Who Owns the Relationship With Your Fans?

Originally published on 03/09/2022 through Bandsintown

Facebook knows exactly who your fans are. So does Spotify. And YouTube. And TikTok. And even the venue you played last week.

All of these intermediaries understand who your fans are and it’s very unlikely that they’re sharing that information with you. They stand between you and your fans and, effectively, they own your relationship with your fans. As an artist, your connection with your fans is the backbone of your success–and I believe that it’s time for artists to own that relationship.

D2C: IT’S NOT JUST FOR BRANDS

If you follow marketing trends at all, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of huge companies are adopting a direct to consumer (D2C) approach. This means that brands that, in the past, have never had a direct relationship with their end users are now jumping through hoops to cultivate those relationships. These big companies understand that relying on intermediaries and third party data is risky and artists need to understand that too. If you’re not connecting directly with your fans–on your own terms–then you have no control over that relationship.

The great news for artists is that your fans want to share their information with you. They want you to know who they are. They want to strengthen their relationship with you. In exchange for a closer connection to you, they are willing to hand over data. Owning this data allows you to:

1. Engage more effectively

2. Create value for your fans

3. Drive revenue streams

HOW TO DO IT: THE RIGHT TOOLS

The challenge for a lot of artists lies in just how to nurture fan relationships and then how to capture data in a way that is fun for fans and offers them something of value in return. Solving this challenge has been the primary goal of our team at MAX, and through our SET tools, we have created a suite of easy-to-use tools for artists that help you drive engagement, monetize effectively, increase revenue streams, and (most importantly) control your relationship with your fans. (Side note: none of our tools require your fans (or you, the artist) to download an app. App fatigue is real and we want your fan experience to be as seamless and easy as possible, so our tools are all accessible from any browser on any phone or device.)

• SET.Live: engage with fans during live performances offering unique experiences, like meet & greet sweepstakes, live auctions for VIP packages, links to exclusive merch, fan voting, and more

• SET Livestream: connect with fans during livestream shows and monetize interactions through gamified features, including encore voting and live tipping

• SET ShoutOut: offer personalized videos and exclusive performances to your fans without getting lost in a sea of reality TV personalities

• SET Meet & Greet: give your fans exclusive VIP experiences where you control your availability, price, and duration and we handle scheduling, tech, and fan souvenirs

• SET the Set: allow your fans to create their dream setlist for your next livestream or in-person concert

UP NEXT IN OUR SET™. . .

We’ve also been working on a new tool that I’m pretty excited about. This new tool will bring the benefits fans have come to expect from virtual shows / livestreams into your live shows, creating hybrid experiences that benefit both you and your fans. Like all of our tools, this new tool includes data capture, re-engagement opportunities, and monetization capabilities, all while creating value for your fans. Whether used individually or as part of a campaign, the SET tools help you cultivate–and own–your relationship with your fans. 

If you’re an artist and you’re interested in using this tool (or learning more about any of our other tools), please reach out and we’ll talk about getting you into our testing group.

Even if you don’t use our tools to connect with your fans, as an artist, you should be looking for ways to disintermediate your relationships with people (although, I honestly believe that our artist-centric approach makes our suite the best around). 

Artists need to adopt a D2F (direct to fan) approach, deepening relationships with fans by making it fun for people to share their data and offering them something they’ll truly love in return.

They’re your fans. Don’t let Facebook decide how you connect with them. 

To get started, schedule time with me: jarred@max.live.