The Value of One Fan
“If you can sell one, you can sell a million.” I heard that quote from an advisor while building a startup company in college, and while there is a bit of embellishment, the sentiment behind the statement is true, nonetheless. Today I want to address the importance of securing one true fan and the obsession with instant success for independent artists.
Social media and streaming sites, especially Spotify and YouTube have ushered in the age of statistics being viewed by everyone. Mainstream artists have always been subject to this but they have budgets and people who have invested in them; for them, more numbers mean increased revenue. For an artist trying to be discovered, the obsession with statistics for vanity can be detrimental.
Statistics accessible to anyone distorts the artist’s mind when marketing comes into play. Many new artists focus marketing strategies on increasing their numbers on certain platforms that show stats. Artists post on one platform specifically asking their audience to go to another. This in itself, is not the wrong approach, but the intention of the promotion affects the execution.
I’ve been asked to follow so many artists on Spotify, and I’m unsure if followers affect algorithms, but those followers often never convert to plays, especially when marketing to other artists. I am aware of the release radar, but most people that are a true fan of an artist will not need the release radar. They will find the artist's music because they check for it or they keep up with potential releases.
The point that I’m getting to is that the numbers shown aren’t indication of a great following, or of the bottom line for artists trying to get discovered, and the lifestyle portrayed on social media is never a good indication of success. People see what the artists want them to see and no artist should hold themselves to the standard of what they see online, everyone’s journey is different.
Instead, artists should focus on making a good product and marketing it in creative and engaging ways. The focus should be on getting one true fan that will follow and support the artist because they want to, not just as a favor. The best marketing tool still, and will always be, word of mouth. People want to be connected to the newest, coolest thing for their own social standing.
One fan will turn into two, then ten. If an artist can get one person to go ‘WOW’ then that artist is successful. Period.
If you’re a new artist trying to gain a following, don’t stress about the numbers. Make the best art you can and market using ways that engage your potential audience (no spamming).
