Newsletter.  Mailing list.  Call it what you want, every DIY artist should have one.  Here’s my Top 10 tips to make your band newsletter even better

Make It Regular

Don’t just send out a newsletter when you have something to sell, create a schedule and send it out regularly.  Every month, every two months, go with whatever works for you and stick to that schedule.

Use Your Visual ‘Branding’

Your newsletter should conform to the same visual branding as your website and your socials.  Keep them looking all the same.

Keep The Subject Line Short

Some email clients and programs abridge the subject line.  Keep the subject line to under 60 characters if you can.

Tease Them To Open Your Email

You know that ‘Buzzfeed’ trick where people need to know the answer, do the same on your email subject ie. “New Tour Announce: Guess Where We Are Playing?” Or “New Live Setlist Announced: Are we playing YOUR favourite song?”

Use First Names

If you can, collect first names as well as email addresses from your fans.  Many newsletter services have the ability to include a first name in the subject line.

“Hey Dave Our New EP Is Out NOW!” works better than
“Our New EP Is Out NOW!”

People like it when you use their name.

Don’t Get Too Sales-y

Yes, you can include links to merch and gigs but first and foremost a newsletter is for connecting and engaging with your fans.  The clue is in the title, think of it as a letter to a friend rather than just a marketing tool.

Don’t think too much about ‘sales’.

Bullet Point The Contents

It’s good journalistic practice to summarise the content of the email at the start to entice people to scroll all the way through.  The summary could read

• New Tour Dates In This Email
• Exclusive Video Now On YouTube, Watch It Here
• Read John’s Thoughts On The New Album

Don’t Include Too Much Text

Emails aren’t the best places for large op-ed pieces or essays.  Include the first paragraph or two and then link to the rest of the article on your website.

Don’t have too much text in your newsletters.

Make Sure It’s Mobile Friendly

66% of email is read on mobile devices.  Make sure the template you use is easy to read on a phone or tablet.

Services like Mailchimp offer templates which are easy to read on Mobiles.

Don’t Forget The Legals

Your newsletters should include a mailing address and an Unsubscribe button.

Got any questions about this post or how you can better market yourself?

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