Music marketing isn’t a guessing game. At least not ALL the time.
When you know what your fans have done in the past, you’ll have a better idea of what they want to do today and tomorrow.
That’s the basic concept behind remarketing.
Remarketing is the process of putting the right sequential messages in front of a defined audience based on their previous actions.
Put more simply:
Instead of blasting your entire fanbase with a string of one-off messages, you try to take fans on a journey from A to Z; and you treat each fan differently according to when, if, and how they take the next step along the way.
SWALLOW THIS PILL NOW: Effective remarketing often involves paid advertising.
Sure, you can keep close track of link clicks in Mailchimp or whatever and tag your list accordingly, then follow up with those segmented audiences for free. But that’s not REALLY what we’re talking about with remarketing. You want the bulk of the tracking (now) and the targeting of messages (later) to be automated. And for that you’re going to have to get used to the idea of PAYING Facebook, Google, YouTube, SOMEONE.
Ever heard the term “funnel” used in a marketing context? Purchase funnel. Sales funnel. Conversion funnel.
It’s pretty much what it sounds like. The funnel is a way to describe a journey you take someone through (ummm, down) from awareness, to interest, to desire, to action.
That’s a crass summary, but hopefully it illustrates the point. You move your audience from here to there.
Not surprisingly, you lose some people along the way. So the “top” of the funnel is where you have the most reach but the least commitment from your audience. As fans follow you down the funnel, your reach shrinks but your audience’s commitment deepens.
Again, it’s about a journey. You can create that journey based on your goals of course, but you should also consider what would be most exciting and valuable for your fans.
Perhaps Point A is a Spotify player for your new single embedded on a web page, and Point Z is asking the diehard fans who followed you “down the funnel” to purchase the limited-edition vinyl and poster package when the full album comes out. Along the way, you better have made the JOURNEY towards that premium offer something your biggest fans found interesting (at least) and inspiring (at best).
With remarketing, it’s easier to treat every fan like an individual. And that’s key to creating a sense of connectivity with every message you send, ad you serve, video you post, blog your write, etc.
Did your fan take the next step? Great. Make sure the road ahead continues to be exciting.
Did they stall? That happens. Maybe they need a reminder they were on a journey with you, and why that’s exciting for both of you.
Are they losing interest? Give them another chance to hop back on the train.
Did they consistently ignore you? Great. Get rid of ’em. They weren’t going to be your fan anyway.
Remarketing and retargeting are technically different things, but for our purposes we’ll call them the same thing. No need to overly complicate this.
Tracking your fans online activity requires you to install some retargeting code — such as the Facebook pixel — on your:
To create your Facebook pixel, go HERE.
Installing your retargeting code within a Show.co campaign is super easy. You just copy the code from Facebook and paste it into the retargeting code field within your Show.co dashboard when creating the campaign.
As for your website, different hosting services have different ways of accommodating the Facebook pixel, so be sure to check your host’s FAQ or tutorial videos.
Tracking is one thing. But follow-up is where the fun begins. This is where you get creative and find the right way to speak to specific segments of your fanbase.
If you’re leaning on the Facebook pixel for your tracking, well, your follow-up is probably going to happen through the Facebook (and Instagram) ads platform.
You should repeat these questions every time you consider some bit of sequential messaging. If you do, I bet you’ll see surprising results in your fan engagement.
I hope this article is helpful in providing the basics of remarketing, and I’d love to hear about your own efforts in sequential marketing, Facebook ads, segmented audiences, and leading your fans on a journey that results in more email signups, merch and ticket sales, and streams.
Lemme know in the comments below.
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