I don't know if you've noticed this, but social media is not a great communication tool (citation needed). It's a fun way for me as an artist to stay connected with my audience, and it's certainly the most visible way. But as far as actual effectiveness... it leaves something to be desired.
Case in point - my 'concert bucket list' includes both Josh Ritter and Darlingside. A few years ago, Darlingside opened for Josh Ritter in Albany, NY. I follow both of them on Facebook, but I found out about the concert when I was listening to the radio (yes, actual FM radio) a few days before the show, and I couldn't adjust my plans to make it work. I'm still frustrated that I missed it.
It's the nature of the beast that social media companies run on ad revenue, so they limit the unpaid reach of accounts so that only a fraction of the followers actually see any given post... and that's even true for accounts like mine, with just a few hundred likes. I don't blame Meta, but I do want to call attention to the fact that there are other options for following musicians - and as a fan, there are two that have worked well for me. I mentioned one of those tools (Bandsintown) in an earlier blog post. The other one feels kind of old fashioned, but it is the true gold standard of artist-listener communication - the email list. If you're signed up for an artist's mailing list, you're guaranteed to get updates in your inbox, at which point YOU can decide whether you want to read them or delete them... but at least you get to make the decision, instead of an arbitrary algorithm deciding whether the post even shows up in your feed.
So yeah... I know a pop-up already prompted you when you landed on this page, but now I'm asking you directly - if you enjoy my music, please sign up for my mailing list. I won't spam you and I won't share your email address with anyone else - I'll just send you an update once or twice a month to tell you about my shows, releases, and other news relevant to my music. Actually, never mind my mailing list. Just go sign up for Darlingside's. They're amazing.
Comments