Attention to Detail Makes a Difference
Greg Sandoval at CNET News has an interesting article, When rockers cut ties from labels, up that talks about Trent Reznor’s recent decisions regarding the music industry and his place in it.
From the article:
Attention to detail is of vital importance to musicians forging careers independently and online. The messages customers receive when purchases are confirmed really are important details to consider.
Why? In this case, because that confirmation message can really make a difference in the loyalty of a fan and the longevity of that fan’s loyalty depending on how well the message is written. What does it do to create a sense of connection with the customer? We all know that fewer repeat customers bring in more profits than twice the amount of one-time customers.
It’s important for musicians to pay attention to each and every detail when working on their promotional materials and mechanisms. Even more important than the content of a purchase confirmation message are the details of the band’s mailing list, as mailing lists provide the band with a tool more indispensable than any other tool (except maybe a shiny new Mac Pro with Logic Pro installed): freely given permission to make contact with an interested, targeted audience any time they want.
This kind of power shouldn’t be abused, of course, and abusing it means that the mailing list will dwindle.
What kind of details are we talking about? Positioning of the subscription form on the website (one of the keys is prominence, but eye tracking should be taken into account), the process that one goes through to subscribe (double opt-in is good and gives subscribers confidence in you), the aesthetics of the process, again, the confirmation email, and the ease with which someone can unsubscribe (believe it or not, this is very important, especially if you ever want to get them back again).
From album inserts to posters to websites to blog posts to conversations, the details are so important to ensuring your long term success.
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Tags: trentreznor, mailing list, online purchases, musician’s marketing
November 9th, 2007 at 7:25 am
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