There are so many ways to engage with your fans that your message can often be lost amongst all the other bands trying to say something. Social media can also lull you into a familiar rhythm where you’re posting often, but not making an effort to stand out. Your online persona needs to be curated and personal for people to resonate with you. Nowadays, musicians need to find creative ways to engage with their fan bases to make sure they will hear about your releases, shows, and other news.

Here are some creative ways for you to engage with your fan base.
Run an Online Poll
Polls can be a great way to engage with your audience and get valuable feedback. Your fans want to feel like they’re connected to your creative process so having a poll to let them decide what song you should cover at your next show or what your next album cover should be could be a great way to show them you value their input. Facebook, Instagram Stories, and Twitter are all great places to run online polls and if you have an email list you can use services like Survey Monkey to send a poll to your fans.

Have an Email List
This one isn’t very creative, but I feel that a lot of bands overlook this. All you have to do is put out an email signup list by your merch and let people sign up. It’s a great way for people to opt into being your fan. You know the people who give you their emails are sincerely interested in what you’re doing.

Fan Contests
Running a contest with your fans is a fun way to generate buzz and make them feel like they’re a part of what you’re doing. You can run a submission contest, where people submit ideas and you pick the one you like the best or have your fans try to answer some question. Maybe you can start leaving clues on your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and the winner will get free tickets to your show. This will encourage people to follow you across multiple social media platforms as well. Using a platform like a Hive is a perfect tool to help aid in contest creation.

Incorporating gamification into the way people experience your band encourages positive behaviors and interactions and makes participating more worthwhile.

Feature your fan’s content on your social media feeds
You should repost good content you find on your fan’s pages (with credit of course) to make them feel like they’re involved in your brand. You should feature some content that is about you, like photos or videos people have taken, but also features cool things your fans are doing to give them exposure. By doing this you can turn a fan into a superfan who will be invested in seeing your popularity grow. They will be far more likely to recommend your band to other people and buy merch.

Remix Competition
This idea is a bit more involved but if you put up a good price you can really get great fan engagement and publicity. Everyone who enters a remix to the competition will probably be posting to their fans so you’ll be able to take advantage of your fan’s fanbases. You are able to upload your stems to sites like Splice if you want to open it up to the public.

The coronavirus pandemic has left countless members of the music community facing an uncertain future, as festivals and tours are canceled, studio sessions are called off and business travel is restricted. To help out music professionals and their loved ones navigate the crisis, Billboard compiled an extensive list of resources that we’re sharing to the Symphonic Blog as well. We’ll continue to update this list as time goes on.

National Resources for Musicians During the Coronavirus Pandemic
American Association of Independent Music
A2IM is surveying indie music companies about how the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting their businesses. The results will inform the organization’s discussions with the New York Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, as well as its investigations of federal assistance programs.

American Federation of Musicians
The AFM is calling on Congress to provide immediate economic relief on behalf of musicians and other working people in the midst of the crisis, including expanded unemployment benefits and a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and utility shut-offs. The organization has a resource page providing more information. Additionally, disabled AFM members can apply for financial aid through its longstanding Petrillo Memorial Fund.

American Guild of Musical Artists Relief Fund
Any AGMA member in good standing is invited to apply for financial assistance under the AGMA Relief Fund, which has temporarily doubled the amount of assistance available to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

Backline
Backline was established to connect music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness providers. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization has established a virtual support group that plans to meet regularly via the Zoom app.

Blues Foundation HART Fund
The HART Fund helps underinsured or uninsured blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a range of health concerns.

COVID-19 Music Production Response Group
A Facebook group meant as an “open forum for constructive debate about the effects of COVID-19 on music production industry professionals,” according to administrators. Its nearly 4,000 members (as of March 18) are sharing news updates, suggested actions, job opportunities and other resources.

COVID-19 Mutual Aid Fund for LGBTQI+ BIPOC Folks (GoFundMe)
This more than $70,000 fund prioritizes LGBTQI+, non-binary, gender fluid and gender non-conforming people of color whose livelihoods have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The first round of funding closed on March 17, but organizers say they plan to continue to raise funds through mid-April.

Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund
This organization strives to break down traditional genre boundaries through events and advocacy, is inviting musicians who have lost income due to the pandemic to apply for funds. Applicants must provide proof they had a confirmed concert canceled over the coronavirus to receive the money.

Facebook Small Business Grants Program
In response to the pandemic, Facebook is offering $100 million in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses around the world, including music and live events businesses. More details to come (you can sign up for updates here). Facebook also has a new Business Resource Hub to help small businesses prepare for and manage disruptions like COVID-19.

