Comments on: What's the best way to manage a fan list?

By: Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:51:42 +0000

Since this was posted, and I posted a comment, I found mailchimp.com

It is unbelievable. So simple to set up and use, plus it costs me only $10 a month for the size of my list.

Dave

By: Will

Will — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:34:06 +0000

I use getresponse.com for my autoresponder. Put an opt-in form on every page of your website. Put a series of auto-emails in there as well as do broadcasts when you have something to say. You can also use autoresponders, paypal and wordpress to set up a membership site which can be a great revenue stream.

By: How to promote your night/gig/event online | Chris Unitt

How to promote your night/gig/event online | Chris Unitt — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:13:38 +0000

[...] What’s the best way to manage a fan list [...]

By: Evan Stoudt

Evan Stoudt — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:32:21 +0000

Definitely agree with you on all counts.

This post actually inspired me to write about mailing lists on a music entrepreneurship community I’m working on with some friends.

Check it out:

http://artistshousemusic.tumblr.com

Hope you like it, and thanks for the post!

By: Mailinglists « Mmmotion’s Weblog

Mailinglists « Mmmotion’s Weblog — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:34:40 +0000

[...] adressen hebt verzameld, wat doe je er dan mee? Andrew Dubber van New Music Strategies geeft een mooi overzicht van de do’s en don’t omtrent je mailinglist. Dubber is hier al vaak opgedoken, want [...]

By: Dave Anderson

Dave Anderson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 22:51:46 +0000

I’ve been doing bcc emails for ages, as well as html emails. I use google contacts to manage my lists but wanted to be more organised so I looked at reverbnation. The only problem I have with it, is it insists on emailing everyone to confirm, which for people who have been on my mailing list for years, is confusing. I’ve done this before and people thought they were being spammed.

Great post otherwise.

By: scottandrew

scottandrew — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:23:01 +0000

It’s a challenge to get the frequency/content ratio correct. Personally, I’d rather get an email once every four months that’s packed with goodies (links to new songs, demos, videos, etc.) than an email every two weeks begging me to come to some show 2000 miles away.

There’s absolutely no reason to be in my face that often. With the advent of the new-fangled “attention economy,” artists are being trained to think that the only way to maintain audience interest is to be always jumping up and down and constantly putting on some desperate puppet show. Nonsense. Give your listeners *some* credit. They’re not going to forget you in the 2-3 months it takes you to record a really great new song.

I prefer the challenge of crafting a really great text email. I use Listbaby, the list program that comes with my Hostbaby hosting account. It’s text-only and very basic, but unlike a lot of similar applications, there’s no limit of the amount of emails you can send per month, and it’s basically free with the hosting service.

I wish the bands who use ReverbNation could see what their HTML emails look like when they reach my inbox. “Blown all to hell” is one way of putting it.

By: I Have Clones

I Have Clones — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:50:58 +0000

If you know a bit of coding and run your own site I suggest using ‘POMMO’ – I won’t link it here in case it’s flagged as spam so Google it.

It’s a PHP script you can install onto your site and it runs off your own server and so it’s completely customizable and very fast when sending mailouts.

I don’t personally like using boxes or the like that say ‘powered by reverbnation’ or whatever below them – so if you know a bit of code – using a PHP script and running it off your own server just makes the whole thing look a bit more professional and you can design every element of the process yourself.

Great post though.

By: Jim Offerman

Jim Offerman — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:08:08 +0000

Excellent post, as usual!

With regard to HTML e-mails: I agree that you shouldn’t go all out on the formatting (it’s just an e-mail, for freak sake), but what I do like about HTML is the ability to include links. Especially for things like “here’s the iTunes link to my new album”, which you know are going to break down and confuse most people in a text-only e-mail. Also, a stylish little header image can go a long way to make your mail stand out in the daily sea of mail.

My mailinglist server allows me to send out text-only and HTML simultaneously (and your client will pick the right one, based on your preferences).

By: Matt@Kurb

Matt@Kurb — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:27:02 +0000

Being that I’m really interested in developing new business models and generating revenue for clients I’ve been interested in researching this further as list building continues to grow as a strong monetisation strategy in online property.

Basically if you’re aiming to be a professional musician you should be using professional tools. Because we’re talking about engagement and connection and interaction and relationship management as a huge part of the “validation” process, effective digital management of fan interactions become essential.

The features offered by aweber can be applied for such efficient marketing interactions.

phplist also comes highly recommended as a free list manager but I guess requires some admin/installation, and I’m not sure offers the degree of functionality that aweber does.