4 Simple Rules For Connecting With Superfans on Social Media

Many musicians are introverts.

The power of creativity is often accompanied by the burden of shyness.

That’s why you are so comfortable hiding behind your instrument and your stage persona, blinded by the lights so that you don’t have to look your fans in the eyes. Am I right?

Of course, if you are following the Musicpreneurial path of taking ownership of your career and building your own audience, that presents quite a challenge. Because it takes you outside of your comfort zone.

But remember, outside of your comfort zone is where progress happens.

And the great thing about the internet is that you can still make a genuine connection with potential superfans from behind the safety of your computer screen.

The problem is that most people (and I’m not talking about JUST musicians) have even less-developed people skills online than they do in the physical world.

So I’ve devised a set of rules that will help you get past the awkwardness of talking to strangers (online AND off) and help you build genuine connections with fans who will fall in love with your music and want to support your career.

Rule #1: Remember people’s names.

I really suck at that one. So when I meet someone new in person I TRY to use their name a few times during our first conversation. After all, you only get ONE chance to make a first impression. And if you can show them that you know their name during that first encounter, you’ll really leave a lasting impression.

But it’s even easier online. There name is right there for you to read. You don’t even have to type it out. You can copy and paste it as you’re typing your message.

It’s such a trivial thing that most people completely overlook it online. But I assure you that if you address someone by their name online, you’ll stand out from all the SPAM out there and they will think of you fondly.

Rule #2: Be a good listener.

Again this is so much easier online than in the physical world. You don’t have to remember everything they said. You can just read the transcript.

And if you’re anything like me, you HATE talking about yourself when trying to win over fans. It makes me feel “salesy”. But music is your business, so if you’re going to succeed you have to achieve a balance between “salesy” and “authentic”.

The good news is that you can do that by following your original instinct. Instead of bombarding them with details about your stuff, ask questions and let them talk about themselves.

Which leads to…

Rule #3: Be genuinely interested in other people.

If you aren’t interested in the people who are interested in your music, I don’t know how to help you. Liking your music should be one of the qualities you find most endearing in another human being.

The more you encourage them to talk about themselves, the less you have to talk about yourself. They will connect with you more deeply, and provide you with inspirations that you would never imagine on your own. That alone will help you make better music that reaches more people.

It’s like Zig Ziglar said, “The more you help other people get what they want, they more you will get what you want.”

And ultimately what EVERYBODY wants is… TO BE HEARD.

Show genuine interest in your fans and hear them. If you do, I assure you that they will return the interest in hearing your music.

And when they do…

Rule #4: Give honest and sincere appreciation.

A “thankyou” goes a LONG way. And it turns into more likes, shares, and downloads without you ever having to ask them to do that stuff as “a favor”. In fact, if you follow these rules they will consider it a favor from you that you started a conversation with them in the first place!

There is a lot more I could teach you about using social media to turn strangers into superfans. But these 4 core rules will give you the foundation that you need to get started.

If you’d like to dive deeper, Twitter is the absolute BEST platform to put them into practice. In fact I’ve put together Guide to Finding YOUR Superfans on Twitter that I’d love for you to have.

Click here to grab a free copy of my Superfan Finding Guide for Twitter!