Freelance Coop Emergency Fund
The Freelance Coop, which connects creative freelancers with business resources, created an emergency fund for freelancers adversely affected by the pandemic. Examples of funding usage are unexpected childcare costs due to school closures, client cancellations, and medical expenses due to the virus itself. As of March 18, the fund had $35,279 in requests and $5,299.69 raised, and is continuing to call for donations to keep up with demand.

Gospel Music Trust Fund
Individuals working in the gospel music field can submit a request for financial assistance to the Gospel Music Trust Fund, which grants funding in the event “of an emergency or major catastrophe, terminal or severe illness,” according to their website.

International Bluegrass Music Association’s BlueGrass Trust Fund
Current or former bluegrass music professionals can apply here for financial grants and loans, which are generally between $500 and $5,000. The association has also created a coronavirus-specific resource page.

Jazz Foundation of America Musicians’ Emergency Fund
This fund offers financial support, housing assistance and pro bono medical care for musicians who have made a living playing blues, jazz, and roots music.

Leveler.info
The “peer-to-peer wealth distribution” service is a tool for salaried workers to donate funds across a database of freelancers, service industry and gig economy workers who are impacted by coronavirus health and safety restrictions.

Missed Tour
Artists and bands who have been displaced from touring due to the pandemic can list their merchandise on this site to help offset lost revenue — with zero charges or fees. Apply to be added to the site here.

MusiCares
The Recording Academy and its charitable foundation MusiCares have committed $2 million in total to a COVID-19 Relief Fund, established to assist those in the music community who have been affected by the pandemic. People can donate and apply for assistance by navigating to the fund’s official web page.

Music Health Alliance
The Nashville-based Music Health Alliance provides healthcare support services to uninsured members of the music industry.

Music Maker Relief Foundation
The foundation, which provides ongoing support to American artists 55 and older who live in chronic poverty, also gives out emergency grants to artists in crisis. It is now soliciting donations to ensure the stability of vulnerable elderly musicians during the pandemic.

NOMAD Fundraiser for the Touring Crew (GoFundMe)
Touring manager Frank Fanelli is aiming to raise $20,000 for touring crew members and roadies who have lost income due to gig cancellations and postponements. Donations close at the end of March.

Pinetop Perkins Foundation’s Assistance League
PAL provides financial assistance to elderly musicians for medical and living expenses. Preference is given to blues artists, though musicians in other genres may be eligible depending on available funds.

SAG-AFTRA COVID-19 Disaster Fund
SAG-AFTRA members who are in an emergency financial crisis related to coronavirus may request assistance to cover basic expenses like rent, mortgage, utilities and medical bills. To apply to the fund, members must have paid their dues through October 2019.

Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
The Small Business Administration has designated COVID-19 as a qualifying event for economic injury disaster loans. However, you must be located in a “declared disaster area” to apply for assistance. Check if your state qualifies here.

Sound Royalties
In light of the crisis, music finance firm Sound Royalties is allocating $20 million to offer a no-cost royalty advance funding option through April 16. Songwriters, performing artists, producers and other creators with royalty income can apply for cash advances on a one-year repayment schedule, cost-free.

Sweet Relief COVID-19 Fund
Sweet Relief has established a donor-directed fund to be used specifically for musicians and music industry workers affected by the coronavirus. Funds will go towards medical expenses, lodging, clothing, food and other vital living expenses for those who get sick or lose work due to the pandemic.

Tour Support
Tour Support, a mental health nonprofit for the live music industry, is offering independent touring contractors whose tours have been postponed or cancelled one month of free online therapy through Better Help (apply here). In addition, Shading the Limelight is offering the Tour Support community two free weeks (March 17–28) of emotional wellness coaching (email shajjar@shadingthelimelight.com for an appointment). Check the Tour Support Twitter for more updates to come.

Viral Music — Because Kindness is Contagious
Independent musicians are invited to use this more than 21,000-member Facebook support group to connect with music fans. “Use this joint to post links to your merch store, online shows, Patreon, or online music lessons,” organizers write. “If you’ve had a gig canceled, post the city and your Venmo/PayPal — many of us would love to pass along our ticket refunds to you.”

AudioAssemble.com
AudioAssemble.com has put together a list of online remote opportunities for musicians that are available for U.S.-based musicians during the COVID-19 outbreak. Their financial resources page has short-term and long-term job opportunities, as well as governmental resources to help musicians generate revenue. Check out their growing list here.

1. Revisit Your Branding
Over time, it’s easy to lose sight of your true audience. Take the time to revisit who your target is meant to be and make changes to realign your efforts. Focusing your posts to appeal to your respective audience is key. Try a new strategy like teasing your upcoming release on Instagram Stories.

Need some more inspiration? Look up similar posts on Instagram and Twitter using hashtags you think would fit your brand to get your imagination rolling. (Extra points for getting familiar with SEO and using it to your advantage.)

