[Last week, band manager Ryan Sweeney laid out the basics of how a band should treat the members of its e-mail list. Today, he begins diving into the particulars, starting with the Call to Action] A Call to Action (CTA) is a band's way of asking its fans to do something: buy a ticket, download new music, watch a new video, go to a new website, or cast their vote in a competition.
CTAs can be used anywhere – on landing pages, on social media channels, even on stage – but when inserting one into an e-mail, you need to think about its layout, design, wording, and placement to get the best results.
Keep the Graphics to a Minimum
It is easy to get carried away with graphics in e-mails these days, but adding over- the-top graphics will drown out the Call to Action part of an e-mail. Some people in the e-mail marketing world that believe plain text e-mails work even better than e-mails with graphics.
If you’re sending an e-mail with a CTA, it shouldn’t contain more than a simple banner with your band’s name, a small photo at the bottom or embedded on the side, and maybe a photo of a piece of merchandise you are asking a fan to buy. Too many graphics will distract readers from the CTA.
Short E-Mails Are Best
If an e-mail is long, say a few paragraphs, that means you have to hold the reader’s attention for an entire 90 seconds. That is a lot to ask.
The shorter and more direct an e-mail is, the more likely fans are to read the entire thing and decide whether to act on your CTA. If an e-mail is too long, your fans may not even finish reading.
Quick!
E-mails that get positive results begin with something that snags a reader instantly. If an e-mail doesn't catch someone’s attention within the first three seconds, they aren't going to continue reading. If you start a message with, “We want to thank you for supporting our band, which is why we are giving you two of our brand new songs for free, just click here to download," it immediately catches the reader’s attention.
If writing longer e-mails is more in tune with your band’s brand, then at least mention your CTA first, possibly in the first sentence. Paragraphs like this one are fine:
…provided you take the last sentence and make it first.
Don't Make Them Work Too Much
The most effective e-mails never contain more than two CTAs. If a person opens up an email that asks them to buy a record, watch a video, purchase some tickets, and Tweet something, the chances of them doing all (or any) of that are very small.
In fact, a reader becomes less likely act at all when there are multiple CTAs. Too many CTAs make a reader feel overwhelmed, whereas just one is much easier to handle.
Be Reasonable
Many bands have a handful of “super fans." These are the fans that would complete any CTA for your band, from purchasing all your merchandise to hanging tour posters around their city. If you are lucky, 3 or 4 out of every 100 of your fans is a super fan.
Don't send a super fan CTA to your entire fanbase. Blasting your entire list asking for volunteers to hang posters is not a good use of an e-mail. Only send that particular CTA to your super fans.
On the other hand, if you are asking fans to vote for your band as an artist of the month, or informing them where to buy concert tickets, or download new songs, you can send those kinds of CTAs to the entire list.
Give A Lot, Get a Little
When asking a fan to do something for you, assume they are selfish and won’t complete the CTA unless you are giving them something in return. Enticing a fan with a gift will always increase the chances of CTA completion. I have seen some great viral campaigns where bands asked fans to post a Facebook message or Tweet and in return the fans got free music, discounted tickets, or even merchandise.
Remember to keep e-mails simple, short, direct, reasonable, and to give your fans something in return. A fan base can be powerful, as long as you direct them properly.
CTAs can be used anywhere – on landing pages, on social media channels, even on stage – but when inserting one into an e-mail, you need to think about its layout, design, wording, and placement to get the best results.
Keep the Graphics to a Minimum
It is easy to get carried away with graphics in e-mails these days, but adding over- the-top graphics will drown out the Call to Action part of an e-mail. Some people in the e-mail marketing world that believe plain text e-mails work even better than e-mails with graphics.
If you’re sending an e-mail with a CTA, it shouldn’t contain more than a simple banner with your band’s name, a small photo at the bottom or embedded on the side, and maybe a photo of a piece of merchandise you are asking a fan to buy. Too many graphics will distract readers from the CTA.
Short E-Mails Are Best
If an e-mail is long, say a few paragraphs, that means you have to hold the reader’s attention for an entire 90 seconds. That is a lot to ask.
The shorter and more direct an e-mail is, the more likely fans are to read the entire thing and decide whether to act on your CTA. If an e-mail is too long, your fans may not even finish reading.
Quick!
E-mails that get positive results begin with something that snags a reader instantly. If an e-mail doesn't catch someone’s attention within the first three seconds, they aren't going to continue reading. If you start a message with, “We want to thank you for supporting our band, which is why we are giving you two of our brand new songs for free, just click here to download," it immediately catches the reader’s attention.
If writing longer e-mails is more in tune with your band’s brand, then at least mention your CTA first, possibly in the first sentence. Paragraphs like this one are fine:
“The past four months have been crazy. We have been traveling all over the east coast playing shows for all kinds of people. We have really enjoyed our time on the road, and have met a lot of great individuals. We made tons of new fans and even close friends along the way. A really big thanks to all of you who let us crash on your couches. Without fans like you guys, it we wouldn’t be able to do this. As a thank you for your support, we want to give you two of our brand new songs for free."
…provided you take the last sentence and make it first.
Don't Make Them Work Too Much
The most effective e-mails never contain more than two CTAs. If a person opens up an email that asks them to buy a record, watch a video, purchase some tickets, and Tweet something, the chances of them doing all (or any) of that are very small.
In fact, a reader becomes less likely act at all when there are multiple CTAs. Too many CTAs make a reader feel overwhelmed, whereas just one is much easier to handle.
Be Reasonable
Many bands have a handful of “super fans." These are the fans that would complete any CTA for your band, from purchasing all your merchandise to hanging tour posters around their city. If you are lucky, 3 or 4 out of every 100 of your fans is a super fan.
Don't send a super fan CTA to your entire fanbase. Blasting your entire list asking for volunteers to hang posters is not a good use of an e-mail. Only send that particular CTA to your super fans.
On the other hand, if you are asking fans to vote for your band as an artist of the month, or informing them where to buy concert tickets, or download new songs, you can send those kinds of CTAs to the entire list.
Give A Lot, Get a Little
When asking a fan to do something for you, assume they are selfish and won’t complete the CTA unless you are giving them something in return. Enticing a fan with a gift will always increase the chances of CTA completion. I have seen some great viral campaigns where bands asked fans to post a Facebook message or Tweet and in return the fans got free music, discounted tickets, or even merchandise.
Remember to keep e-mails simple, short, direct, reasonable, and to give your fans something in return. A fan base can be powerful, as long as you direct them properly.
