Youu Have To Know Your Fans The Way You Know The Back Of Your Hand

If you’re more concerned about getting “a deal” than you are about getting to know your fans, you’re on the wrong track.

If you understand the lifestyles of your fans, you’ll have a passport to making money with your music.

Why?

Because when you know who your fans are, their habits and lifestyles will show you ways of reaching them that you never imagined.


Study the people who come to your live shows, buy your records and t-shirts, and visit your websites, and subscribe to your Blogs or Newsletters.


Your fans are your most valuable asset.

When you know who your fans are AND how they live their lives, this information can be used to come up with targeted music marketing methods.


Fan or customer research is behind the ideas of creating unique special promotions...just for your fans.

For example, haven’t you seen toys for sale at places other than toy stores? You know—toy action figures from some mega movie promotion, free with a hamburger. Or, how about those special deals where you subscribe to a magazine and get a free book or movie discount coupons? To help you get into the mindset of a professional marketer, here are some questions you should ask about your fans:

• How old are they? (Determine the widest range of their ages.)
• What gender are they? (If both, what percentage is dominant, or is it even?)
• Are they one specific ethnic background or a mix of backgrounds?
• Do they drive cars to work, carpool, take public transportation, ride bikes,
or walk?
• If they’re students, what kind of schools do they go to? Grade school, high
school, college, business school, university?
• Are they religious, atheists, or free thinkers?
• What political parties do they belong to, and what, if any, causes do they
champion?
• What kind of restaurants do they go to—fancy and expensive, ethnic, or fast
food?
• Where do they shop for clothes? Thrift stores, Target, Nordstrom?
• What hobbies and interests do they have? Computers, art, hiking,
skateboarding, sports etc?
• What other music do they like? Particularly, what other bands and artists do
they spend their money on?
• What movies do they see in theaters, rent or stream online or at video
stores?
• Do they get to your gigs by bicycle, motorcycle, car, bus, train?
• What books do they enjoy reading, and how and where do they buy them?
• What kind of volunteer work might they do? environmental or political causes,
fairs and festivals, church or social groups?
• What TV shows do they watch, and what radio stations do they listen to
online or through cable and/or traditional broadcasters?
• What Internet websites do they visit and download music from?
• Do they subscribe to any blogs or podcasts? Which ones?