10 Techniques For Getting Your Fans To Tune In To Your Live Streams

With live stream concerts clearly not going anywhere, artists are doubling down on making their virtual shows the best they can be. Here, we look at a few different ways to make you show stand out, and bring your fans in.

By Clarence Charron of Pop Color Of Music from The Crafty Musician

For today’s #guestpost we welcome Clarence Charron, of Pop of Colour Brand Management. For more information about Clarence, see bio below.

At this point in music history, it looks like live-streaming concerts are not only here to stay, but the only option for artists in many cases – and while they are a wonderful way to continue performing for your fans during a once in a lifetime global situation, seemingly everyone is hosting their own live stream, leading to a sea of choices for fans.

Here are a few ideas of ways to make your livestream concert stand out from the crowd, and get fans to tune in.

Pick A Less Popular Time

Back when IRL (In Real Life) gigs were a thing, most of them took place on Friday and Saturday nights, as those are the two nights a week fans with M-F, 9-5 jobs can stay out late. 

That was fine when there were thousands of venues to choose from, but now, every artist is competing for attention inside the same few virtual festival grounds: Instagram Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch.

If you aren’t yet at a place where your star power is enough to draw a huge crowd no matter where you are, be the biggest attraction on weekdays and at off-peak times. 

Have A Consistent Schedule

While you’ve no doubt heard social media gurus shouting about the importance of consistent content for years by now, making sure your livestreams take place on a regular and predictable schedule is not just important for algorithmic purposes, but also for the sanity of your fans (and yourself). 

Many of us are feeling lost, with the days of the week losing all meaning. Thanks to the power of Netflix binges, people can’t count on TV episodes to act as an internal content compass, this is where we need you.

+Related: A 30-Day Social Media Content Calendar for Musicians

Announce It In Advance

At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, you don’t mope when performing to an empty bar if neither you nor the venue put any advertising effort in, do you? So why would you not tell anyone about your online shows?

My theory is that many artists don’t see livestreams as a “real gig,” and therefore they don’t feel it deserves the same announcements, hype, or constant badgering of Facebook acquaintances that your typical coffee shop performance does. 

Hate to break it to you folks, but until (a) the venues that don’t go bankrupt reopen, (b) people feel comfortable going out to crowded events, and (c) we overcome a once in a century global pandemic… livestreams are real gigs.

+Related: Best Live Streaming Equipment for Musicians

Have Attendees Pre-Register

When it comes to IRL gigs, it’s considered good form to have a rough idea of how many people are coming. It reduces the false hope Facebook Events install in both you and the booking agent… So why should live streams be any different? 

Set Up A Paywall

People place things they pay for on much higher pedestal than freebies – think of all the free digital downloads you’ve never opened! 

So then, why not have your audience pay for tickets to attend your livestream? They’ll be far more likely to show up if they’ve dropped cash for the experience. 

Premiere New Content

If we can’t give people on social media FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) via our exotic vacations, exclusive parties, or exciting lives… Let’s make everyone who didn’t see your livestream feel jealous of those who tuned in by letting them be the first to hear a new song, order special-edition merch, or have a one-on-one conversation with you.

Host A Contest Or Giveaway

There’s nothing like the word FREE to get people’s attention. If you’ve got merch, artwork you made in quarantine, or anything that fits with your brand and fans’ taste, host a lucky draw, auction, or giveaway contest where the winners are announced live!

Interact With Your Fans

The appeal of livestreams, as opposed to pre-recorded video, is that the content creator can interact with their fans in real time. 

Since I’m sure you all know this on a theoretical level, why is it that I’m still tuning into online gigs where the performer ignores their audience? 

While it’s without a doubt weird to play in front of your smartphone camera and not see faces in a crowd, we’re still here in the comments sections, leave compliments, requests, and questions! If we wanted to shout at the screen and be ignored, we’d tune in to Dora The Explorer.

Have Fans Interact With Each Other

What’s stronger than a fanbase? A community. When mutual fans of an artist build friendships with each other through the context of mutually appreciating you, their fan loyalty grows exponentially stronger.

So on your livestreams, ask fans to answer questions and facilitate them getting to know each other in the comments.

Make Your Show An Event

The constant theme throughout these tips has been to treat your livestream with as much care and excitement as you would an in-person concert (and let’s be honest, that can be a difficult feat if it’s been months since you wore real pants).

So then, make your livestream an event. Dress up, and encourage your audience to too! It’s a Bonus if you’re using a streaming app that can show your fans. Have a theme for every show, organize a costume contest, anything that has fans prepare in advance to see you live – onscreen or off.

FROM HYPEBOT: To this wonderful list we would add posting your live streams free on Bandsintown and Songkick.

Clarence Charron is your bubbly internet best friend friend who’s a total geek about creative entrepreneurship. His brand management agency, Pop of Colour, specializes in turning artists into public figures in order to help them cut through the noise and get their message to a loyal fanbase. Since 2016, Clarence has been shamelessly publishing his thoughts and research on the internet via the Pop of Colour blog and co-hosts the Let’s Talk Creative Podcast.