Lady Gaga has created a well-known and much admired connection to her fans, whom she calls her “little monsters.” In an interview with RollingStone.com, she said: “We have this umbilical cord that I don’t want to cut, ever. I don’t feel that they suck me dry. It would be so mean, wouldn’t it, to say, ‘For the next month, I’m going to cut myself off from my fans so I can be a person.’ What does that mean? They are part of my person, they are so much of my person. They’re at least 50 percent, if not more.”
Devout followers call Gaga “Mother Monster,” and she’s even tattooed “Little Monsters” on the arm that holds her microphone, in dedication. So how, as in indie artist, do you develop such a close relationship with your fans? Here are some ways to start:
- Know your Fans: Check your web traffic and your Facebook and Twitter stats. Get to know where your fans are located, what their age ranges are, their gender, income level and occupations.
- Communicate: Out of sight, out of mind, right? Talk to your fans on a regular basis! But the key is to communicate with them accurately. Don’t spam them. Set up an email system that will allow you to target your communication by age, or region so that you’re not sending details about a show in New York to your fans in LA. That tells them you don’t care enough to know them. T
- Thank Them: Don’t forget that your fans are key to your success. Thank them when you can.
- Incentives for Early Adopters: Don’t you want to reward your fans that have been with you since the beginning? It’s worth knowing your oldest and most loyal fans. Send them a free “b-side” track or remix, or merch, as an incentive to continue to support you.
Many artists have no idea who their fans are. Don’t be that artist. Take a cue from Lady Gaga and establish a strong connection to your fans. If you need to, conduct a survey or set up a contest to obtain demographic information that will help you plan your merch, your show locations and more.
Tell us what you think: How do you foster relationships with your fans?
The SongCast Crew
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