Learn how to grow and engage your fan base using newsletters so you can have full control over your lists of subscribers and use it without the limitations of a centralised platform. Get actionable tips and tricks and see which artists are leaving social media and focusing on owned communication and promotion channels.

1. ALEX CIUCA & ANDRA ZAHARIA
How to grow &
engage a fanbase
using newsletters
Mastering the Music Business Conference 2019

2. Hi there!
Here's a bit
about us
(And why we're talking to
you about newsletters)
Andra Zaharia
Freelance content marketer
10+ years of digital marketing
experience
Creator of the How do you
know? podcast & Newsletter
Alex Ciuca
Managing Partner @ Superior
Media
Digital Recap author
Blogger @ hoinaru.ro
10+ years of digital business
experience

3. What's the difference between them?
Email marketing or
newsletter?

4. Here's how they work together
Email marketing
Using newsletters and others types
of emails (sales emails, onboarding
emails, transactional emails) in a
strategic manner
Main objective: sales or conversions
Intent: commercial
Structure: campaign-oriented
Focus: what the sender wants to
communicate and achieve
Newsletter
Can be part of an email marketing
strategy but it can also work
standalone
Main objective: engagement and
relationship-building
Intent: informational
Structure: recurring
Focus: what the recipient is
interested to learn and hear

5. Why it's worth
investing in a
newsletter for
your fans
Owned channel > full control over your list
Real KPIs, not vanity indicators
Direct, decentralised access to your subscribers
A less cluttered context for consuming content
vs social media
The information doesn't disappear if you don't
check your email that day
Highly customizable
Send almost any type of content you want (not
what Mark wants you to send)
Segment your list according to your needs

6. How do you make
time for a
newsletter?
Spend a bit less time on social media.
No control over your audience
If Facebook shuts down tomorrow, you'll be
left with nothing
Facebook ad costs keep rising
Vanity KPIs are unreliable & often fake
Likes don't turn into real-life actions most of
the time
Organic reach is dropping, reported numbers
are doctored to seem bigger
Information is highly ephemeral
Your posts are one of hundreds your fans see
The platform restricts you in a number of
ways

7. Email is king
It's been around since the '72 and it's a core part of our
online identities and activities
Facebook
users
around the
world
Email users
globally
(expected to
reach 2.9 bn
in 2019)
Avg. open
rate for
emails in the
entertain-
ment biz
Instagram
engagement
rates across
all industries
Facebook
engagement
rates across
all industries
0.09% 1.6 bn1.60% 2.6 bn 14%

8. Artists are
making the bold
move towards
newsletters
And leaving social media Nils Frahm
announced in February 2019 he's
leaving Facebook and focusing on
his newsletter. Here's why:

9. Dear friends,
This page is soon not going to be active anymore. After giving it serious thought, I have
concluded that Facebook will be the first of many social media accounts I am going to
close. [...]
Facebook et. al. have become unwanted companions in my life, despite the opportunity
they are giving me to promote my music. Followers on facebook work as a new kind of
currency today, but I find the political and moral costs that come with it too steep to stay in
the game. [...]
If anything, I hope that my absence in this space will enhance my presence in the world out
there. That is where you will always find me.
Sincerely,
nils
Nils Frahm

11. Artists are either taking time
off from social media to
focus on recording new
albums (Ed Sheeran, Taylor
Swift) or giving it up
altogether (Michael Stipe,
REM, Nils Frahm) based on
their principles and needs.

12. Here's what you need
to start a newsletter
Use this checklist:
Objectives
Platform
Structure
Content
Design
Development

13. Before your start,
ask yourself:
Who am I writing this for?
Which fans would be interested
and what content could I send
them?What do my fans need
and what do I need from them?
How can I balance these needs?
How often should I send it?
What's the right structure for the
newsletter?

14. Think about
The list of topics - create one in
advance so you don't run out of
inspiration
Call to Action (CTA) - stick to
one per newsletter (what do
you want your fans to do?)
Evaluating results - make a list
of KPIs to track progress
Making time to write, edit and
schedule it, but also to reply to
fans' emails

15. Here are
some
objectives
you can use
Grow your
community
Get direct
feedback from
fans
Deliver traffic
to your
website
Build a close
relationship
with your fans
Create trust in
your b(r)and
Leverage an
owned
channel

16. Platforms you can choose from
Expand domestically
and internationally.
Innovate product
offerings.
Expand online
channels.
MailChimp Conectoo Newsman

17. MailChimp
(Our favorite, but don't tell anyone)
international platform
free for up to 2000 subscribers
free for up to 12000 emails/month
low costs once you run over the free
plan
pay per use option
easy to use and manage
tons of templates to choose from
drag & drop to customize your
newsletter

18. Conectoo
(A decent option, if you want to go
local)
built in Romania
the cheapest of all these 3 options
free for up to 2000 subscribers
free for up to 12000 emails/month
no pay per use option
fewer customization options

