Thinking Globally – 12 Strategies For Attracting Fans Worldwide

© 2012 Vinny Ribas

Do you believe that your music would be loved worldwide if you could just reach people everywhere? If the quality of the songwriting, your performance on the recordings and the recording quality itself are all good, chances are that you are right! So how do you reach a global audience? Here are 12 strategies to get you started.

1. If you are on the big social networks like Facebook and ReverbNation, chances are some of your fans are from other countries. Make a concentrated effort to identify them and build relationships with them. They will spread the word about you to their own local and widespread networks of friends.
2. There are hundreds of social networks worldwide that are very big in their area of the world, such as Bebo.com (Europe). Establish your presence and build relationships on those as well. Pick the ones that best suit your kind of music and has your target audience. Ask your current fans where they      recommend that you should have a presence. They will help you get noticed.
3. There are many Google+ ‘hangouts’, such as www.hangoutparty.net, in which artists worldwide perform from their living rooms for tens and even hundreds of thousands of viewers at a time – and you can sign up to perform as well. See http://arielpublicity.com/2011/12/07/the-musicians-guide-to-google for more on Google+.
4. Check out YouTube videos by artists from other countries, especially those with a lot of views. Build relationships with them, and then invite them to check out your music.
5. Pitch our music to terrestrial, college and internet radio in other countries. Large stations in other countries are not as locked up by major labels as they are in the US. Services like AipPlay Direct allow you to track which stations are downloading your music. Contact those stations and offer to do an interview, or to give away free downloads or CDs as a contest prize. Be sure your songs are on all of the international online radio services like Spotify, Rhapsody and Pandora.
6. Perform in other countries. Contact promoters there to book a tour. Ask your fans there if they can help you make the right connections to play there.
7. Perform in venues where there is an international clientele (e.g. theme parks, cruise ships and other tourist-based venues, restaurants that specialize      in an international cuisine etc.). Be sure to collect email addresses for your newsletter.
8. Learn to sing one or more of your most requested songs (or part of a song) in another language; put it on YouTube and your social networks. If done right and with respect, this can attract fans from the countries where that language is spoken.
9. Write jingles for companies that are either in other countries or that do business internationally. They don’t need to be huge, as long as they use your music in their radio or TV ads. You can connect directly with these companies via business-related social networks like LinkedIn. You may want to write something for them first and then connect with them.
10. Submit your music for use in foreign films and TV shows as well as domestic films.
11. Cover songs by artists from other countries. Make a video and put it on YouTube. Fans of that song will search for it and your version will come up alongside the original. Many people will check it out, and hopefully you will win them over as fans. The act you cover may even record one of your songs in return. This can even be pre-arranged!
12. You may already have a large following in other countries but just don’t know about it. Be sure you have a way to check the traffic sources to your website (e.g. Google analytics). Ask for a zip code, city, state and  country when people sign up for your email list. Poll you fans on Facebook and other networks. Build on any areas where you see a decent amount of fans close together. Ask them to talk you up to their friends in the hopes that you generate enough interest to justify setting up performances there. Ask them to request that their favorite radio stations play your

If you have other ideas, or if something else has worked for you, please use the comment section to share them.

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Vinny Ribas is the founder and CEO of Indie Connect, a global business club for serious independent artists, songwriters, musicians and music professionals. Indie Connect helps its members increase their chances of success by providing practical career direction and education, combined with live and online industry networking opportunities. During his 40+ year career, Vinny has been a full time musician, an artist manager, a booking agent, songwriter and the Entertainment Director for the NV State Fair. He is a published author and popular speaker at music industry conferences.