6 ways to utilize gift cards on your band website
Gift cards will not only be marketable for your fans, but also the friends and families of your fans. Keep reading to learn 6 different ways you AND your fans can benefit from gift cards.
by Hailey McCarthy from the Bandzoogle blog
It can be tricky to shop for music fans. If you’re a band with dedicated fans, consider adding gift card options to your website. It’s a great way to generate commission-free income ahead of merch drops, music releases, and more.
From graduations to birthdays, friends and family of music fans will jump at the opportunity to purchase gift cards so their fan-in-common can get exactly what they want from their favourite band.
Adding gift cards to your store is the first step. To encourage fans to purchase gift cards from your website store, here are 6 ways to use gift cards on your website:
1. New music release with bundles
When you’re releasing a new album, it’s a good idea to add related items that fans can put in their cart along with the release. You can do this by creating preset bundles that include the related items, like lyric booklets, t-shirts, pins, and more.
With an upcoming release, you’ll likely be doing a marketing push and your fans will be sharing your news in anticipation. As you’re gearing up for the release, add a gift card option to your website in lieu of a pre-order, or for general gifting options to give fans more choices.
Be sure to add multiple options for gift cards. You can title the gift card item according to the value. For example, call it “Physical Album Gift Card” and set the price to match the cost of a vinyl or CD version of your album. Or, name your gift card “Album Bundle Gift Card” and set the cost to cover some or most of the price of your bundles.
2. Merch drop
Building a brand for your music is important to establish a visual identity that’s instantly recognizable for fans, casual listeners, and industry professionals. Between your band logo, album artwork, and cool shots from live shows, there are plenty of opportunities to create unique band merch. Print-on-demand options can open up the possibilities to create not only T-shirts, but also coffee mugs, hats, tote bags, and more.
Add a gift card option on the page where you’ve dropped your new merchandise to let fans share the experience. They’ll be able to pick up a gift card for anyone they know who appreciates stylish band merch. They can add the gift card to their own cart along with merch, or buy it separately for the fan in their life.
3. Variations
Whether you’re releasing your music on vinyl, cassette, or CDs (or all of the above), adding variations to the packaging or format is another reason to add a gift card option to your store. Often, artists will release multi-colored vinyl, CD booklets with alternate artwork, or cassettes with altered track lists to give fans a custom experience.
If you’re releasing variations for physical music products, try adding a gift card option below the list of items. A friend-of-a-fan can purchase a gift card and the fan will be able to pick which variation they prefer.
4. Issuing your back catalogue
If you’re an established band or a prolific songwriter, you might have a back catalogue full of demos, EPs, and deadstock merch (from previous tours or album releases). Adding all of your music and merch to a dedicated Store page is a good way to move some of that stock to true fans who may have missed it the first time around.
Friends and family of your fans might not know which album or tour t-shirt they should pick out for your fan, so adding a gift card on this page can eliminate any confusion or doubled orders.
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5. Future tour dates
If you’re taking a hiatus from the road, but you have plans in the future for a tavern tour or a leg between festivals, let that be known on your events page.
If you’re not sure of the dates yet, but you know which cities you’ll be visiting, you can add a note on your events page letting fans know which months (or season) you can expect to play their city.
Add a gift card option below the note and your calendar so fans and their friends can put some funds aside for their tickets. This is also a great way to drum up excitement and encourage you to get those dates booked!
6. Music lessons
You might be a music teacher by trade or you like to supplement your income with music lessons. However you approach music teaching, you’ll want to add a tuition table somewhere on your site and outline what’s included in lessons and your rates.
Once you’ve added that, you can add gift cards and set the pricing for a single lesson or set a gift card price that includes a lesson bundle. Be sure to promote this offering to your fans – these gift cards serve as great presents for budding musicians.
Overall, gift cards are a great addition to your website selling tools. Gift cards won’t expire and your fans can hold onto them for tickets, bundles, music releases, and music lessons. When paired with ongoing music marketing and fan engagement, the gift card can elevate your website store experience.
