You can’t really go anywhere in the music industry today without hearing the phrase ‘fan-engagement.’  While most bands have (hopefully) always made an effort to connect with their listeners and fans in a way that goes beyond the music itself, social media has thrust the practice into the spotlight in a big way. Services like Twitter and Facebook have provided a platform to maintain contact with fans across the world in ways no one could have imagined ten years ago. Many artists are seizing the opportunity and seeing impressive results.

Of course, when any concept begins to saturate an entire industry the way fan-engagement recently has there is bound to be some backlash. Backlash is good – even the most promising ideas need to be tested and critiqued. I came across a couple of interesting pieces last week that provide a good counterpoint to the fan-engagement buzz, and I thought they were worth discussing further.

Farewell to the Casual Fan

The first piece is a great article by Jeremy from Finger Tips Music entitled Farewell to the Casual Fan. Jeremy argues that new models that put too much emphasis on fan-engagement may actually drive casual fans away.

“Today’s fan engagement schemes, however, deny the existence of casual fans by leaving them out of the picture entirely.

Because what entices a super-fan will almost, by definition, be of no interest to a casual fan. Just because you happen to like a song or two, or even an album or two, doesn’t mean you require a musician’s real-time biographical details, doesn’t mean you crave endless streams of recording flotsam and jetsam (b-sides, live takes, remixes, etc.), doesn’t mean you’ll want to purchase objects lit by physical association with the musician (self-designed t-shirts, hand-addressed postcards, and the like) or watch repeated video presentations.”

“Most important of all, a casual fan will not spend upwards of $100 a year purchasing music and other accessory items from one band or musician.

In his original “1,000 True Fans” post, Kelly asserted that the processes artists develop to feed their diehard fans will also nurture what he calls “Lesser Fans.” I see no evidence beyond wishful thinking to support this idea.

I believe, on the contrary, that the more the music scene focuses on these kinds of super-fan activities, the more likely it will be that casual fans more or less disappear.”

While I disagree with some of Jeremy’s conclusions, I appreciate that he is serving up a dose of reality to artists who fail to understand that the artist-fan relationship isn’t black and white. Some fans may sit down at their computer each day hoping to find a new communication from their favorite artist – whether a song, a video, a simple email or DM. Others might view that kind of constant contact as spam. The reality is that artists need to learn to navigate both types of relationships. The goal is to engage fans, not annoy them.

Yet I don’t believe that a rash of over-extended artists will cause these casual fans to disappear. Casual fans don’t stop listen to music when they’re turned off by an artist, they simply stop paying for it. And they’ve already stopped paying for it. The recent focus on fan-engagement is not causing this – it’s responding to it.

One commenter, Ben Denison, offered an interesting counterpoint that I thought was worthy of including here:

On the contrary, it is my concern that over “engagement” by a band will drive away the super fan. Do you already tire of going to a band site and being asked to engage in some sort of merry fan/band dance, when all you want to do is listen to the music?

He goes on:

As far as I can see there is already evidence that over engagement has already generated a niche as super fans are seeking bands such as Islet that don’t even have a website/myspace/bandcamp for the exclusivity and mystique factor.

The 80′s on Social Media

October 29, 2009 marked the 40 year anniversary of the first message sent over the internet. To mark the occasion, Duran Duran bassist John Taylor delivered a speech at UCLA on the effects of technology on music. Specifically, Taylor spoke about the way that constant fan-engagement may harm the relationship between artist and fan. Here’s an excerpt via the BBC (which you might also recognize from Hypebot):

When artists today are asked to Twitter their every thought, their every action, to record on video their every breath, their every performance, I believe they’re diluting their creative powers, their creative potency and the durability of their work.

And in the long run I believe they’re also diluting the magical power and the magnetic attraction that they can or will ever have over their audience.

John Taylor of Duran Duran

He’s saying two things here – the first is that social media communications, however simple and mundane, actually use up an artist’s creative reserves the same way songwriting might.

I happen to think that he’s fundamentally right, although this statement again assumes that artists are incapable of any nuanced understanding of fan interaction. Yes, if an artist wastes three hours in front of the computer screen he or she is unlikely to have much energy left for creative endeavors. No one is actually asking you to do this. To suggest that modern fan-engagement models require artists to “twitter their every thought, their every action” is a dramatic exaggeration.

How much time does it take to update your Twitter status? 30 seconds maybe, and only if you’re really straining to think up something clever to say. So even if you push 20 updates per day that still only consumes 10 minutes. That’s less than 1% of your day. Of course this is an oversimplification of what is involved in an artist’s social media activities, but the point is that you shouldn’t by into the “every thought” hyperbole.

