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Sandbox MUSIC MARKETING FOR THE DIGITAL ERA Issue 92 | 11th September 2013 Mail privilege: making email marketing work INSIDE… Campaigns Email marketing is still one PAGEs 5 & 6: of the most effective ways The latest projects from the to promote artists and their digital marketing arena >> releases. It’s a powerful Tools channel but also one that is PAGE 7: very easy to get wrong. We Creative Allies >> speak to label marketers Behind the Campaign about what works, what PAGEs 8 & 9: doesn’t work, what things Michael Bublé >> need to be avoided like the Charts plague and what should be PAGE 10: sent to the great junk mail Digital charts >> folder in the sky. As anyone who has ever formed a band will know, one of the first pieces of advice that comes is to start a mailing list as soon as possible. It really is that fundamental: a mailing list allows you to keep in touch directly with Issue 92 | 11th September 2013 | Page 2 continued… the people who are most interested in your The time-honoured tradition of getting Consider instead an exclusive EP, a mix or possible. But demanding a fan’s star sign and music. And that is worth far more than a like people to sign up at gigs also remains even physical stickers for people who sign blood type will put off many potential sign on Facebook or a follow on Twitter. important in 2013 and, while this may sound up at gigs. Fans can also be reeled in with ups. slightly onerous, it can easily be delegated to mailing list exclusive competitions, early “I really think email marketing is better [than It is better, then, to concentrate on the the merchandise seller/eager fan/street team access to tickets, the promise of exclusive social media],” says EMI UK CRM manager essentials: name, email and address – the member. In fact, a fan who’s been plied with material etc. and it is worth spelling out these Jean-Baptiste Le Comte. “It is pretty easy latter probably limited to country, city or a free guest list is likely to be among the best advantages very plainly on the sign-up page. to like a fan page on Facebook or follow region unless you plan to send something evangelists a band can find. someone on Twitter, but it is more engaging Before heading out on the recruitment drive, through the post. This geographical to fill in a form or leave an email address.” Another common piece of advice is that though, there are a few things that you information can prove vital while planning a you should offer something in exchange for should consider about the sign-up process. tour and it also allows you to segment your Atlantic Records UK head of social and fans joining your list, thereby incentivising For example, what details do you want to list to send geographically relevant updates fan engagement Nick Long adds, “For our sign ups. Most commonly this would be an ask fans for? Data is hugely important to the and avoid spamming people in France about headline artists we have [email] lists in the MP3 but, as discussed in the last Sandbox, modern music industry so the temptation your US tour. hundreds of thousands. Email is still an this may not prove quite enough in 2013. is to ask for as many personal details as important marketing channel for our acts, When fans do sign up, it is worth reminding especially when it comes to selling tickets them once again what they will be getting and shifting pre-orders.” from the list (those exclusive competitions etc.) as well as reassuring them that they Compared to some of the mysteries of the will not be spammed. If you can give an music industry, putting together a decent idea, however vague, of how often you will mailing list may seem pretty simple. In reality, be getting in touch this can help to manage it can be anything but. How do you tempt expectations. people into giving up their emails? How often should you get in touch? And which tool So how often should you get in touch? This should you use for sending out email? can be a tricky balance. “When an act is on cycle, you’re looking at roughly every two Talking to music industry marketers, the first weeks; that being said, there’s really no hard piece of advice to help build the ultimate and fast rules,” says Atlantic´s Long. “Our mailing list is to be thorough and get going preference is to only communicate with the early. This means putting an email sign-up email list when there’s something important button on as many of your online properties to say. It’s no good just sending an email as you can, with MailChimp and WordPress saying I’ve got a new T-shirt in my web store among those who offer simple widgets for – it shouldn’t all be about selling.” When you this purpose. do decide you need to send an email, Long Issue 92 | 11th September 2013 | Page 3 continued… recommends later in the week, as well as prefer when they come from the artist or the alternate text for the photo as well as offering lunch times or evenings for better open rates. artist provides input on them. In the long run a complete text version of the email for But isn’t email dead? that is what people are looking for.” subscribers who don’t allow HTML emails. The quality of the emails you send is With estimates for the amount of emails obviously highly important. Poorly thought Pictures and other images can work Your emails should be attractive, then, but sent daily ranging from 145bn to 249bn, clearly the email is still in rude health. And out emails will cause a rush to unsubscribe. wonders in making a simple email look more always simple and readable. To help with yet there is evidence that young people Interesting, witty or useful messages will get attractive; meanwhile pictures can also help this, it can be useful to put a short summary are turning their backs on email in favour passed on, potentially growing your list. when you want to link to a video as this gives of the contents at the top of the email and to of social networks and messaging. A 2012 the mobile users a larger surface to click on. use headings within to divide up the text. When it comes to putting together the email, survey from Pew Internet, for example, Of course, using large numbers of high- found that only 6% of teens use email daily getting the artist to participate can really Each email should also include a call to definition pictures will make your emails far while 39% claim they never use email. help, according to former Domino head of action – that is, something for the fans to do too bulky – a definite mailing list fail – and digital Kurt Lane. “What is really important in response, be it buying a ticket or sharing Most music marketers believe that email photos should be optimised, making sure with email is you have to get the tone right,” the news on social media. These, marketers still has a healthy immediate future. file sizes and a couple of 100kbs rather than Lane told Music Ally last year. “We much will insist, are of paramount importance in Nevertheless, they are also working on 1-2MB. Long also recommends specifying alternatives, such as push messaging making fans actually act. At the same time, within apps and, of course, presence on you should avoid going for the hard sell. social media. The former is particularly “Never email your list of fans asking for interesting: push notifications have the something [i.e. for them to buy your music] arguable advantage over email in that they are brief and have to be viewed to be without first having emailed several useful deleted. This makes them harder to ignore and interesting content releases,” says but also more invasive. As such, they need Absolute Marketing digital manager Adam to be used very carefully and with a very Cardew. “Far too often I sign up to a list and specific call to action. the first correspondence I receive is ‘Buy My Album!’. No trust has been built yet and I’ve process, personal stories and reviews of not been given a good reason to open or act bands the artist likes. on the email.” At some point you will have to decide the Instead, use emails to build your relationship best system to use to manage your mail outs. with fans. In her guide to effective MailChimp is probably the best known of newsletters, American music PR Ariel Hyatt these third-party systems, mainly thanks to suggests telling a story to hook fans in. its easy-to-use templates and useful tracking Subjects she favours include notes from the tools. Similar email marketing services are road, stories from the studio, the songwriting available from the likes of AWeber, Constant Issue 92 | 11th September 2013 | Page 4 continued… Contact and Exact Target. “With tracking logs you really can adapt your mind when building your list and sending communication to see if someone is more emails – is to not, on any account, betray Alternatively, you could use a service Dos and don’ts interested in receiving audio [downloads], the trust of your fans. Don’t spam them, from a music marketing specialist, such as Do streaming or video,” says EMI’s Jean-Baptiste over-communicate, sell on their details or ReverbNation or FanBridge, who provide Le Comte.

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