As an independent artist, one of your most valuable assets is your fan base, so it’s important to put the time and effort into cultivating fans on the ground level. In the beginning of your music career, or if you career has stalled, it’s important to remember that you have to build fans one at a time. How can you do this?

Put on a great live show. Knock their socks off. Sure you can grab a gig at a venue here and there and play to a small audience, but if you want more than your girlfriend and your family in the audience, make a name for yourself as a live band to watch. Give each and every show 100% by making sure you’re well rehearsed, confident and ready to roll. If you put on a great show, your audience will keep coming back – and they might even tell their friends.

Talk to your audience. Have a meet and greet at your merch table before or after the show.  Hang around and meet your fans. Introduce yourself and thank them for coming to support you. Tell them about your next show or where they can find you online so they can follow your career. Spending time chatting with them will likely influence them to come to another show. If you make a good impression on them, they just might tell their friends.

Turn online fans into offline fans. Sure you have a Twitter page and sure you’ve been updating your Facebook page. Perhaps you also have an Instagram and BlueSky account and maybe others.  But, have you converted any of those online relationships into offline fans? If not, it’s time to ask your online community to introduce themselves at shows. Remember that there are humans behind those computer screens and you should make an effort to meet them.

Respond to messages. If a fan has a question or drops you a note to tell you how much they like your music, respond to them in a timely manner. Send them a message of thanks and — you might even want to go a step further — offer them a free download of one of your songs as a note of gratitude. They’ll come back to your website and to your shows if they know you care.

Tell them they matter. Thank them!  Make you fans feel like they’re part of something important. Make them feel like what they’re doing really matters. Be genuine and express to your fans how much their support means to you. Again, if they feel like their involvement matters and that you appreciate their support, fans will come back.

Once you’ve started making connections with loyal fans, ask them if they want to join your street team, to help get the word out about your shows. A loyal fan is one of your most valuable assets!