In his second statement, Taylor claims that using social media to step out from behind the curtain and connect with fans in an authentic way is detrimental because it dilutes the rock star mystique. Well, if it does fans seem to be doing ok without it. I love the way Matisyahu put it in an article a few months back (I haven’t been able to find the source to link to it – I’ll update when I do.) He pointed out that when he was growing up he never would have imagined getting the chance to connect with his heroes the way his fans are able to connect with him through social media. The memory of that desire is what drives his own forays into consistent fan-engagement. These activities have only served to further endear his fans to him as an artist and to his music.

Use every weapon

The bottom line is that the tools are there to connect with fans, and they’re free to use. To ignore them is to ignore an important weapon in every artist’s fight against obscurity – and poverty. Artists need to learn how to use these tools responsibly and effectively to build their fan base, while understanding that different types of fans require a unique approach.

Here’s a recap of what went on here at Creative Deconstruction and in the music industry over the past couple of weeks. Make sure to check out anything you might have missed and leave your comments. Know something we don’t? Submit a story.

Most Popular:

• Why music still needs the underground – Digital distribution has caused musical innovation to hit the mainstream faster than ever. What does this mean for the underground?
• Copyright and artists – do great artists steal? - In light of the Coldplay vs. Satriani settlement we ask the question: is it ever ok to copy another piece of music? Where is the line?

This Week:

• New Forrester Report Presents ‘Music Product Manifesto’ - Mark Mulligan of the Forrester Research Group offers his ideas on a possible future for music products.
• New Music Releases – October 6, 2009 – Built to Spill, Mission of Burma, The Raveonette’s, Sufjan Stevens and the Xx’s.
• New Music Seminar Chicago – “Everything You Know Is Wrong” – My summary and review of an important conference.
  
• 1,000 True Fans and the Importance of Milestones in Your Music Career - Revisiting Kevin Kelly’s now famous 1,000 True Fans concept.
• Targeting and Converting Potential Fans – If 1,000 True Fans is your goal, where do you begin?
• Review: Does Spotify Live Up to the Hype? - Spotify prepares to hit the states in a whirlwind of buzz. How does it stack up?
• EMI Drops Lawsuit, Licenses Entire Catalogue to Grooveshark – The story of EMI vs. Grooveshark takes an unexpected turn.
• Think Outside the Venue To Get That First Gig – Sometimes if the gatekeepers won’t let you through you just need to find a way to go around.
• No Royalties for Ringtone ‘Performances’ – A ridiculous lawsuit meets a swift end.

This Week in Music History:

The Quarrymen

1957 – Paul McCartney made his first appearance with The Quarry Men at New Clubmoor Hall, Norris Green, Liverpool. The line-up for The Quarry Men was John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Eric Griffiths, Colin Hanton, and Len Garry. Paul played John some songs that he has composed which Lennon contributes, marking the birth of the Lennon & McCartney songwriting partnership. (This Day in Music.com)

A goal is only as good as the strategy put in place to reach it. In my previous post I talked about Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans concept, and expanded it a bit to include the three other groups that make up an artist’s fan base: active, passive and potential fans.

This model may not be perfect, but I think defining these sub-groups is helpful because it allows an artist to have a different approach for each different kind of fan.

I’ve put together a series of posts with some practical tips intended to get you started in finding fans and moving them up through the pyramid. The goal of course is to cultivate as many true fans as possible so that you can eventually quite that day job (if you haven’t already) and develop a self-sustaining career in music. This first post deals with finding and evangelizing potential fans.

This series is just intended to get you started and is by no means comprehensive. Hopefully you’ll have some additional ideas – please feel free to share them in the comments section.

Start Local

The hardest part of building a fan base is often finding an audience in the first place. The best place to start looking is in your hometown. You don’t have to travel, which means you have little to no expenses. You probably have a decent idea of where bands play and what kinds of bands play there.

You also have the added benefit of a community that wants to get behind you. Everybody wants their city to have a thriving music scene. Sure, if you live in New York or LA you might find that nobody cares whether your band lives or dies. But in the rest of the country most people want to support their local bands.

Here in Chicago I met recently with Mike Sosin who manages a talented local artist named Dick Prall. We spent much of that meeting talking about ways we could have a positive effect on the local scene. I can think of so many others – Erik Peterson of Plugo.la, for example. Supporting local artists is his business. There are people in your community who want you to succeed. Find them and you will have an incredible resource at your disposal.

If you can get to the point where you can consistently sell 300 tickets in your city then chances are you’ve got a strong enough base to begin exploring the surrounding region. Find bands that are selling those same 300 tickets in neighboring cities and ask them to gig swap. You open for them in their city, they open for you in your city. You expand your reach and build your network in the process.

Utilize Online Tools

Beyond conquering your local scene you also have access to the entire world online. The internet has made it easier than ever to target the potential fans at the bottom of the pyramid. People wear their musical tastes like a badge of honor online. If you find people who listen to music similar to your own you’ve got a great place to start making inroads.

