Those that follow me on twitter have noticed a slew of #SXSW related tweets with insights and lessons learned at the panels and speaking events I’ve been attending. A few of the panels I’ve attended at SxSW have revolved around and managing communities around a band or product. One of the books mentioned has been “Fans, Friends & Followers: Building An Audience And A Creative Career In The Digital Age”, by Scott Kirsner. This quote below was sent to me by Denise, host of the Family Records Podcast.
“Building a strong relationship with your audience online requires some sort of regular, predictable pace of communication. Just as your relationship with your best friend would fade if you decided not to call, text, or e-mail for half a year, the same result will play out if you neglect your online community.” - Scott Kirsner
It sums up an important point often forgotten by artists and management still operating in the classic model where an album release is a once-every-two-years event with a slew of activities and then a period of down time. These days people should realize, there is no more down cycle and we have the opportunity to engage people with quality content and a continuing storyline. It will help deepen our relationship with our listeners and steady our revenue streams, if done well. Lets also be aware of the fact that the exact opposite works as well, if that’s something that’s more in line with your identity as an artist. Sade can, and did, go away for ten years only to come back with an immediate and lasting number 1 album, but she’s an established artist specifically maintaining an air of mystique that works for her. You don’t even have to be mega famous to pull that off either. On a smaller level someone like Francis and the Lights do well with that vibe as well. Pick what kind of artist you are, and acts accordingly.