So you are an aspiring artist who wants to reach a wider audience and build a strong fanbase? Well, you’re in luck, because in this guide, we’re going to show you how to do just that by building a musicians’ email list.
That’s right, email. You might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t email kind of old-fashioned? Isn’t social media where it’s at these days?” Well, while social media can be a great way to connect with fans and promote your music, there are some distinct advantages to building an email list that you don’t get with other platforms.
For one thing, email allows you to reach your fans directly, without having to worry about algorithms or changes to the platform’s policies. Plus, email has a much higher engagement rate than social media – studies show that the open rates for emails from musicians can be as high as 25-30%, compared to less than 10% for Facebook posts.
So, how do you go about building an email list? That’s what we’re here to help you with. We’ll show you how to create an irresistible opt-in offer that will encourage fans to sign up for your list, and how to use tools like Mailchimp to manage your list and send out engaging newsletters and updates.
But that’s not all – we’ll also show you how to integrate your email list with your website, whether you’re using a platform like WordPress or a website builder like Squarespace or Wix. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions and tips for optimizing your website to maximize your email list growth.
And finally, we’ll show you how to take your email list to the next level by segmenting your subscribers, analyzing your results, and pivoting your strategy based on what’s working and what’s not. By following the advice in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to building a powerful email list that will help you connect with fans, grow your audience, and ultimately achieve your goals as a musician.
So, let’s get started!
Creating an Email List
Building a musicians’ email list is a powerful way and maintain relationships with your fans, and it allows you to communicate with them directly and on a personal level. It also gives you a way to promote your music, merchandise, and upcoming shows to a dedicated audience who is interested in your work.
So how do you encourage fans to sign up for your email list?
One effective method is to offer an incentive for signing up, such as a free download or access to exclusive content. You can also make sure your sign-up form is prominently displayed on your website and social media pages. Additionally, it’s important to communicate the value of being on your email list to your fans, such as being the first to know about new releases, upcoming shows, and other exciting news. If you haven’t built your website yet here is a great article to help you get started with that: Check it out!
Managing Your List
To manage your email list, using a tool like Mailchimp is highly recommended. Mailchimp provides a user-friendly platform for managing and sending email campaigns, and it also offers helpful features like automation and segmentation, which allow you to send targeted messages to specific groups within your list. It’s important to regularly clean your email list as well, removing inactive or bounced emails to ensure a high deliverability rate and avoid being marked as spam.
Integrating Third Party Apps
Integrating Mailchimp with WordPress is a straightforward process thanks to plugins like Mailchimp for WordPress. This allows you to easily add sign-up forms to your website and automatically sync new subscribers to your Mailchimp list. WordPress is a popular website building platform for musicians due to its flexibility and customization options. By using plugins and themes, you can create a professional-looking website that reflects your brand and style.
WordPress Optimization
Optimizing your WordPress website for email list building is important as well. Placing opt-in forms in prominent locations like your homepage, about page, and blog posts can increase the visibility of your sign-up form and encourage more people to subscribe. You can also use pop-up or slide-in forms to capture attention and offer incentives for signing up.
By integrating Mailchimp with your website, whether through WordPress or a website builder like Squarespace, and optimizing your musicians’ website for email list building, With the right strategies, building a musicians’ email list can not only be rewarding, it can be fun.
Mailchimp Email System
As a musician, having a solid online presence is essential, and your website is a significant component of that presence. By integrating Mailchimp with your WordPress site, you can effectively build and manage your email list. This will allow you to stay connected with your fans and promote your music.
So, how do you go about integrating Mailchimp with WordPress? The good news is that it’s relatively straightforward, thanks to a variety of plugins available for this purpose. One of the most popular plugins is Mailchimp for WordPress. This plugin provides a range of features to help you connect with your fans and manage your email list.
Once you’ve installed the Mailchimp for WordPress plugin, you’ll need to connect it to your Mailchimp account. This process involves entering your Mailchimp API key, which you can find in your Mailchimp account settings. Once the plugin is connected, you can start creating sign-up forms and opt-in boxes. These forms can be used to encourage your website visitors to subscribe to your email list.
