You Have A Newsletter.....Right?
Apart from actually having a web site, having a email newsletter campaign is the most important step you can take in promoting yourself online. It’s one thing to draw people to your web site and it’s quote another to be able to contact them immediately when you have a cd release or a big show coming up. It’s a great way to develop new friendships, revive old ones and help your fans take action on your behalf.

Write Your Newsletter Monthly
A newsletter campaign is only good if you actually write newsletters and send them. I’ve seen so many artists who have a newsletter sign up on their home page and then only send out a newsletter once every blue moon.

If you’re actively pursuing your music career, you should have plenty of things to write about every month that your fans will be interested in. Set low goals. Just plan to write one or two paragraphs. Highlight a great gig. Let them know about upcoming gigs. Share a personal tidbit - maybe the background on a popular song that you wrote. Let them get to know you and give them an opportunity to listen, buy and promote your music. Make sure that every email gives them a reason to visit your site and includes a link to buy your cd.

Your newsletter doesn’t need to be a work of art, it just needs to exist.

Give Them A Reason To Subscribe
Music fans are in a bit of a bind when it comes to newsletters. They want to subscribe and get inside info, but they’re pretty protective about their email addresses. Have a newsletter list is profoundly important to your online success and can be a powerful tool in your online marketing arsenal, so give them a reason to subscribe.

Make sure you have a signup box on every page of your web site and a sign up sheet at every live show. Make it a street team (we’ll talk more about street teams in a later article) and give it a name. Send stickers or give away a free song or an autographed photo or something else that will push people past their fear of relinquishing their email address. Make it a deal that they just can’t pass up.

Tomorrow we’ll talk tech about newsletters, different online options, free options and things to avoid.

-Kat