2011-07-01dated from the first comment; a lower bound

How We Get Thousands of Real Facebook Fans For New

Published no later than July 1, 2011, dated from the first comment on the original post. Platforms and services described here have changed. This is kept as a record, not as current advice. For a related workplace reference on the 7-minute rule for payroll, see this overview.

Introduction When we start working with any new musician, two of the most important goals we start with are: Build a strong mailing list Build a popular Facebook page From experience, these to platforms are where fans feel most comfortable interacting with musicians. They’re also the two that drive the most sales. So ahead of looking to drive YouTube views, Myspace friends, website hits, Twitter followers or Last FM plays, we look to develop email subscriptions and Facebook fans.

Many musicians try things like running competitions, giving away free music or creating viral videos to grow their fanbase, but few ever consider advertising. For the most part, we’re the same. I’ve yet to see a musician run an effective Google Ads campaign, the cost is too high and the sales are too low. But Facebook ads are different.

We’ve developed a strategy that combines the most effect methods of online music promotion and the most popular platform in the world - Facebook. We’ve run dozens of campaigns for artists all over the world and each and every time the results have been outstanding . On average, for the price of a new bit of equipment (or a night out for 4 band members!) we can get 1,000 new Facebook fans. For a current video-platform reference, see Vevo.

In every singe case the fans have been more engaged, more excited and more willing to buy than the existing Facebook fans (who were mostly friends and family). It’s one of the most effective things we do as an agency. So we’ve decided to share our secrets, in 6 easy steps: 1. If You Like Those Guys….. If you’ve ever used “Power play” services on sites like Last.Fm, Grooveshark or Jango (or even if you’ve just shopped on Amazon) you’ll be familiar with this concept.

With Power Play, you can pick musicians that are similar to your style and pay to be played to their fans . Some people have good success with these campaigns, but often it just “raises awareness” instead of resulting in connecting with fans in a meaningful way. This is the principle we use to build and target our campaigns. Step one is to pick a handful of popular, established artists with a similar style, because their fans will be the ones we advertise to.

If you do a cover version of a hit classic, or collaborate with an established artist, you should always use this as the “hook” in your ad. We’ve had much better success rates advertising the connection our musicians have with established acts, instead of just a similarity . Obviously this option isn’t available to everyone, but use it if you have it.

2. Building A Good Landing Page When people click on your ad, DO NOT send them straight to your Facebook wall . This is the number one mistake we see people making when they run a Facebook campaign. When you spend money on getting someone to click your ad, make sure they land on a customised landing page which will encourage them to click the “like” button .

A strong landing page makes the difference between a lasting connection with a fan and money down the drain. Fan Conversion Statistics From AllFacebook.com