Jab, Jab, Jab, then throw the Right Hook
Every band I know uses social media to some extent, but few seem to know how to use it to it’s full potential.
Social media takes time to build a following and you need to be grabbing your audiences attention with interesting little vignettes of your musical lives.
Facebook is the perfect platform for bands because it is all about telling stories.
Twitter is about news and information
Instagram - the story is told in beautiful photos
Snapchat - the story appears and seconds later it is gone forever.
Most of your fans do not live a musicians life and what you see as normal - to them is exceptional. The average fan works a typical 8-hour job everyday, sees mostly the same people everyday, travels a few times each year and has never been on stage, backstage at a festival, or in a recording studio. They view your life as glamorous, creative, exciting and something they can only dream of. You have the power to give them a glimpse into your world, to lift the curtain on a life they can only dream of. So, tell them a story, make it in a few parts, make them want to see the conclusion and they will be hooked on you and the band.
What I see far to often is an artist begging for fans to come to a show. I get a Facebook shout-out usually eight hours before showtime saying something like this:
“Hey, gang we are playing at “Club X” tonight who’s coming?”
No images, no story, too late for any pre-planning, no incentives … nothing … just a late feeble plea to attend.
Maybe it is a Tuesday night and the show starts at 9:00 pm and the band comes on at midnight. Do you expect anyone to come or care…Really? Who can drop everything they have planned and run out to a club, only to get home at 2 am and be ready for work the next morning?
Well, as Gary Veynerchuck points out in his great social media book “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” you should be jabbing rather than trying for that knock-out punch each and every time.
Maybe a band you admire just released a killer single. Tell your fans, thats a jab.
What is the playlist on the drive to the next gig? That’s a jab.
List the wildlife seen on the drive across the top of Lake Superior. Another clever Jab.
You just found the coolest guitar in a pawn shop in Winnipeg, take a photo and share, Jab.
Get it? A jab is your way of staying close to your fans, to let them into your life a little and slowly they begin to believe they know you and love you even more.
After dozens of jabs along comes a show that most folks living regular 9-5 lives could make. It’s on a Saturday afternoon in a local park at a community festival. It’s time to throw the Right Hook. Begin your story. Share the weather channels post of the temp and conditions if it’s going to be glorious and hot.
Ask them to share a photo of the cute/oddest/crazy outfit they plan to wear to the show.
Tell them what each band member likes to drink (super good, if it happens to be one of the festival sponsors beers) and enquire what they are planning to drink at the show and take a pole of what is their favourite cocktail. it is practically guaranteed somebody will buy you your favourite beverage and deliver it to the stage.
Offer to sign a copy of your CD/LP and pose for photos with fans after each show.
Ask them to take photos of the band performing then send them to you and the best-of-the-best will appear on the bands website/Instagram account.
Ask them to live stream that nights performance on Facebook Live or Periscope. Give them a mission and let them in on being a part of the show. They are going to do it anyway, why not make it seem like it was your idea.
Finally ask them to buy a ticket and come to the festival.
Show photos of the band loading gear, arriving at the park, the drummer with a hotdog, some friendly dog, the view from the stage, the backstage area as you meet and great other acts. There is your story. No money paid to advertise, your fans are entertained and intrigued and best of all no BEGGING.
If you have band merchandise motivate them with FREE stuff.
Best cool sunglasses photo with email address gets a T-shirt. Add photos to Instagram. Remind them about the contest on twitter every few hours prior to the show. Collect those emails for later use.
First ten people to buy a ticket gets a free poster. Twitter material for sure.
Your CD release is coming up and you have your LP/CD’s a few days early. Hit up fans in your hometown that you are running a contest. To enter they need to give you their email address. Winner gets the band in their backyard for an hour long pre-release listening party of the new album for 25 of their friends, everyone will go home with a free CD. You’ll supply the sound system, they provide the food, venue and booze. Winners get two free tickets to the release party the next evening. The band gets a free meal and booze, you meet some fans and create a few new ones. You only have to stay an hour at the most and can stay longer if the party is cool. You have the email addresses of every person who entered that you can add to your mailing list.
The take away here is that there are people out here that love you. They believe you live lives they can only dream of and are happy to receive social media jabs from you that reinforce their beliefs. Share the day-to-day, keep it light and positive. Commit to doing a post every other day and a few more just before shows or events. Try to wedge yourself into their shoes. What do they want to see as they sit behind their computer at the office? What will make them smile? What will extend the bands ongoing story? What can you do that they wish they could be doing? Maybe it’s as simple as a scarf in the wind as the band van rolls along the highway. You are selling freedom, a life with friends, travel, adventure, music making and mystery. Give it to them in regular little jabs and when it’s time they will respond to your Right Hook that asks them to do something for you like buy a ticket to a cool show, buy your music, look to stream you on Spotify or Apple Music, help you raise money to crowd fund your next record, buy a new T-Shirt or support a cause you believe in. Engagement is the key to social media success. You need regular posts, you need to showcase what you believe in, you need to let them into your life in a careful and controlled fashion, you need to build your story one post at a time.
No begging required.
Social media takes time to build a following and you need to be grabbing your audiences attention with interesting little vignettes of your musical lives.
Facebook is the perfect platform for bands because it is all about telling stories.
