New Music Biz 101: Newsletters

posted in: Features

Email marketing is still a popular style of getting your music out to the world. Building a strong mailing list is a top priority for anyone whether they’re a hobby musician or platinum selling artists. Once you build a list however,  you need to decide how to send emails to your fans in a way that will engage them and generate sales. One way to do this is to ensure that the newsletter that you email out comes off as professional, includes content that catches the reader’s eye as well as a place to easily access your music.

A simple and affordable way to send out emails to your mailing list is through Mailchimp. Mailchimp allows you to send up to 6,000 emails per month and store up to 1,000 subscribers for free! The system is designed for the visual learner and is easy to use even as a first timer. There are tools to easily manage your subscribers including ways to upload a large list of subscribers or enter them in individually. You can design beautiful looking emails without knowing any HTML code and have the ability to track the results of your campaign with the detailed statistics and reports provided in your account.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when creating your campaign:

  1. Content “ Make sure the news that you’re telling your audience is worthwhile. Sending emails too frequently often ends up with your emails being deleted before they’re even opened.
  2. Subject “ Speaking of having your emails opened, the best way to do this is to create an exciting and compelling subject line. This can make or break your campaign, and has almost everything to do with how many people open your email. Asking a question in the subject line often attracts a lot of attention and inspires curiosity.
  3. Short and Sweet “ Email users are busy and don’t have time to read novels. Make your email short, sweet and to the point. Pictures and other visuals help get your point across without using too many words.
  4. Link to the Right Places “ Make sure you always include links to your Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. And even if your announcement doesn’t pertain to a new release, always have a link to your online store, or a place where your fans can listen/purchase your music.

Hopefully these little tips will help you get started on creating a more engaging newsletter. Now get out there and start marketing your music and further engaging your fan base!