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.