Using a band mailing list can be an effective way of letting
your fans know what is happening with your band at minimal
cost to you. While you may already be using a mailing list
to promote your act, this article should give you some
additional ideas of things you can do with your list which
will means more exposure for your act.
The Basics
If you are not collecting names and addresses of people that
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. I recommend making copies and putting
them on the tables at the club that you are performing at
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?). Your singer can than say something to
the effect put the completed forms in the box located by the
front door.
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 members birthday? I once had
a band member that liked to cook he had all kinds of special
recipes that we 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 is the
limit. Dont forget to include a coupon to order your CD.
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.
I caution you NOT to do this with email lists and only do
this will regular postal mail (snail mail).
Email
Of course email is becoming more and more popular and the
cost of sending to an email list is very low. Definitely use
an email list however, I still believe it is worth the time
to send out mailings through the regular mail. By doing this
it gives your band an advantage to all of the other bands in
your area just using email.
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. I wont get into the details
here however you should contact the post office and they
will give you all the info you need on bulk mail.
Post Cards
Instead of sending a letter send a post card. The current
rate for a post card is much less than a letter and you can
shrink a monthly calender down to post card size.
Survey Your Fans
Another idea for your list is to survey your fans. You can
find out valuable info like: What is your favorite club?
What cover tunes do you want to hear? What do you like about
our band? What improvements do we need to make? ect... If you
are sending through snail mail use a SASE (self addressed
stamped envelope) to make it easier to send back your survey
sheet. This info can help make your act better and build a
stronger following.
Well there you have it, your mailing list can be one of the
best ways to promote your act. Good luck and happy mailing!