Flexibility and Customization
One of the benefits of using WordPress for musicians is the flexibility and customization options available. With thousands of themes and plugins available, you can create a unique website that reflects your brand and engages your fans. When it comes to building your email list, you can optimize your website by placing opt-in forms in prominent locations, such as your homepage or sidebar.
Data Protection
Another essential consideration when integrating Mailchimp with WordPress is GDPR compliance. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union regulation that sets standards for data protection and privacy. If you have subscribers in the EU, you must ensure that your email list complies with GDPR regulations. Fortunately, Mailchimp for WordPress provides options for GDPR compliance. Some of the options allow subscribers to consent to receiving marketing emails and providing an easy way to unsubscribe.
So if you’re looking to widen your base, using plugins like Mailchimp for WordPress, can help you to connect with your fans, promote your music, and stay compliant. With options available on WordPress, you can create a website that truly reflects your brand and engages your fans.
Integrating Mailchimp with Website Builders
For musicians’ who prefer to use a website builder instead of WordPress, Integrating Mailchimp can still be just as useful for building an email list.
The first step to integrating Mailchimp with a website builder is to create a Mailchimp account and set up a new list for your subscribers. Once you have your list set up, you can then integrate it with your website builder.
Different website builders have different integration methods. They all do seem to involve adding an integration code or plugin to your website. For example, Squarespace offers a built-in integration with Mailchimp that allows you to connect your website with your Mailchimp account. This can be done in just a few simple steps.
To integrate Mailchimp with Squarespace, first, you need to navigate to the Squarespace website and log in to your account. From there, go to the main menu and select Settings, then click on Connected Accounts. Scroll down and find the Mailchimp integration, and click Connect Account.
Once you’ve connected your account, you can select which Mailchimp list you want to use for your website’s email signup form. You can also customize the signup form’s fields, colors, and design to match your website’s branding.
Website Builder Proprietary Alternative
Many website builders, such as Squarespace, Wix, and Weebly, offer built-in email marketing features. These features can simplify the process of managing your email list and campaigns. So, before committing to a separate email marketing tool, it’s worth exploring your website builder’s options first. That way you can see if they have everything you need.
Using a proprietary website building email system can also be a good option for musicians’ who want to save money. That includes saving money on email marketing features, such as email templates, automation workflows, and subscriber management tools. All of which will help when the artist is building their musicians’ email list.
While these options are convenient it is advised to consider that they may have limitations. That is especially true when compared to their third-party counterparts like Mailchimp. For example, they may not offer as many customization options, or they may have lower email sending limits.
Hopefully now you are better equipped for weighing the pros and cons of using a website builder’s built-in email system versus a third-party email marketing tool like Mailchimp. What is most important is finding the option that best fits your needs and budget.
Alternative Third-Party Email List Marketing Tools
Mailchimp is a popular and widely used email marketing tool. There are also a number of alternatives available that may better suit the needs of some musicians. All of these email marketing tools offer different features, pricing plans, and user interfaces.
For example, Campaign Monitor is known for its customizable email templates . It also has tools for easy-to-use drag-and-drop email building. Klaviyo is popular for its advanced segmentation and automation options. Constant Contact offers a wide range of marketing tools beyond email. Those include tools for social media management and website building. AWeber is known for its user-friendly interface and helpful customer support. GetResponse is also a popular choice for its marketing automation features and landing page builder.
Ultimately, the best alternative to Mailchimp for building a musicians’ email list will depend on ones specific needs and goals. So when deciding on an email marketing tool, it’s important to carefully consider your specific needs and goals. You must also consider factors such as ease of use, pricing, and available integrations.
How to Grow with Your Email List System
Building an email list is just the first step in your email marketing journey as a musician. Once you have subscribers on your list, it’s important to nurture those relationships and continue growing your list. Here are some tips for using your email system to grow your fan base and connect with your audience.
