Building a list and staying up!

As I look back through years of shows and mailing lists come and gone, I can’t help but be a little disappointed in my efforts to collect and maintain a large database of people that I have come across in my musical career. Since I started this competition I have been making a daily effort to increase mailing list members through exclusive giveaways and by trying to create an interactive environment.
I am on so many lists and there are ones that I will open weekly and then there are ones that I ignore completely. Here are things that turn me off:

• Errors – please take the time to check before you hit send
• Spam – I want a direct connection with the lists I am involved with. If you are committed to the philosophy of 1000 true fans, there is no reason for any of your communication to look like spam. There should be no shortage of things to discuss with your mailing list members.
• S.O.S – Same Ole Shit. We have all heard it before…. By now…. WE HAVE ALL HEARD IT BEFORE! Be original, be descriptive and be concise. Please get to the point and make sure your list flows. Follow the “intro, guts and call to action” format as outlined in “Music Success in Nine Weeks”
• No offer, just asking – Always hitting me up on your email list asking me to do something is annoying. What’s in it for me? Always reward!

I have really thought about what I like/dislike and I am taking that and applying It to my mailing list. I am committed to giving something away weekly in the form of an exclusive e download, giving everyone on my mailing list a free album and letting my mailing list vote on things like which songs should be included, T-shirt art, sticker art, etc.. I also want to try and communicate twice a month.

The biggest thing that I need to accomplish is growing my list. I have gone through my contacts on Gmail and asked their permission to add them to my band list, most said yes which increased my list instantly. I am also making sure to collect emails at every show by walking around and trading CD’s for emails. Now this next idea is something that I think is totally unique and well worth the small investment. Not only is it effective but it works in so many situations.

Go to a coffee shop with a nice looking bowl, tell the coffee shop that you want people to drop their business cards in the bowl for a chance to win a free lunch, you pay for the lunch and get to keep all the email addresses. Clearly have it stated that the email addresses will be added to your mailing list and make unsubscribe very easy to do. This can be done anywhere your demographic shops: Surfshops, Skate Shops, Music Stores, Record Stores, Art Supply Stores, Bars, etc… This technique has worked in the business world for years so it easily applies to the MUSIC BUSINESS world.

Check the video below out, It is a little highlight reel from our studio session on Friday: