Build fans, don’t chase streams [Madelynn Elyse, Shark Attack Records]

The founder and president of Shark Attack Records, Madelynn Elyse, shares her insights and industry experience on the importance of building a strong artist-fan relationship in the modern music marketplace.

by Madelynn Elyse, founder and president of boutique label-services company Shark Attack Records

There’s an old saying in the music industry that we’ve all heard: fake it till you make it. This meant something different in the pre-internet days, but now, with everything online, this is perhaps the worst advice you can receive. Oftentimes, this manifests itself as bot-ridden social media accounts and fake streams, views, likes, and comments. I’m here to tell you that ‘fake it till you make it’ is the worst advice you’ve ever heard, and it could ruin your credibility and career before it even begins. However, there is a  far better way. 

Through all my experiences, I have come to one focal motto that I tell everyone… Build fans. Don’t chase streams.

This is a simple idea that is deceptively complex. Buried beneath it are many marketing practices that are all geared towards (what should be) every musician’s main goal: building a fanbase. 

Chasing Streams 

First, let’s identify the problem that plagues musicians everywhere: Social media is all smoke and mirrors. And we have all fallen prey to the instinct to compare ourselves to others. This is not a new concept by any means, but for musicians, the numbers we are looking at can outright lie to you. Those likes and streams you envy from other artists are oftentimes bought and paid for. 

“artists sometimes achieve hundreds of thousands of listeners while still struggling to pull a hundred people to a concert”

Over the years, I have known many artists who spend much of their time comparing themselves to other musicians. It can feel crushing when they put their heart and soul into their art, only to see someone else accomplishing what appears to be far greater results. However, these numbers are often not what they seem. When I inevitably peek at the analytics, I often see the telltale signs of bots: a high number of likes/streams/views, but no actual engagement (or the engagement is so fake it’s laughable).  

As a result of chasing streams, artists sometimes achieve hundreds of thousands of listeners while still struggling to pull a hundred people to a concert. How do these artists manage to inflate their numbers without growing actual fans? I’ve written previously about artists who bot their Spotify profiles, and the same occurs across all social platforms, but sometimes the trouble can be an abundance of digital ads.  

When an artist spends thousands of dollars on ads but doesn’t take the next step and engage with their audience, you end up seeing high numbers but low engagement. In addition, inappropriate Editorial  Playlisting (when you end up on an editorial playlist that doesn’t fit your actual genre) can occur but is much less common. Ultimately, the trouble always comes down to one thing: a lack of engagement. 

Building Fans: Your Strategy Overview 

Engaging with your fans has and will always be the most important focus a musician should have.  Passive listenership is what we seek to avoid. With social media platforms dominating our lives, utilizing these platforms optimally can make a huge impact. 

When my team begins a new campaign with a developing artist, we take a data-driven approach. First, we focus on your content and help to step up your social media strategy. We see what works and pivot accordingly. For social media, we always wait until we see organic traction before we pour on the gas and start putting an ad spend behind it. At the same time, we often begin a digital marketing campaign with an emphasis on direct-to-single conversion ads. These ads collect pixel data that we can later use to retarget and refine your audience. 

“engagement is the focus”

During these early stages, engagement is the focus. When a listener comments on your post, or sends you a DM, it is essential to start a conversation, to develop a relationship and create a fan who will keep coming back to listen again. 

I oftentimes have to clarify what exactly I mean when I refer to digital marketing.. Digital marketing is great for putting you in front of the right people. You might see your link clicks, or views, or followers increase sharply as the ads run. You might even get the thousands of streams that you’re hoping for. But what happens when those ads get turned off? Naturally, you’ll see your numbers sag. But there is a way to make your ad budget go further. And a way to keep your fans engaged… 

Own your data. 

This is a multi-faceted concept and means that every artist needs to be proactive in cultivating their audience. So let’s talk about the elements of what it means to own your data. 

Pixels 

Pixels are a key component for growing your fanbase. There is a great deal of information about pixels out there, but to be brief, a pixel can be embedded into a landing page (such as FeatureFM or Linktree) that will gather the data of every user that clicks through. The end result is you’re able to collect data that you can then use to retarget your audience. Ad campaigns that track these types of results are referred to as Conversion Campaigns, and they are an essential style of ad for every artist to learn. 

“your engagement with your fans means everything”

By utilizing pixels, you can refine the audience you’re targeting to really hone in on your core audience.  But building a fanbase is more than this. It is a level of engagement that each artist has to commit to that is (shockingly) a rare thing. As an artist, your engagement with your fans means everything and will do the majority of the heavy lifting in turning a listener into a fan. It is surprisingly rare for artists to do even the most basic engagement, like replying to comments or replying to DMs. But this level of care and engagement is the real difference. 

Gradually, you can start to gather your audience data into one place for use on your future campaigns.  You can do this via your fan engagements or even via email campaigns, SMS messaging, signups at shows… there is no shortage of ways to collect data. The goal is to bring that data into a place where  you can utilize it again in the future. 

This is a marathon, not a sprint. 

Developing a fan base and cultivating your audience takes time, so we always  use the adage: This is a marathon, not a sprint. Oftentimes, we find artists expect immediate results.  Their music that they’ve spent so long perfecting is out in the world, so why don’t they have vast listenerships? The answer is always a matter of engagement and time. You grow your audience one fan at a time.  

“make one fan at a time”

So keep focused! Ignore what others are projecting of themselves online. Your true calling is to make one fan at a time and grow your fanbase. Use the tools available to you with this goal in mind. Collect your audience data, and never chase streams. This path might seem slower, but this steadfast method is the only real, authentic way to build a true fan base. You can’t just fake it and make it anymore.