Striking the Right Chord: Fostering Customer Loyalty in the Music Industry
The music industry is constantly evolving. Different genres are born, new artists emerge, and industry trends change to satisfy the insatiable fanbase. Customer loyalty is crucial in ensuring an artist has a strong relationship with their fanbase, as it guarantees a long and successful career.
Musicians create art. Record labels and industry executives must work together to support the artist throughout their career. The team aims to cultivate and retain a dedicated fan base. It is vital to explore different ways loyalty becomes an invaluable asset. The loyal fan is a crucial member of an artist’s longevity.
Understanding customer loyalty
A fan can follow an artist for years. They purchase albums, merchandise, and tickets to several concerts. When I tell you these fans are loyal, they are LOYAL. They have their moniker: Harry Styles’ fans are “Harries,” Goo Goo Dolls fans are “Goobers,” Taylor Swift fans are “Swifties,” and the list goes on.
Emotional Connection
Customer loyalty goes beyond material possessions. It’s all about emotional connection, the stories, experiences, and values the artist represents. Understanding this connection becomes crucial for artists and the industry that supports them. Emotional moments can bind us by memorable experiences in our life: A fan who overcame a difficult time by listening to a song on repeat, a couple who found their love song. A melody will take you to a moment and always tie you to the artist who made a difference in your life.
Quality and consistency
Artists are responsible for creating quality music but feel pressure to constantly release a piece that satisfies their most prominent critics: fans. In return, they put pressure on themselves to top the work they did in previous years, which sometimes causes them to break.
Music Radar recounts the story of how Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik dealt with writer’s block after the success of their hit single “Name” off their 1995 A Boy Named Goo album, which peaked at number 5 inBillboard’s top 100 for 15 weeks. “The one thing I was good at was being taken away from me when I was having trouble writing,” Rzeznik explained in VH1’s Behind The Music. “That felt bad… But the ironic thing about writer’s block is that you write the whole time – you think everything sucks.”
While musicians feel constant pressure to deliver the best results consistently, fans expect the next project to be better. The albums need to be richer in songwriting. Stages need extensive production, and crowds must increase in numbers. Artists must always maintain excellence in their work because that’s what fans expect. Customer loyalty is rooted in shared experiences.
Fan Engagement
Artists must actively engage with their fans through communication. They can do so by using social media, newsletters, and live streams to connect. An important key is interacting with your fans in a two-way communication tactic.
In an article written for the Harvard Business Review, Maxim Sytch and Yong H. Kim suggest speaking their language. “When it comes to business relationships…the best way to gain insight about their preferred communication style is to cultivate a genuine, ongoing relationship. A strong relationship can be indispensable.”
Memorable Experiences
As a booking agent, I worked alongside artist management and supervised several before and after-show meet and greets. The most genuine interaction between artists and fans happens in two minutes. The artist must make this one of the most positive encounters because this is a moment your fanbase will remember forever. If they have a memorable experience, fans won’t think twice before shelling out hundreds of dollars to do it again. Artists must nourish, cultivate, and retain fan engagement.
Reward Loyalty
Bands must develop ideas to provide exclusive content to VIPs that no one else can get. These can consist of exclusive fan clubs, exclusive merchandise, behind-the-scenes videos, and invite-only secret shows. Reward your loyal fanbase with unique experiences.
The Goo Goo Dolls and I have been connected for over 30 years. They have been a part of every aspect of my life (good and bad). I own all their albums in multiple formats, have an extensive merchandise collection, and have traveled the country to see them perform over 352 times. The band has always reciprocated their loyalty to me by giving me merchandise, tickets, and access to private events no one else can attend. They also actively interact, share, and repost my social media mentions, which helps to build a sense of community within the fanbase. Cultivating and nurturing relationships between an artist and a fan is critical in ensuring their career continues to grow for years.