19. Newsman
(Another decent option,
if you want to go local)
built in Romania
free for up to 1000 subscribers
free for up to 5000 emails/month
pay per use option
fewer customization options
1 custom design included in the paid
option (they'll do it for you)

20. Newsletter design
Here's how to make it easier for your fans to enjoy your newsletter
Don't use
too many
images
(some email
clients block
them)
Use short
paragraphs
&
sentences,
make it
scannable
Use
buttons, not
links, to
highlight
clickable
areas
Make sure it
looks good
on mobile
(don't make
people
squint)
Use BIG
fonts &
good
contrast
Ab CTA

21. Here's a quick example
Not GDPR-compliant (applies even if you're not in the EU but have fans from the EU).
Doesn't set any expectations
Uses a button with no contrast (ghost button) which has a much lower click-through rate

22. Here's another one
Newsletter subscription option placed in the website footer (not visible at all)
Ghost button makes it difficult for people to see there's something clickable there
Not GDPR-compliant at all (that link to Terms is not enough)
Only sets vague expectations about the content of the newsletter and doesn't say anything
about frequency

23. How Romanian bands do it - Alifantis
Menu option > dedicated page

24. How Romanian bands do it - Vama
Core website call to action > dedicated page

25. And this is how a GDPR-compliant subscription form looks like

26. How to get subscribers
Promote it on social media
Drive your fans from channels you don't own
(FB, IG, YT, Snapchat, etc.) to a channel you
control. Incentivize them to subscribe!
Talk about it during gigs
Tell your fans about your newsletter when
they're at their most excited about your
music: after concerts.
Promote it in interviews
Talk about your newsletter in articles you're
featured in and in media appearances. Make
it a habit to mention your newsletter.
Promise exclusive info in it
One way to make your newsletter appealing
is to deliver exclusive stories and info in it.
Make sure to keep that promise!

27. If everything else fails...

28. What to do once
fans subscribe
1. Welcome email
Set up an automated
welcome email and use it
to tell them what they can
expect to receive and
how often.
2. Move to inbox
Ask your fans to move
your newsletter to their
inbox in case ends up in
their Promotions tab in
Gmail or worse, in spam.

29. Newsletter
etiquette
Include a reply option so you fans can write
back and share thoughts and feedback
Include an unsubscribe option that works - no
reason to keep uninterested people on your list
Give them the option to read your newsletter in
the browser (makes it easier to share)
Stick to 3 main ideas per newsletter
Always have a call to action (the button type)
Test it both on desktop & mobile before
sending it to make sure everything looks good

30. Never ever ever
ever ever EVER
Subscribe people without their consent > GDPR
Buy email lists - they're useless for you and make
you look like a spammer
Send emails from a personal email address (BCC
sucks, CC is a PR disaster)
Turn your newsletter into a channel you use just
for brand collaborations
Send emails to confirm they're been
unsubscribed (annoying AF)
Use your newsletter just to promote concerts &
commercial stuff

31. Here's something to keep in mind:
Sursa: Search Engine Optimization All-in-One For Dummies - By Bruce Clay, Susan Esparza

32. Types of content
Original content: personal stories, tour journal,
video shooting stories, show highlights,
backstage stories, stuff that makes you unique
and human
Content curation: keep your fans in the loop by
filtering info and news that matter both to them
and you
Surveys: ask your fans thoughtful questions,
get to know them better so you can make the
newsletter more engaging for them
Community-driven content: replies you
receive to the newsletter (get consent before
publishing), pictures and stories, etc.

33. Keep an eye on:
Your Open rate - improve it by creating better
subject lines
Your Click Through rate - improve it by using
visible call to action buttons
Spam reports
Subscribers statistics (where they're from, who
are the ones who open your emails most
frequently, etc.)
Unsubscribes
Inactive subscribers (ask them why)
Website traffic sources to see if the newsletter
is bringing in any traffic

34. Recap Have a plan
Be human and personal
Start with something simple but
well thought of
Plan for time and resources for
the newsletter
Get to know your community

35. Resources
https://pjrvs.com/beat/
https://pjrvs.com/approach/
https://twitter.com/randfish/status/1100564401822695424
https://www.rivaliq.com/blog/2019-social-media-benchmark-report/
https://content.myemma.com/blog/your-email-newsletter-is-no-longer-important-its-vital
https://newsletterguide.org/
https://reallygoodemails.com/ > https://reallygoodemails.com/category/industry/music/
https://mailchimp.com/help/add-a-signup-form-to-your-website/
https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/email-newsletter-tips-for-songwriter/
https://diymusician.cdbaby.com/
http://www.valgeisler.com/category/tear-down/

36. Thanks!
Andra Zaharia
AndraZaharia.com
AndraZaharia.com/newsletter
@andrazaharia on Twitter &
Medium
Alex Ciuca
Hoinaru.ro
DigitalRecap.ro
@hoinaru on Twitter & Instagram
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