My Inbox stays flooded with emails. Many of them are newsletters and announcements, with the senders ranging from musicians to labels to corporatations to marketing gurus. I’m an information hoarder (or whore…), so I am always on the lookout for good content, new headlines, and new ideas. The irony of the situation is this – The more I collect, the more I am disappointed with the use of email.

As I type this post, there are 7,046 unread messages in my Inbox. Most of those I will never read. Why do I sign-up for announcements if I don’t read them? Because I’m always on the lookout for that one cool idea.

On the whole, I see bands and bars make the same mistake over and over in email communication. I have this theory that bands and bars aren’t aware of how a poorly written email hurts them, because they have a built-in “hook.” Bars serve alcohol and bands serve music. That’s it. No tricks. No gimmics. A fan knows they want to hear the band or not. A patron either wants a beer or not. There’s no need to do any convincing.

However, I always wonder how much more effective they would be if their email communication was improved.

The typical email consists of something like this:

(band version) ”We’re playing at SchmoJo’s Tavern on Friday from 9pm-12pm. Come out and see us.”

or

(bar version) “Happy Hour is from 5pm-7pm. We have Great Big Green playing tonight at 9pm-12pm. Come out and see us.”

Now, before you ask, I’m not being facetious. I looked through my Inbox and there are 2 emails almost verbatim to the above. I only changed the names.

So, wha’t s the problem with these emails?

They are self-centered and egomanial. It’s all about me, me, me. There is absolutely no connection to the fans at all.

When you are sending out an email, you are communicating with your fans and patrons. You should pretend you are having a conversation with a real person. Just because it’s an email, don’t treat the recipient like a simpleton at your beck-and-call. Show them appreciation and respect and they’ll return the favor.

How do you do that? The next time you are writing an email annoucement, pick a single fan and picture their face. Imagine in your mind that you are talking with them one-on-one. Pretend that you haven’t seen them in a few weeks. In your email, write like you were talking to that one person. What would you say to them? How would your communication be different?

If you ran into this person, I doubt you would say, “We’re playing on Friday night. Come see us.” and then walk away. No, you’d take some time to chat.

In the band email above, here’s how that would go:

“Hi -

Thank you for coming out to our last show. It was great to see you. We really appreciate your effort in supporting us. It makes a huge difference to us when you come to our shows and we have a packed house of fans. The energy level from a full house makes for a good night.

We’re playing this Friday at SchmoJo’s Tavern. We’ll start at 9pm. If you’ve never been there, they have a great selection of beer and the atmosphere is killer. Everyone always has a good time there.

The last time we played there, there was an out of towner who became a new fan of the band. And she was also a BIG fan of Guinness. She and the crowd had a great time and the encore was, well…., memorable. Especially since our new fan graced everyone with her physical interpretion of our song. It was a sight to see.

I’m sure this Friday won’t disappoint. See you there.

Thanks,

Great Big Green

Details-

Date: Friday

Time:9pm-12pm

Location: SchmoJo’s Tavern

”

Now, go back and read that email again, but imagine you are talking to a friend or a fan. It makes a huge difference, right?

And the brilliant part is this – It only takes an extra 5 minutes to write the second email. The second email provides the same information, but also creates a connection with the reader. It also spreads goodwill for the bar owner and creates a sense of community with your fans. And if someone on your list didn’t go to the last show, you can bet that they are calling their friends to find out what happened with the Guinness lady.

When you are writing your next email announcement, take an extra 5 minutes and have a conversation. Don’t just jot down the facts, pretend you are talking with a fan. You’ll find you’ll energize your fanbase more, which will always help you in the long run.

Good luck.

P.S. – If you are saying, “We didn’t have a drunk lady at our last show,” then you’ve missed the point entirely. You can always find something to discuss. When you create a mental image of a friend or fan before you write, it will become obvious what things you should say to them.