Your fans aren't really following you.
In fact...
They're following the social media platforms we all borrow.
And while social media can be useful to build up an audience…
I don't like building my home on rented land that could disappear tomorrow.
I've been researching how musicians are quietly moving their audiences to places they'll own forever...
Turns out?
There are some low-effort strategies that work for musicians across all sorts of genres...
And they don't rely on paying Zuckerberg for ads.
Or posting endless content to please the algorithm gods.
Here's a quick outline of strategies that are working now:
Step 1: Set Up Your Home Base
Your first move?
Build a simple landing page.
No fancy tech needed.
No complex design required.
Just somewhere to collect emails or phone numbers.
Tools like Kit or Omnisend make this dead simple.
(Remember: platforms come and go, but email lists are forever.)
Step 2: Create Your Perfect Offer
Here's the golden rule:
Maximum value, minimum effort.
The secret?
Don't promise what you can't easily deliver.
Example of what NOT to do:
"I'll write everyone a custom jingle!"
(Unless you want to spend the next year writing jingles...)
Step 3: Choose Your Winning Offer
Here are proven offers that work:
Exclusive Content
Take your most popular song.
Create something special around it.
Put it on the other side of your opt-in page and nowhere else.
(Bonus: Ask your biggest fans what they'd love to see/hear/know about the song and make that)
Early Access
Got new music coming?
Give subscribers the first listen.
(Pro tip: Plan releases ahead for this)
VIP Recognition
Put their names in your credits.
Shout them out on release day.
(Free for you, priceless for them)
Direct Access:
Private Zoom concerts.
Subscriber-only AMAs.
(Time-boxed but highly valuable)
Step 4: Make An Offer
Here's what happens next:
Your fans get something exclusive.
You get a direct line to them.
Forever.
No more algorithm anxiety.
No more platform dependency.
Now you can send them anywhere…
Your live shows. New Spotify releases. Merch drops.
The best part?
You probably have everything you need to start right now.
Don’t want to go at it alone?
I'm building a free community of independent musicians who are creating permanent fanbases.
Drop "FANS" in the comments if you’d put up with joining one more group.
Not down for another community? No pressure.
I've got some offers to go test with my own audience anyway.
Appreciate ya,
Evan DeVries