Using
a band mailing list can be an effective way of
letting your fans know what's happening with your
band at minimal cost to you.
The
Basics:
If you're not collecting names and addresses of
people who are at your gigs you should start
immediately. All you need is a simple sign up sheet
with name, address, phone and email address on it,
and put copies of them on the tables at the club
where you're performing before you go on stage. Get
some type of box and label it with your band name.
Have your singer announce from the stage a few times
throughout your set that you have a mailing list and
to sign up, fill out the form on their table and put
it in the box. Make sure you have the box located
somewhere that people can easily get to and see (the
front door of the club?).
Using
Your List:
You can immediately start using your list by sending
monthly calenders with all of your upcoming gigs.
This is very effective because you can promote all of
your gigs in that month with only one mailing.
Another idea is a newsletter. This can give fans some
inside information about your act that they might not
have know about. Some ideas might be background about
band members, special parties or gigs. How about a
special gig for a band member's birthday? I knew a
band member who liked cooking and he had all kinds of
special recipes that he put in the newsletter, sounds
weird I know, but people liked it! Some other ideas
might be, contests or a band crossword puzzle ( you
can get software that will output a crossword puzzle
with words you supply!). The newsletter is open to
your imagination so the sky's the limit. Don't forget
to include a coupon to order your CD or tape.
Swap
Lists With Other Bands:
If there are other bands in your hometown that play a
similar style of music, consider trading your list
for theirs. This is a great way to build a large list
quickly.
Discount
Costs:
If you have a few hundred people on your mailing
list, you can send out your mail using a bulk rate
and have quite a cost reduction per piece mailed. If
you contact the post office, they'll give you all the
info you need on bulk mail.
Post
Cards:
Instead of sending a letter, send a post card. The
rate for a post card is cheaper and you can shrink a
monthly calender down to post card size.
Email:
Of course email is becoming more and more popular and
the cost of sending to an email list is very low.
Definitely use email when you can, and for those
people who don't have email addresses, use regular
mail.
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