Do you have a "Friends and Family" discount program for your online content?

Who are your friends and family? A friends and family content posting agenda actually means you’re giving a discount to everyone else outside for your friends and family bubble. But’s it not the discount you may think it is.

As you seek to expand your audience reach, it’s important to know the audience you should not be looking to for support and affirmation.

These people are not your audience: your friends, your family and even some of your musical colleagues. My point is that when you post content that only your friends and family like, you’re discounting everyone else, such as those in a position to help you advance your career.

This a true conversation with an artist who just promoted their new recording in a cute video.

“This video has received the most number of views and “likes” of anything we’ve ever posted. People like it a lot, and they’ve written to us saying they like it, and that they think it’s cute.”

Me: “Have you heard from any conductors, artistic directors and vice presidents of programming? Any venue presenters, bookers, managers or other influencers (decision makers)?”

“I’m not sure. Other than the people who wrote to us personally, I can’t identify who clicked the “Like” button.”

My point is that when you post content that only your friends and family like, you’re ignoring or discounting everyone else...like those in a position to help you advance your career.

I recently asked a woodwind quintet and a saxophone quartet who their audience was. I always ask this question, whether it’s an ensemble or soloist, or anyone who performs recitals.

When I asked that saxophone quartet and the woodwind quintet that question, there was some awkward vocal and physical fidgeting.

Often, I hear back – “I’ve never thought about that.”

 “I can tell you who your audience isn’t,” I said.

To the saxes: “It’s not other saxophone players, saxophone quartets and saxophone instructors.”

To the woodwind 5: “It’s not other woodwind players, woodwind quintets or woodwind instructors.”

Why is that? Both of these “insider” audiences are an unmeasurable, too small of a figure to mean anything. They are the smallest of a small percentage of your total potential audience reach.

Why not seek out the audience who doesn’t know what happens when winds and saxes congregate on the recital stage.

There’s a difference in creating content that all your friends will like, and the audience who want you to play for their audience: symphony orchestras, venue presenters and concert series bookers.

What would be the appropriate content for that audience? What is that “something” that will make them take notice?

It saddens and frustrates me when talented, gifted artists post silly, goofy stuff. You’ll please your friends for sure, but you risk sending away those who came looking for the next best thing for their concert series.

I know. I’m no fun.

Next time, a friends and family referral program worth pursuing.