- Setting Milestones
- Staying Consistent
- Engaging Your Subscribers
- Personalizing Your Content
- Segmenting Your List
- Analyzing Your Results
- Pivoting Your Strategy
Set Milestones
Setting milestones for your email list growth can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals. For example, aim to reach a certain number of subscribers within a specific time frame. This will give you a concrete goal to work towards and help you track your progress. You can also use these milestones to celebrate your achievements and keep your subscribers engaged. For example, you could offer a special giveaway or discount code to subscribers when you reach a certain milestone.
Consistency is Key
Consistency is key to keeping your subscribers engaged and interested in your music. Make sure you are sending out regular newsletters and updates to your subscribers. This could be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on your schedule and content availability. Your subscribers will come to expect and look forward to these regular updates, so it’s important to stick to your schedule.
Engage Your Subscribers
Your email list is a valuable tool for engaging with your fans and building relationships with them. Use it to ask for feedback on your music, share behind-the-scenes content, and offer exclusive content. You could even ask your subscribers for ideas on what type of content they would like to see from you. By engaging with your subscribers, you can build a community around your music and create a sense of connection with your audience. By having a great website to lead them back to you will be able to promote your music and sell merch. If you haven’t gotten your site together yet. Start here!
Personalization
Personalization is key to making your emails feel more personal and engaging. Address your subscribers by name and tailor your content to their interests. For example, if you know that some of your subscribers are interested in a particular genre of music, you could send them updates and recommendations related to that genre. You could also send personalized messages to subscribers on their birthdays or other special occasions.
Segment Your List
Segmenting your email list based on subscriber interests and behavior can help you create targeted content that is more likely to resonate with your subscribers. For example, you could create different segments for subscribers who are interested in different genres of music or who have attended different types of events. This will allow you to send more personalized and relevant content to each segment, increasing the chances that they will engage with your emails.
Analyze Your Results
Analyzing your email campaign results is important to understand what’s working and what’s not. Use analytics tools to track the success of your email campaigns. Analyze your open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to see what type of content is resonating with your subscribers. This information can help you make data-driven decisions about your email strategy and content.
Pivot Your Strategy
Use the insights you gain from your analytics to pivot your email strategy. For example, if you find that your subscribers are more interested in certain types of content, focus on creating more of that content. You can also experiment with different types of content to see what resonates with your audience. For example, you could try sending out a series of exclusive videos or offering a special discount code to see how your subscribers respond.
By setting milestones, staying consistent, engaging your subscribers, personalizing your content, segmenting your list, analyzing your results, and pivoting your strategy, you can create a successful email marketing campaign that helps you connect with
A lot more goes into marketing than just your email list, here is a link to a great article to help you get going! Get to it!
Conclusion
Hopefully by now you have a reasonable understanding of how to build and grow your email list as a musician. By implementing the strategies and tips outlined in this guide, you’ll be well on your way to expanding your fan base and building meaningful connections with your audience.
Remember, growing an email list takes time and effort. It’s important to set achievable milestones and consistently engage with your subscribers through personalized, targeted content. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different email marketing strategies and pivot your approach based on what works best for your audience.
As you continue to build your email list, it’s also essential to keep your website up-to-date and user-friendly. Whether you choose to use WordPress or a website builder, make sure to optimize your website for email list building by placing opt-in forms in prominent locations and offering incentives for sign-ups.
Finally, don’t forget to celebrate each success along the way! Every new subscriber and engaged fan takes you closer. Find pride in your hard work and continue to push yourself to grow and improve.
For more about building a fan base we have a great article; Check it out!
If you ever feel stuck or need further guidance, remember that there are many resources available to help you. Mailchimp’s community forums and help documentation are great places to start, and there are countless online communities and courses dedicated to email marketing for musicians.
With dedication, creativity, and perseverance, building an email list can be a fun and rewarding journey. Best of luck in all of your musical pursuits!