Friday, November 2, 2012

Music, Fans, And Mobile Application Part 1

So I’m reading this article in Mobile Marketer by Dan Lowden on retailers harnessing the power of mobile applications to reach loyal customers, and I think “if retailers can should not also artists?” Indeed, they should. There may already be mobile applications for musicians to reach their fans, or to gain fans, but in going through the top apps for iPhone I didn’t see any.  I don’t have an android. I do think such an application would prove not only helpful, but also profitable.

How could an artist integrate mobile marketing into their promotional campaigns? Facebook Connect makes this easy. You could create an app that allows users to sign in via Facebook. This takes away the step of them having to remember another password. Sometimes the idea of creating another account scares me away. It may have the same effect on your fans.

An application can also alert your fans when you are going to play in their area. It could help them find bands with similar sounds. You may worry about this, but the idea of cross promoting means you could share fans. Stop being greedy!

A band application will also help you decide which songs to include on your album when you finally release it for purchase. Interactivity is the key to an application succeeding. Considering allowing listeners to vote up their favorite songs or videos. You may find more people willing to listen to your music on their phones because they will have access to them in idle times, such as a bus commute or waiting in line at the DMV. Give them something to do and they will thank you for it.

The beauty of an application for musicians is that it is not limited to use with only one band. A label can include it’s entire roster and these artists can battle it out every week to see who is the favorite act. It is an intimate approach that seems lost in the internet. I believe I heard of a study that said people are never more than eight feet away from their mobile phones (I was in school; it’s been a while).  If that’s true go ahead and take advantage.

But how you may ask. You will need to decide if your application is native or a web-dependent application. I’ll go more in dept with the how-tos next article. As for now brainstorm on the type of application you want to create. 

If you have a mobile application that is working for you please tell me all about it. 
 
@caramelsarajo

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