2. Streaming Services
You already have your music on streaming platforms (hopefully), so how can you use this to extend your marketing efforts? Think of the streaming service as another social media account and treat is as such. Make sure your bios are interesting, up to date, and link to your profiles on other accounts.

If you don’t already, inform your listeners when new music drops by creating alerts on Spotify. Aside from this, always be actively promoting your new releases by reaching out to music blogs, sharing Spotify Codes, and sharing everything you can on as many platforms as possible. All this will help you get more followers.

3. Think About Getting a Publicist
Reaching out to the press with announcements of tours and new music is very time-consuming. You want to focus your efforts on things that aren’t going to burn you out or take your attention away from the things you’re best at. Not sure if you’re ready for a publicist yet? Here are 4 signs you’re ready to hire a music publicist.

4. Social Media Is Key
Keeping your social media profiles up to date is a strong and effective marketing strategy in itself. Use a mix of promotional and everyday posts to pull your audience in and relate to them. Instagram is perfect for both of these!

Facebook can be used for promos, touring schedules, flyers, and important dates. Twitter is best for reaching out to fans and communicating with them directly. Don’t forget to use SEO for hashtags to reach your audience and don’t forget to respond to as many comments as you can to let your audience know you’re always listening.

5. Optimize The Way You Tour with Analytics
Going on tour is more than half of the job, so make sure you’re streamlining this process as best you can. Along with promoting your profiles and optimizing the traffic on platforms like Spotify and Soundcloud, you can gain a lot of success from simply knowing how to properly use the tools available to you.

Spotify and Soundcloud Analytics give you insights into your fan base to help you decide things like where you should prioritize your shows and what songs your fans want to hear.

If you want to make your tour the best it can be, it helps to gather some background info about what your audience loves and wants to see more of.

Once you’ve done all these things, don’t just set it and forget it. The key to maintaining growth over the course of your career is to stay up to date with changes and advancements in the music marketing realm.

Throughout this series, we’ve discussed the various members of the artist development team. Each member brings a unique set of assets to the entire team. Each member provides unique guidance and expertise that is essential to launch and maintain an upward trajectory for an artist’s career. This entry is devoted to the form and function of the publicist, a member of the team who is tasked with bridging the gap between the private and public life of an artist.

Brand awareness is at the heart of every artist’s success and failure, and the publicist is who can make that happen. A publicist is on the front lines, closest to the pulse of the public and the opinion the public has about the artist.

Forming Your Artist Development Team – The Publicist
When To Hire a Publicist
Publicists are tasked with communicating an artist’s story, providing details, filling in the blanks and engaging in conversations with media outlets that can connect those stories to the public and help establish an artist’s brand. There are many theories as to when an artist should invest in the services of a publicist, but it distills down to one basic metric; does the artist have a compelling, relatable and unique story to tell? Is there something that the artist is creating, doing or saying that is a differentiator, unique or press-worthy?

A good publicist is expensive. A great publicist is ridiculously expensive. However, the process is complex. Developing a story with just the right slant or “pitch,” submitting it to the appropriate press outlets and following up to ensure that it is published and seen by the public on a timely basis is no easy feat.

If you have enough money to hire a great publicist, any one of them will gladly take your cake. However, don’t think that this will guarantee a cover story in People Magazine or Rolling Stone. The genesis of a press release and story must be newsworthy from the jump. Not even the most powerful publicist can turn an unknown or lackluster artist or story into headlines and feature articles. A publicist will not squander valuable media relationships or contacts on a “fluff piece.” Competition is intense. Thousands of stories are being pitched on a daily basis. A good publicist’s power within the public relations world comes from his or her reputation, experience and ability to bring authentic, hot stories and “breaking” artists to media outlets.

Publicists must be able to engage in one on one dialogues with important editors and content gatekeepers to convince them that their story is “top of the fold” material and deserves press real estate more than any other story out there.

A publicist’s success, in both time and substance, is intrinsically tied to career milestones that are met by an artist. It’s all about the momentum of growth. A record deal, a tour, a major film or television slot, events that a publicist can truly sink their teeth into tells an artist it’s time to hire one. So, if your part-time quest for stardom is beginning to gel, your career “buzz” is real, contracts are being signed, and you are starting to gain momentum, an investment in a publicist is a good one.

Remember: Like a booking agent, a publicist follows the path of the artist’s career, it doesn’t create the path. Make sure there is a real need before you invest in publicity.

The Type of Professional You Need
The relationship between publicist and artist is intimate by nature, meaning that many personal and professional components, skillsets, and networks must align and be compatible to ensure a successful union. The publicist must be well connected. They must be able to reach out to press influencers on multiple press platforms. Basic skills such as the ability to prioritize, schedule, write well and be able to identify and promote the artist’s brand are essential.

