ough understanding of your audience. Learn what’s important to them and what they
want. Then find ways to give it to them. Doing that simple task is another “make it or
break it” piece of advice. Remember, without a solid fan base, you might have stellar
music but little success, both creatively and financially. Sellout performances, record
deals, through the roof merchandise sales, etc. are all a result of your fans and what you
bring to them.
If you can’t write a description of your ideal fan on the back of a matchbook cover,
you don’t have a clear idea of who they are. Invite them to comment on Facebook, reply
to tweets, email you and such. It’s all about interacting. With interaction comes under-
standing.
Find ways to interact with your fan base, both at live shows and off stage. Find ways
to get a wee bit intimate and I don’t mean inviting them backstage after a show. I mean
that inasmuch as you need to learn about them, they need to learn about you. Don’t be
afraid to reveal some of yourself. Why did you write this or that song? What do you and
the band members do beyond playing and recording? What’s important to you? All this
makes you a little more human and less of a commodity that’s bought, sold and shared
among friends. It will also help to keep you grounded when things start getting slightly
weird. Sure, you need to create and develop a brand, but you also need to stay human.
Be aggressive in growing your fan base and creating evangelists for your music and
live shows. Evangelists, or even better, “efangelists,” (Cool! I’m creating my own lan-
guage.) will do more for your career and musical expansion than anything else. Even
more than a record company, p.r. campaign or Facebook. The word, “fan” comes from