Turning TV Placements Into Fan Engagement: Lessons From Mr. Robotic – In Defense of 1,000 True Fans – Episode X - Part 2

 Last week I posted part 1 of my Step-by-Step interview with Mr. Robotic.  Here is part tow.  Enjoy it!

STEP 6: IDENTIFY YOUR TRUE FANS AND MAKE THEM FEEL TRULY SPECIAL

AH:  How many die-hard fans would you say you have? (Meaning; fans that will buy everything and anything from you?)

Mr. R: I have about 112 that would buy anything from me. They are in a special group in my email list. The rest I know would definitely buy music.

This is great strategy!  Mr. Robotic has separated his diehard fans into a special group so he can better communicate with them and they probably won’t mind extra communication since they are in his Community 1 – his Super Fans. 

AH:  How do you use analytics to your advantage? Do measurements help you with your career?

Mr. R:  I use Google Analytics for my website. To see how many visitors I get and if I get a TV placement how many people come to my site on that day. I also use analytics on YouTube to see where the majority of people who are watching my videos live.  This helps me see where my fans are to get shows in those areas.

TIP: Social Media guides real life activity.  It’s very important to understand this so you can go where the success is already leading you.

AH: If you could give a band or artist advice on how to start in social media, what would you advise first?

Mr. R: I think the best way to use social media is to first create some activity (a live event, a charity event or a TV placement). You have to be active in the real world in order for social media to benefit you the way it should. It also can’t just be about promoting your music because unfortunately, there is so much music out there. You have to present yourself in a way so people will actually spend money to support you. So if you’re like the thousands of other artists promoting download links etc., then you can’t set yourself apart.

If you don’t have something huge going on, that’s OK, start small!  Invite people to come out to a local gig or invite people over to listen to your music at a house party.  Sally Taylor used to invite us all over, serve some nice food & drinks and them she would have us sit around, and listen to her newest demos, discuss and contribute. Use a Flipcam or a Bloggie to film it and post it and voilà: A real world event that ties into some potential online fan interaction!

STEP 7: ENGAGE WELL & OFTEN (AND KEEP BUILDING THOSE LISTS W/ REGULAR NEWSLETTERS & STRONG SOCIAL MEDIA)

AH: If you had $1,000 to spend on marketing and promotion, how would you spend it?

Mr. R: I would invest $500 in merchandise. I would put the other $500 towards buying Facebook ads promoting contests and giveaways. Facebook has strict rules about this but you can work with them or get creative to pull this off. In order for your contest to be successful, ask new potential fans to “like” your Fanpage.  Keep them active in your Facebook world by providing consistent and fun content. Once that contest is complete give away something else.  Make sure they sign up to your email list in order to qualify. 

TIP: This is a great way to control your own list. This Study from Chadwick Martin Bailey proves that email addresses can generate more revenue than Facebook Likes.

AH: How do you go about attracting “True Fans?” What are some specific things that you’ve done to turn surface listeners and casual social media friends into lifelong fans?

“I talk to everyone. In order to build relationships, you must be inviting. You can still be a mystery and be cordial.”

  - Mr. Robotic

-    

Mr. R: I talk to everyone. In order to build relationships, you must be inviting. You can still be a mystery and be cordial. Answer fan’s questions and let them know that you welcome them into your world. That’s what it takes to turn casual social media friends into fans. When they feel like they are a part of your life and involved in your little victories they will want to help you. And of course, when they support your current music, this gives you more opportunities to create more music for them. 

AH: What was your initial vision for connecting to fans and how did Social Media change that?

Mr. R: My initial vision was always about discovery. I don’t want to be an artist who always just self-hypes.  For me, it was about capturing the rare occasion where once they heard my songs and found me, I can the engage directly with them. Social media helps because it gives them an avenue to talk to me and vice versa.

AH: What are some creative things that you do when interacting with your fanbase? What separates you from other artists in this regard?

Mr. R:  Contests, if I have a song placement I’ll ask fans to watch the TV show and give me some of the lyrics they heard in it and I’ll send the winner a free shirt or a Mr. Robotic gift card. What separates me from other artists in my genre, is that most rappers focus their main promotional efforts on blogs. So, I reach a whole different and wider demographic by actually interacting with my fanbase rather than just hyping my blog features.

I actually say “Hey! Catch me tonight on this show!” or “I’m performing here tonight in this city” or sometimes people hear my song in the club and they tweet me about it.  If they don’t have the song, I’ll send it to them. I like being able to talk to people and say more than just “Go listen to my song”

STEP 8: KEEP GOING, KEEP BUILDING AND KEEP EXPANDING… 

AH: What’s next for you in your music career? How will social media be involved?

Mr. R: My new project Boy in the Band: A Love Story launched Feb.14^th on my website www.MrRobotic.com. This drives fans to my own website where I can concentrate more on engagement. I will be sending songs to radio and performing a lot of live shows.  I’m also, working on teaming up with brands. I’ve worked with a couple and I really like it as long as I can keep my creative side.

This is going VERY well. My website re-launch helped a lot. Since Feb. 14^th I’ve sold 2,016 copies, 1,454 digital sales and the rest were physical copies and bundle packs.

I will continue using social media to interact with everyone.

 Come Hang with Mr. Robotic:

SITE: MrRobotic.com

TWITTER: @goRobotic

FACEBOOK: roboticworld

YOUTUBE: Youtube.com/MrRoboticTV

I’d like to thank Mr. Robotic for being so generous with his strategies and information.  It was fun creating this piece with him.

If you find this strategy hepful please consider buying a track an album or a bundle from Mr. Robotic!

Comments

[stu]

I have about 112 that would buy anything from me.

I love the honesty there. I ask artists this all the time; if we put out your project today how many people would actually buy it? The answer I usually get is a cumulative number of friends across every social network profile they run. Robotic knows the size of his tribe and that's why it continues to grow.