A publicist must be capable of delivering press coverage that coincides with the career level of the artist and the events that are taking place along a time continuum. Artists who are starting to catch on regionally and nationally need a publicist with press contacts who can deliver regional and national press. Don’t sign with a publicist until you have thoroughly researched his or her professional profile.

Ask to see their client roster, placements, and press clippings.
Take a look at the press kits they have created for each client.
Experience is essential, especially when dealing with established artists and brands. If you’re a new artist, the most vital skillset to look for is the ability to “break” newbies, aka garnering press coverage for an artist who is virtually unknown. Remember that all members of an artist’s development team are music genre-driven. They specialize in a specific type of music/artist and their contacts and power exist within the context of that genre. So, make sure to find a publicist who has experience in your type of music.

In addition, all publicists must have experience in positioning a client when the press is negative or derogatory. Artists can get into situations that require strict management and strategic positioning with press outlets. Interviews must be controlled, scripted and aimed towards counteracting the negative press. Articles must be written to explain the artist’s perspective or rationale. The public’s support can be reinstated and shaped by a savvy publicist. Damage control is a special skill set that only a few publicists possess, and the cost for that expertise is usually astronomical.

Regardless of where you are in your career, the publicist (as well as all the other members of your artist development team) must have a great reputation in the industry; honest, reliable, well-liked and respected. They must be contingency and solution-based, regardless of the situation.

Working with a Publicist
Because of the Internet, the publicity needs of an artist who’s just starting out can usually be handled by the artist themselves. An artist can create his or her own press releases, service them through various, free press distribution websites and follow up with emails and phone calls on their own. Social media platforms, entertainment websites, E-zines, and Fanzines are plentiful. Editors are usually easy to identify and contact. Generally, they’re happy to receive content and information about gigs, music releases, and other entertainment events. While the reach of these publications can be limited, local and regional at best, you have to start somewhere. And core audiences are built literally one fan at a time.

Be proactive, Do it yourself until your story starts to unfold and then consider handing it off to a professional.

To be a publicist is to be an artist’s perpetually loyal fan and brand guru for as long as they work together. A solid working relationship begins with support and belief that eventually morphs into progressive and consistent cultivation of the artist’s brand. The publicist must be given all the information; the good, bad and ugly, to properly service press outlets who are interested in covering the artist and the music. On a personal level, you must be compatible, certain that you can and will “mesh” personally with this individual because publicity is personal in nature and public in execution. There must be mutual trust and honesty.

If you think you’re ready to hire a publicist, get started by creating a list of publicists who you feel are the right “fit.” Do your homework. Find out who they represent.
Check out the work they are doing for their clients.
Make sure they handle the type of music you’re making.
If they fit your criterium, it’s time to reach out and provide them with information about you.
Create an electronic package that includes a cover message or note offering important information about you, your career and your goals.
If you have a bio include it. Include photographs, links to your music or videos of your performances. Brag about yourself and what you have done.
Let them know where you want to go and what you want to achieve. Remember that promises are empty unless they are kept.
Make sure each candidate has experience, knowledge, skills and the resources to keep any of the promises they make.
Every aspect of your career is an opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions of yourself and to the publicist that you’re considering. Use every member of your artist development team as a teacher. Do not follow blindly. Insist on knowing the answer to “why” something can or cannot be done. Debate and discourse make a team stronger. Learn how it’s done before you turn it over to someone else to do for you.

Decide on the way you want your profile, your brand to be presented to the public. If you have a manager, discussions about your brand should have already taken place. You can turn to them for help in selecting a publicist, but don’t take recommendations without doing your own research. Don’t rush into anything, you’ll know when the time is right.

The music industry has experienced much hardship over the past two weeks. From the tornadoes in Nashville to the emergence of COVID-19, our communities are feeling the impact. This impact has also affected artists and record labels by festivals and venues canceling shows in the interest of public health and containment of the virus. This means gigs, tours, productions, merch sales, and other revenue streams have come to a halt.

Here’s how you can help
DONATE // In efforts to help our community, we’ve set up the Support Independent Music page to supplement the income of artists who have been hit the hardest. Every time you refresh the page, a different artist from our community will appear for you to donate to. These donations will go directly to the artist you choose.

Here’s how you can be featured
Head over to the Support Independent Music page and fill out the form with all your details. For the time being, we are requesting Venmo and Cash App as payment forms. If you don’t have an account with them, set one up! It’s really simple. We’ll then add you to the featured artist list.

We will not take a single dime from your donation.

Every little bit helps and thanks for contributing to the independent music industry!
We will be publishing editorial content in our blog, so make sure to check out our tag, #CoronaVirus, for best practices during this time and articles that are great resources for this downtime.

We look forward to continuing to help the artist community in any and every way we can. We WILL get through this. Stay safe.