Twitter is about news and information
Instagram - the story is told in beautiful photos
Snapchat - the story appears and seconds later it is gone forever.
Most of your fans do not live a musicians life and what you see as normal - to them is exceptional. The average fan works a typical 8-hour job everyday, sees mostly the same people everyday, travels a few times each year and has never been on stage, backstage at a festival, or in a recording studio. They view your life as glamorous, creative, exciting and something they can only dream of. You have the power to give them a glimpse into your world, to lift the curtain on a life they can only dream of. So, tell them a story, make it in a few parts, make them want to see the conclusion and they will be hooked on you and the band.
What I see far to often is an artist begging for fans to come to a show. I get a Facebook shout-out usually eight hours before showtime saying something like this:
“Hey, gang we are playing at “Club X” tonight who’s coming?”
No images, no story, too late for any pre-planning, no incentives … nothing … just a late feeble plea to attend.
Maybe it is a Tuesday night and the show starts at 9:00 pm and the band comes on at midnight. Do you expect anyone to come or care…Really? Who can drop everything they have planned and run out to a club, only to get home at 2 am and be ready for work the next morning?
So, what should you be Tweeting?
Well, as Gary Veynerchuck points out in his great social media book “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook” you should be jabbing rather than trying for that knock-out punch each and every time.
What’s a Jab you ask?
A jab is a tap on your fan’s shoulder, it’s a sharing of something interesting, different and cool.Maybe a band you admire just released a killer single. Tell your fans, thats a jab.
What is the playlist on the drive to the next gig? That’s a jab.
List the wildlife seen on the drive across the top of Lake Superior. Another clever Jab.
You just found the coolest guitar in a pawn shop in Winnipeg, take a photo and share, Jab.
Get it? A jab is your way of staying close to your fans, to let them into your life a little and slowly they begin to believe they know you and love you even more.
After dozens of jabs along comes a show that most folks living regular 9-5 lives could make. It’s on a Saturday afternoon in a local park at a community festival. It’s time to throw the Right Hook. Begin your story. Share the weather channels post of the temp and conditions if it’s going to be glorious and hot.
Ask them to share a photo of the cute/oddest/crazy outfit they plan to wear to the show.
Tell them what each band member likes to drink (super good, if it happens to be one of the festival sponsors beers) and enquire what they are planning to drink at the show and take a pole of what is their favourite cocktail. it is practically guaranteed somebody will buy you your favourite beverage and deliver it to the stage.
Offer to sign a copy of your CD/LP and pose for photos with fans after each show.
Ask them to take photos of the band performing then send them to you and the best-of-the-best will appear on the bands website/Instagram account.
Ask them to live stream that nights performance on Facebook Live or Periscope. Give them a mission and let them in on being a part of the show. They are going to do it anyway, why not make it seem like it was your idea.
Finally ask them to buy a ticket and come to the festival.
Show photos of the band loading gear, arriving at the park, the drummer with a hotdog, some friendly dog, the view from the stage, the backstage area as you meet and great other acts. There is your story. No money paid to advertise, your fans are entertained and intrigued and best of all no BEGGING.
If you have band merchandise motivate them with FREE stuff.
Best cool sunglasses photo with email address gets a T-shirt. Add photos to Instagram. Remind them about the contest on twitter every few hours prior to the show. Collect those emails for later use.
First ten people to buy a ticket gets a free poster. Twitter material for sure.
Your CD release is coming up and you have your LP/CD’s a few days early. Hit up fans in your hometown that you are running a contest. To enter they need to give you their email address. Winner gets the band in their backyard for an hour long pre-release listening party of the new album for 25 of their friends, everyone will go home with a free CD. You’ll supply the sound system, they provide the food, venue and booze. Winners get two free tickets to the release party the next evening. The band gets a free meal and booze, you meet some fans and create a few new ones. You only have to stay an hour at the most and can stay longer if the party is cool. You have the email addresses of every person who entered that you can add to your mailing list.
So what do you do about that Tuesday night show?
Well, if you have been jabbing regular you can grab a photo of the venues marquee and tweet it out with a headline “TONIGHT band plays Venue X at midnight, see you in your dreams!” Those that can make it - will, the rest will get it that you understand it’s too late for most fans and they will appreciate your honesty and humour. It will get them thinking about you and making plans to see you at a more convenient time.
The take away here is that there are people out here that love you. They believe you live lives they can only dream of and are happy to receive social media jabs from you that reinforce their beliefs. Share the day-to-day, keep it light and positive. Commit to doing a post every other day and a few more just before shows or events. Try to wedge yourself into their shoes. What do they want to see as they sit behind their computer at the office? What will make them smile? What will extend the bands ongoing story? What can you do that they wish they could be doing? Maybe it’s as simple as a scarf in the wind as the band van rolls along the highway. You are selling freedom, a life with friends, travel, adventure, music making and mystery. Give it to them in regular little jabs and when it’s time they will respond to your Right Hook that asks them to do something for you like buy a ticket to a cool show, buy your music, look to stream you on Spotify or Apple Music, help you raise money to crowd fund your next record, buy a new T-Shirt or support a cause you believe in. Engagement is the key to social media success. You need regular posts, you need to showcase what you believe in, you need to let them into your life in a careful and controlled fashion, you need to build your story one post at a time.
No begging required.
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