Musicians Are Using Phone Numbers to Grow Their Fan Base

Cage the Elephant dropped a video last year for their single “Social Cues.” In the video, the bank gives you a phone number–615-235-5440–and encourages you to text the band directly with questions.

As a musician, you probably agree that your music needs to stand out from the crowd of other talented folks. The same idea needs to apply to your music’s marketing and your fan interaction. 

Cage the Elephant generated a ton of press coverage for the texting element of their music video. It’s no surprise that people were intrigued. 

Pop star’s phone numbers are not known for being publicly available. And for a good reason: if celebrities with global followings handed out personal phone numbers, their phones might quite literally blow up from 35 million texts.

Rest assured, Cage the Elephant didn’t buy a cheap cellphone in Walmart and let one of their label’s interns reply to incoming text messages. So, you’re probably wondering—how they could text their fans without sacrificing privacy?

They used a platform like SimpleTexting and a virtual phone number. The best part is that you can text with your fans too, even using local area codes. 

So, who’s ready to rock and roll? (← We hate ourselves for that, but we couldn’t resist.)

Why Musician’s Phone Numbers Are Being Promoted

Social media has allowed celebrities to communicate with fans over the years directly. Platforms like Twitter and Instagram have given users a closer look at their favorite stars, granting them direct access to their world.

It’s why texting your fans is the next logical step in marketing your music. Music and mobile devices are synonymous, making it the perfect target for your communications.

Plus, 97% of Americans text at least once a day, and a majority of these people have their phones an arm’s length away. Combine this with the highly personalized feel of texting, and it’s a winning combo.

Regardless of whether you’re just starting or you’re already gathering a following, you need a way to share your music and messages with listeners. 

Sample Texts for Musicians

As great as this all sounds, you may be wondering, “What kind of text messages would I even send?” Here are some ideas and templates that you can use to get started.

Show Reminders/Promotions

With 90% of all texts read within three minutes, you can be sure you’re getting information about your shows to people when they need to read it!

Streaming Announcements

People listen to music on iTunes, Spotify, and SoundCloud, and use these apps on their cellphones. So, texting out a link is an easy way to allow people to start listening to your music with just a click.

Sell Merchandise

Make it easy for fans to purchase by sending a link to online merchandise with a promo code.

Connect With Fans

Answering questions and chatting with fans is a great way to build that relationship. Yet no one wants their personal phone out there–and phone calls from fans at 4 am. 

With SimpleTexting, it’s still you that fans are messaging. Just through a protected number and platform. You can even use the SimpleTexting app for iOS and Android.

Run Contests

VIP passes and meet and greets can be a great way to drum up enthusiasm for a show and to grow your text subscriber list.

Curious to check it out for yourself?

Sign up for a 14 day free trial. No credit cards, no commitments. Just the opportunity to learn how texting can work for you and your music. What are you waiting for?