Search Twitter, join relevant Facebook groups. Set up Google alerts  and TweetBeeps for not only your band name but the names of your influences as well. Figure out where these people are and go after them. Send them free tracks and if enough respond from one particular place, make sure you can set up a show nearby to invite them to.

Martin Atkins, author of Tour:Smart, calls this ‘pouring gasoline on sparks.’ Find out where the sparks are and begin penetrating that city, or that region until you’ve turned those sparks into a bonfire.

Live Performance is Key

Notice that both of these examples revolve around live performances. Yes, you can distribute your music online and acquire new listeners and potential fans that way. And you should – maybe it will cause a few sparks to spring up in unexpected places. But the live performance is where the connection happens. Potential fans become actual fans at the show.

Where these tips helpful? As I said in the beginning this post is in no way designed to be comprehensive. It’s still very much a work in progress. What have you been doing to find and evangelize new fans? What has worked, and what hasn’t? Share the wealth in the comments section – you never know who might benefit.

In any well-managed business each member of the team has a set of specific measurables to help them – and their employers – know whether or not they’re on track. Without these milestones it can be very difficult to remain focused and accomplish long term goals.

Artists and musicians are no different – except that they may need this structure even more than their white-collar counterparts. A career in music is something that builds slowly and takes constant, focused attention to properly cultivate. The goal is sustainability. You want to have the means to quit your day job and support yourself with your music. It can take years in the trenches to reach that point, and without strategic goals and milestones it is easy to lose focus. The most frustrating thing for an artist to wake up and realize they’re off track and have been treading water for months (or years!)

1,000 True Fans

One of the best music-career milestones that I’ve come across is the concept that Wired co-founder and blogger Kevin Kelly dubbed ’1,000 True Fans.’

The concept is fairly simple, and since most of you are likely already familiar with it I’ll just provide a brief explanation. If an artist can cultivate a base of just 1,000 fans who are radically committed to his work, those fans will provide enough income to support that artist. The theory goes that each ‘true fan’ will spend on average about $100 per year on the artist. That adds up to an annual revenue stream of $100,000. Even after expenses that should be enough for any individual artist to live comfortably.

There is a common argument against the 1,000 True Fans concept. If you are a member of a band it may have jumped out at you right away. $100,000 per year gross may be enough for an individual artist, but once you divvy that up between the members of a four- or five-piece band it starts looking a bit measly.

Fortunately, the math isn’t as bad as it sounds. Remember – these 1,000 True Fans represent only the most committed subsection of your fan base. There many other fans - what Kevin Kelly calls ‘Lesser Fans’ – contributing to your career. I’m not going to use the term ‘Lesser Fans’ because I don’t like it. Instead, I’d rather use the terminology that Tom Silverman used at the New Music Seminar here in Chicago on October 6. Silverman split fans into four categories: super fans, active fans, passive fans and potential fans.

Think of your fan base as a pyramid. The super fans are the smallest group, but contribute the most revenue per fan. They’re at the top. Beneath them you have a much larger group of active fans. Instead of spending $100/year, these fans may spend closer to $20/year on your products and shows. Yet, because there are about five times more active fans than super fans, their gross contribution ends up being about the same – $100,000 annually. The total revenue from these two groups is $200,000/year.

Below that you have your passive fans. Again, there are about five times more passive fans than active fans, but they only download your most popular singles, resulting in a spend of about $2 per year. This group contributes about $50,000 per year.

Potential fans of course make up the largest group at the base of the pyramid. These are people that may not be aware of your work, but who have an appreciation for the style or genre of music you play. Maybe they follow similar bands. This group contributes only a fraction of the revenue of the previous group, but when it all adds up may equal something along the lines of $5,000 per year.

That brings our total to about $255,000, or a quarter of a million dollars. Split that up four ways and although you won’t be able to afford that Bentley you’ve always wanted, you each should be living comfortably. And remember, this is just the revenue coming directly from your fans. This does not include sync licensing, sponsorships, grants, royalties, etc. The actually number could be closer to $300,000.

To 1,000 and beyond

The 1,000 True Fan marker is a milestone, but your career shouldn’t stop there. Obviously, you want as many people as possible to hear and enjoy your music. The bigger the tip of the pyramid gets, the more that will trickle down into the rest of your fanbase. Each super fan is going to influence several other people (sometimes hundreds, thanks to social media) and evangelize a few new active and passive fans who have to potential to one day become super fans themselves.

In a follow-up post I’m going to address how to go about cultivating these 1,000 True Fans. One of the most frequent questions that arises when this concept is discussed is, ‘How do I get there?’ I’ve put together some strategies that will hopefully help to answer that question.

In the meantime, is this outline clear? Let me know your questions, comments, concerns and I will try to incorporate them into the follow-up to make sure all of this is as helpful as possible.