One of the keys to establishing a strong fan base (who you
can sell things to) is forming/simulating a close relationship with them. For
example, your band’s Facebook or Twitter page is one of the few places you can
tell the world what you ate for lunch without inviting them to hate you at the
same time. Unless you’re touring deep in the jungles of Southern Asia, there’s
a good chance some of your fans have the same taste in sandwiches. Crowdfunding
is a great platform because you not only get and album or tour funded, but you
engage fans directly and they can claim (to their friends) partial
responsibility for your project once it’s completed and everyone loves it. Up
and coming Vermont garage rockers Happy Jawbone Family Band have a note on
their website: “Want to be a real BONEHEAD? Join our fan club!” and go on to
instruct fans to send drawing, poems or “pictures of stuff (they) like” and in
return send them cassettes of unreleased demos, handmade mini-pillows in the
shape of jawbones and other knick-knacks. This time-intensive but creative and
very personable move helped get them a rather glowing write-up in SPIN. The bottom
line is if you’re sincere, authentic, and creative when reaching out to your
fans, they will reach back in a big way.
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