In the previous blog you could read how you can use Instagram's algorithm to your advantage through engagement. But how can you incorporate this into your strategy? In this second part of the blog series, we will explain, based on the theory of 'The magic of proximity', how other artists approach this and how they have built up a strong fan base.
The magic of proximity
Being a fan can be drawn more broadly than just the stereotypes that first come to mind when hearing the word. Davis Meerman Scott & Reiko Scott, authors of the book 'Fanocracy', elaborate in this work on turning fans into customers and turning customers into fans. They see a fan as someone who experiences a deep emotional bond with something or someone else. A bond that is genuine and stems from a human relationship that goes beyond the product or service offered. In music, this product is the music. When you start building a fan base, you want a potential fan to be able to relate and bond not only with the music, but also with the artist.
An important theory that you can use when building your fan base and powerful engagement is 'The magic of Proximity'. This theory deals with the fact that we keep things and people that are dear to us close to us. This theory can also be used the other way around. If proximity helps to create an emotional connection, it is important to look at how you can make your potential fans get as close to you as possible: the closer you are to someone, the more connected you feel. For this to work, you have to allow people into your personal or social space. This can be done both literally, when you are between 0.5 and 3.5 metres away from someone, and figuratively, when you regularly give people a personal insight into your life.
As an artist, it is therefore important to literally get close to your fans. You can do this by giving concerts and organising regular signing sessions. Try to take the price into account as well. Of course, your fans are an important part of your earnings model, but try to give them the chance to get close to you 'for free' as well. Many artists do this for example by raffling off places for a signing session among fans who have bought their album. How you can apply 'The magic of Proximity' online can be read below on the basis of two examples.
Example of powerful engagement
Although many artists and celebs have a strong following, two of them stand out when it comes to engagement. The way they approach their fans sets them apart from the rest. The approach they take has proven itself to work and has brought them to the top where they are today.
Ryan Leslie
Singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur Ryan Leslie has shaken up the international music industry with his disruptive platform called SuperPhone. With it, he has made millions of dollars without the interference of a record company. Instead of giving his fans' data to platforms like Apple, Facebook and Instagram (which know your fans better than you do), Leslie decided to take a different approach. Leslie decided to share his phone number on social media and answer every chat personally. In these chats, which took place both one-on-one and in large groups, Leslie sold his music directly to his fans. An extremely personal and disruptive approach.
What Leslie does is very easy to apply in your strategy. Free up time on a regular basis to engage with your followers. You can fill in this time in different ways. Think of answering dm's, liking their posts and giving a Q&A via a livestream.
BTS
BTS (BangTan Sonyeondan) is one of the most successful groups in the music industry today and their fans are often compared to those of The Beatles. Initially, the Korean group BTS came from a then unknown label called 'Big Hit Entertainment'. In Korea at the time, it was almost impossible to break through nationally, let alone internationally, without being on one of the big three music labels.
Without the financial backing of a major label, BTS had to build and rely entirely on social media. Their label was the first to embrace the messy, unpolished nature of social media, allowing the band to reveal more of their real personalities. Instead of bands like Little Mix, where each member has a personal account, BTS has just one group account on each platform, pooling their reach.
Because obtaining airtime on shows and programmes is difficult for budding artists, the label has chosen to do everything itself online. The BTS channels are supplemented weekly with content such as rehearsals, self-made game shows and holiday videos. Through Weverse, an app created by Big Hit Entertainment, the members of the band regularly get in touch with fans by responding to their messages. Via V LIVE and YouTube, the group often goes live to seek out direct contact with their fans.
Behind the scenes during a music video
The whole communication and branding of BTS plays on the fact that BTS and ARMY (the name for the fans) have only been able to achieve this together. All of this has ensured that the group has been able to build a close bond with its fans which results in setting records and raising money for charities that BTS campaigns for such as Black Lives Matter. When the group donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, their fans started a fundraising campaign called #MatchaMillion, raising $1 million in one day to donate to Black Lives Matter.
BTS is a good example of how you don't need much to get started. Grab a camera and start creating your own content, it doesn't have to be perfect. Give your followers the chance to connect with you.
“Followers can be absolutely everything or absolutely nothing”
You can have lots of followers, but if they scroll past your posts and don't interact with your content, it doesn't mean much. The value of your account is not determined by the number of followers but by how invested and committed those followers are. Depth over width' as Gary Vee describes it. A deeper connection with your fans is more meaningful than the size of your fan base.
Share as much as you can and interact with your fans. In the end, a deeper connection can only be created when you get close to your fans. Don't wait for media, platforms and labels to expand your reach and create content for you, but get active yourself and build your own following.
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