I’m going to take a guess here and say that the reason why you like these emails is because they are on brand for the artist and they share something of value for you.
#2 The Whole Point Of Emails Is To Make Super Fans
The goal always is to take your readers on a journey from fan to super fan. All of your content must be geared towards this bonding process. A super fan is not made overnight. It will take several attempts at nurturing and each time you craft an email think about how you can reveal something that will be truly touching your fans.
Just like when you craft a song you give it all of your emotionality. You want to do the same with each and every email. The way you can do this is by showing vulnerability and being relatable or funny or be a social justice warrior – just don’t be vanilla.
#3 There’s No Perfect Email Platform To Use – Use What You Can Master
There is no perfect platform. So many are great. This being said, It’s critical to have one (don’t you dare BCC using your Gmail that’s illegal and you can’t track your results!).
We recommended Mailchimp and ConvertKit. What is most important is you need to know how to set up drip campaigns (ones that trickle email out over days when fans subscribe) and you should also have a solution for giving away cool things to your fans like music, exclusive videos etc. If you need a little help, check out this article.
#4 Start The Practice Of Kicking Ass At Email Without Worrying About Your List Size
A lot of artists have said things like “Well I ONLY have 100 people on my list” so there’s not much point in creating emails. This is defeatist thinking. How many people look at your social posts who are true friends and fans? 100% of the people signed up to your email list are true fans. Social media users are not. So even if your email list has 10 people on it start getting series about what you are writing.
#5 Test Days and Times Email Sends Work For Your Fans
Part of why you need to use an email platform (aside from the fact that it is illegal not to) is so you can track what is working vs what is not. One of the easiest things to test is the days and times you send your emails.
According to a Moosend study, it was found that the best time to send an email is Thursdays between 8am and 9am as a baseline. But it’s also important to know your audience’s time zone, age, gender, and most commonly used device as they are factors that play into your open rate. Think about their habits — if they’re college kids then you might want to do 11am or 8pm, something more aligned with their schedules.
#6 Take Time to Learn About Drip Campaigns and Create Them
A drip campaign is a series of a few emails that roll out after someone signs up to your list. It can also be a series that gets triggered to send over some days. All smart marketers use them. There are a zillion blogs that will walk you through how to create them and if you really take the time to set them up and tweak them they will bond your fans to you in a very powerful way.
#7 There is a Science of What To Add An Email
If you still need to understand the science of what to add to an email and how and what to include in yours read my handy guide here. It will walk you through technical stuff like how long your subject lines should be and whether or not you should personalize yours. Use AI tools like ChatGPT to not only help you craft an email, but also an eye-catching and interesting subject line.
Lastly, you should consistently be asking your readers to respond to your emails. This means, say something like – respond to this email and tell me how you are feeling today or send me your favorite emoji or let me know what you are doing this weekend. Encouraging a 2-way conversation will allow you to get to know your fans on a deeper level and start moving them through the journey of becoming your super fans.
I know, You’ve got a lot on your plate being your own digital marketer!
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Thank you for this interview. Definitely helpful. Heavy Insight!
So glad you found it useful Johnny!🤟🏻
Glad I saw this on IG today! I’ve JUST begun using email campaigns this week as a ‘next step’ to tackle in my independent artist tool belt. I’m definitely looking for guidance like this as I DIY my way through my upcoming release. I’m curious to learn what other artists are doing to add non-music revenue streams ‘successfully’ via email campaigns.