AdaptiveBlue: No Boiler Plate Autoresponder

Here's an example about developing loyalty you can apply to the art of building your fan base. A couple of days ago I installed the iTunes Top 25 Albums widget by AdaptiveBlue. Initially, I wasn't that excited about it as I really didn't like any of the music I saw. But, the next day I received an email from someone at AdaptiveBlue stating:

"We also offer the ability to make your own widget, that updates automatically, so that you could save an indie artist while surfing and have it automatically show up in your widget in your sidebar. If you're interested in setting this up, drop me a note and I'll help you out."

Not only was I surprised about the widget's feature, but that someone at AdaptiveBlue actually took the time to read what my blog was about and then sent me a relevant email. It was not a canned auto-response sent upon someone installing their widget. Rather, it was individualized and applicable. The individual even went on to recommend an indie band called, Sunset Rubdown. This kind of customer service is rare these days, and I'm excited to see it in action, as it was the modus operandi for an ISP I use to work for called MindSpring. A lot of companies talk about these kinds of customer service tactics, but are unable to fulfill them because their corporate culture doesn't truly embrace the necessary ethos (a topic for another day).

It goes without saying that I will be replying to this individual's email, and I look forward to learning more about how to use their music widgets, and AdaptiveBlue. I also think it's fair to say that they just acquired a loyal customer for free.

So what can an indie band or musician learn from this example, there are at least three things:

1) Thank your listeners and fans every chance you get, from when they download your music, to watching your live shows, as they are the very reason you even have an audience. This may seem like obvious PR 101, but many musicians do not do this. Just look at your MySpace account and count the number of times you thanked someone for adding your band to their friends page - I think you will see a low number. Letting them know that you truly appreciate their support will help you develop a loyal following, and it's free.

2) Find ways to reach out to your fans and listen to what they have to say about your music. You might learn a couple of things you could benefit from (e.g. your listeners want to hear more acoustic versions). Additionally, it will help you develop a relationship with them, which also translates into loyalty.

3) There are now over 4 million songs available on the Internet, and getting your music noticed in this ever crowding industry is becoming more difficult each day, but developing loyalty with your fans is one way to help you break through, as loyal fans are more inclined to spread the word about your music to people you do not know.

As always, I welcome your comments.

Peace

Comments

[Alex Iskold]

Hi Duncan,

We are thrilled to have a post like this and so happy to know that you are happy with the way we treated out.

We have consumer technology, so each individual is important use case.

Please do not hesitate to contact us every time you have question, need help or have an idea for enhancement.

[Patrick Woodward]

Hey Duncan,
Hope you enjoyed Sunset Rubdown! :)