Every year that I have started the booking process for MicCheck, I find myself sorting through emails, soundcloud links, and social media outlets looking for artists to put on stage. There are a few things I look for upfront. But one major thing is fan base. For an event like MicCheck, where my mission is to aid independent artists grow their fan base, I require that they have shown their efforts before I extend the invitation. For many who ask about the show, believing they have a fan base, I find there is something I should point out.
For every independent artist and entrepreneur there is a point where you rely on others to support your efforts. Those efforts are supposed to transition your position in your industry from one level to the next. When it comes to independent artists, oftentimes, we find that we garner the support of our friends and family to get us started. But are friends really fans?
For every independent artist and entrepreneur there is a point where you rely on others to support your efforts. Those efforts are supposed to transition your position in your industry from one level to the next. When it comes to independent artists, oftentimes, we find that we garner the support of our friends and family to get us started. But are friends really fans?
MicCheck Alumni from multiple years pause for a photo op after MicCheck15.
Jacqueline Jones thanking the MicCheck14 crowd. You don’t want this answer, I’m sure. But more than likely your friends aren't truly fans of your music. 95% of them support you because of who you are to them. But if ever you find that you and a particular friend aren’t as close, it’s easy to see just which side they are on. The reposts begin to slow down. They don’t attend your shows. They don’t request your music at the local radio station. This fact isn’t intended to discourage you, only to point out a reality.
If 95% of your friends aren’t really fans, and 95% of your “fans” are your friends, you don’t have many fans. It’s better to realize this and attempt to start a strategy to create more actual fans sooner than later. Rarely do people want to deal with this reality. But if you truly feel your destiny lies in your own hands, you can’t believe that everything is working on it's own. There is always something to improve.
Now the question is, what next? "I have come to terms with the harsh reality that I don’t have many fans. What do I do about it?" Here are 3 things to get you started in building your fan base.
Get in front of the right crowd. Taking gigs, for a lot of working musicians, performers, and artists is really about paying the bills. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But it’s going to be extremely difficult to make a jazz music fan out of a hip-hop crowd. So don’t be afraid to say no. If you have taken time to create music, you had a particular genre or consumer in mind. Whether you thought about it consciously or not, you know the type of person who will like what you’ve created. Now where are they? If it’s jazz, where are the jazz clubs? Are there open mic nights for your genre where you can showcase your art? When you take a show, ask the venue owner what type of crowd they normally have. Or simply show up at the venue and take a look for yourself. Research who else performs at the venue. Don’t simply take gigs and blindly and think, “one day all of these people will be fans of my music.” If you aren’t in front of the right crowd, most of them will forget you before your band has broken down.
Be personal. One of the many great things about independent artists is the ability to be approached. If a person feels your music is good, they want to feel as though they got to know you on the ground floor. So take the selfies. Respond to the comments on social media. Thank people personally. Be accessible. In the realest sense of being a fan, you feel as though you know the artist personally and that you can relate to them, even if you have never met them. So when it’s time to talk about you, they are comfortable sharing their love for your music with others. So don’t try to be hollywood too soon.
Treat your music like a business. This sentence may be in every single thing I will ever write about independent music. Businesses don’t build clientele by only servicing their friends and family. They don’t become well known by only relying on their circle to get the word out. You should work to figure out what works best for you. Make a budget. Make a budget. Make a budget. If you don’t have funds to work with to create a budget, every show you do and every unit you sell that makes money should be immediately reinvested into your business. You should be aware of your overhead costs. You should know what it requires monthly to keep your business afloat. If you haven’t thought about any of these things and you are just making and putting out music, performing, and recording, you may never leave the place you are. No, that is not true of everyone. But it is reality for most. Get your business in order. (I think this tip deserves a blog all it’s own.)
Be grateful for the friends and family you have who love and care enough for you to support you. At least for a while, they will buy every song, every tshirt, and attend as many shows as they can. Just remember, you don’t want it to only be them and you don’t want them to always feel obligated to be the ones there. So if you’re planning to make music your career, you are going to need FANS.
Jacqueline Jones
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