It has been a long, dark year for the nation’s nearly 3000 music venues. Shuttered by COVID-19 restrictions, our stages are suffering, with nationwide losses estimated at $8.9 billion for ticket sales alone. For some, the shutdown is permanent. At least 88 venues have closed their doors forever, according to Billboard Magazine.
For the rest help is on the way thanks to the Save our Stages Bill. Formally known as the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, the lifeline infuses $15 billion directly to this hard-hit group. Qualifying venues. promoters and artist managers can use their share to cover salaries, rent and utilities.
But savvy operators will earmark part of their COVID venue grant for building, refining and upgrading their direct-to-fan marketing.
Forward-looking venue operators know music marketing is more vital now than ever. “Getting customer communications right is critical to your business’s success in a post-pandemic world,” urges the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The right fan relationship management will rebuild your business and win back music lovers. The wrong approach, like old-school blast emails, will hurt that relationship and your bottom line.
Today’s fans expect more than a generic email message. They want personalized, targeted communication that addresses their needs, concerns and desires. And they want it on multiple platforms from email to blogs to social media posts.
It sounds like a lot of work for struggling venue operators but that’s why CRM and a robust Digital Marketing infrastructure are so important. These tools harness fan data so you can create tailored marketing messages that drive engagement to bring fans back to music venues.
Are you ready to sharpen your email list, plan your messaging and hit the ground running? It’s a big job but you don’t have to do it all alone. FanMail Marketing offers organizations the tools to manage and engage top loyal customers using email, mobile, web, search, social, and display advertising. Since 2002, we have served many of the world’s leading artists, labels, and companies including Sony Music, Warner Music Group, nugs.net, Another Planet Entertainment, 800# Gorilla Records and many more.
