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

Know Your Audience

In my Masters program I had to create a business plan. Before you can do anything in business you must answer several questions well. (1) What is your brand? (2) Who is your target audience? (3) Is there a need for you in the market or are you creating a new one?

I’ve talked to you about the importance of knowing your brand. You must decide this before you make any decisions because all decisions must center around this. Your brand informs you on your audience. So let us direct our attention there.

The following are questions you can use to define your audience.

1.     What is the age of my fans?

2.     What do they do for a living?

3.     What do they do for recreation?

4.     Do they drink alcohol?

5.     Do they smoke?

6.     Are they religious?

7.     Where do they live?

8.     What brands do they buy?

9.     Did they graduate college?

10. How much money do they make?

11. Where do they vacation?

12. What do they wish they could have that they do not?

13. Are they emotional?

14. Are they responsible?

15.  Are they married or single?

16. Do they have children?

17. Where do they hang out?

18. What kind of cars do they drive?

19. What are their favorite websites?

20. What are their fears?

21. What are their fantasies?

22. Who is on their Ipods?

23. What are their favorite sports?

24. Do they have a healthy lifestyle.

25. What social networks do they use?

26. Do they play video games?

27. What designers do they wear?

Underground artists are great at studying their audiences. Companies higher market researches to find out what consumers want and do not want. They leave surveys under the door. You can do something similar on your website. Simply ask them to opt-in to a questionnaire. Make the questionnaire simple so as not to take too much time. Enthusiastic participants will leave comments. You can also leave simple polls on your site.

Of course everyone is not going to be the same but creating a profile of your target audience will allow you to find brands that have similar target audiences. These are companies you can approach for sponsorships and collaborations later. In the meantime use the information you gather to reach your audience. If you know where your crowd hangs out you can go there and talk to them. You will be able to give them samples of your music and receive hits on your websites. These hits will translate to faces in the crowd and more downloads. If you know their favorite websites you can interact with them online.

Take advantage of the opportunities you get to speak with fans. Use the feedback you get from those who purchase your records to make your sound stronger and solidify your image.  You can reward those who supply you information with something free like a download or access to an exclusive video.

@caramelsarajo