Don’t Spam, Connect: The True Path to Building Audiences

Finding an audience with whom to connect is something we all want to do as musicians and artists. And why not? These are the folks who will attend our gigs, purchase our music, and support our artistic endeavors. Our base.

My issue is not so much wanting to have a unified group in our aesthetical corners, but how we often times treat those we're trying to woo, is something to be desired. Instead of satiating their hunger for artistic enrichment, we often resort to spamming them to death. I'm talking about the barrage of emails, tweets, Facebook posts, snail mail, you name it. As I see it, spam is an acronym for:

Soliciting 

People

After 

Money

We all need money. This I get. The problem with spamming is that you betray the trust of those who are interested in what you do. They opened your email, read your Facebook and Twitter posts for the first time, maybe even the second, third, and forth, and after a while, they know never to do it again. Why? Because they opened their door, and you showed up, not bearing gifts, but things they don’t want or need. 

So what’s a fella to do?

First of all, don’t spam, speak. More importantly, speak to those already eager to listen. 

Don’t hustle them. Lead them. Lead them to where they're already yearning to go, but did not want to go there alone. Be a guiding light, not an annoying flickering one, only screaming for attention.

And if you do want to connect with your audience, here’s an acronym to guide you: 

Generosity 

Including

Virtually 

Everyone

GIVE!