Record Store Day Is Almost Here. Are You Ready?

This year Record Store Day is Saturday, April 23, and it’s an excellent opportunity for an artist to connect with and grow their fan base, sell premium merchandise, capitalize on a recent or catalog release and, of course, sell records. For those in the music industry, it’s a chance to reach consumers willing to pay a premium for exclusive releases, merchandise, and access to perks from artists and labels. 

Founded in 2008, Record Store Day began as an effort to reignite public interest in vinyl, showcase local bands, and drive business to locally-owned record shops. Since then, vinyl sales have risen significantly, and the interest in vinyl is increasing as more musicians release music in this format. What began as a way to save local stores and independent labels from declining sales due to digital has become a yearly event that connects super fans with artists, retailers and anyone in the music business.

This year, capture the energy of Record Store Day and use it to your advantage with a solid CRM program and email marketing strategy. The key to fan relationship management is using these tools to your advantage to nurture and connect with your most loyal fans. Engage them with content and offers that encourage them to click, watch, download, and purchase, and you’ll keep them coming back for more. This is an opportunity to think outside the box and leverage digital marketing to connect with fans across multiple channels to keep them engaged long after the event. 

Get started building your list by taking advantage of every potential for email sign-up at the event and across your digital channels. The following simple tactics can increase opt-ins and grow your list.

• Use inbound marketing to capitalize on your opt-in forms.  
• Post on social media and add a sign-up call to action. 
• Offer irresistible free giveaways that entice subscribers. 
• Build your mailing list at the event.
• Create post-event marketing messages and sign-up opportunities.

Consumers that opt-in can become your most loyal customers, and their shares and likes on your social platforms can help drive fan acquisition. Creating a nurturing email marketing plan will help keep them engaged all year-round. Your CRM analytics can help you tailor your messaging to deliver targeted content and offers that will engage and entice your subscribers to click through and purchase. These elements will all work together to increase sales and drive revenue from your most dedicated fans. 

Need help crafting the right messaging and look for your emails or building and segmenting your lists to maximize your revenue? We’re here to help. 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 creating great fan relationship management digital, social media and email marketing campaigns.