Turning Passive Fans Into Committed Fans

There are basically two kinds of fans - those that are "committed" in that they have a high level of interest in you, and those that are "passive." These are fans that kind of like you, but don't feel a need to stay connected, since they don't "love" you yet. The easiest way to grow your audience is to convert those passive fans to ones that are committed.

How do you do that? Passive fans already like what you're doing, so a great new song can easily push them over the edge, providing that they hear it. When a band who's been around for a while finally breaks out big, this is usually what happens.

Sometimes they just need a gentle push over the edge though, and a way to turn them around is by simple communication. CD Baby's DIY Musician blog had a pretty good piece about that recently that recommends that you directly ask the fans what they want from you. There may be something simple that you can do that you never thought of that will help you connect. Ask them.

Here are some questions (from the article) you should be asking, as the feedback can most directly correlate to stronger fans, stronger sales and less wasted efforts.

- Where do you live?
- What do you enjoy more: studio recordings or live performances?
- How important is it that you obtain copies of live performances?
- If we offered high-quality recordings of our shows, would you purchase them?
- Are you willing to purchase an album from us?
- Have you joined our mailing list?
- Would you prefer personal updates or free music from our bi-weekly newsletter?
- If we offered t-shirts, hoodies, hats and posters, which would you purchase?
- Would you be interested in seeing behind the scenes footage of our tour or recording sessions? If so, which would be more interest you?

Interaction alone may not convert some fans (it's still that one song that will knock their socks off), but it's a start. Read the entire article here.

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