Want to know one of the best places that you can close sales? The direct messages. Yeah – that’s right the DMs. The Instagram DMs. This is one of the hottest places to sell and I feel like no one in heavy music is using it nearly enough. In a world where are trying to just sell 300 units to be a success – why aren’t more of us taking advantage?
I want to break down for you why you should sell in your direct messages, how to sell in the DMs, and of course some of my favorite bonus tactics. I think you’re going to find, like me, that there’s a ton of upside to pinging people in a personal and real way.
3. Why You Should Sell In The DM’s
There are a lot of reasons that you should be selling in the DM’s. The big one is simply that people aren’t frequently being marketed too there. The whole point of marketing is to hit people where they don’t expect to be pinged. To talk to people where they are more likely to reply means you are more likely to sell.
Not only that but the fact that people are more likely to reply to a DM or a Facebook post means that you are much more likely to be able to develop a relationship with that person. Remember, everyone is so focused on growing at scale when they can’t even sell 10 units. Why not win over 10 people first THEN grow at scale?
2. How To Sell In The DM’s
So the previous point kind of hinted at how to sell in the DM’s. What you want to be doing is using them as a way to build up your relationship with potential fans. The way you find people to DM is to talk to the people who comment on your stuff. Talk to the people who comment on other relevant posts.
Don’t lead by trying to sell. Lead by building a relationship. Talking to people. Just being a human. Eventually, they will see you are in a band and ask about that. Just do basic stuff to introduce yourself. If it’s a regular commenter just say ‘Hey man, appreciate you regularly commenting!’ If it’s someone who just seems relevant tell them what you like about one of their recent posts. This is how you build relationships. Those spread word of mouth. That turns into sales.
1. My Secret Tactics
So there are of course some secret sauce techniques to getting more sales. One of my favorites is to put a sample of a track in stories with a poll asking if people like the song. Anyone who replies yes I go in and send a DM to just to build the relationship. Just saying something simple like, ‘Hey glad you like my song man!’
Another tactic is to reply to other people’s stories, especially if it’s content that is related to your band. I.E. if you play death metal and someone makes a funny death metal meme, tell them! See what they have to say, it could be the beginning of a very cool relationship!
So you see… selling in IG DMs isn’t just for creepy bots. It’s for people who want to actually build meaningful relationships with other folks in the scene that we all love. The DMs are an amazing place to leverage growth – and it’s not even that hard!
MATT BACON
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Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and journalist specializing in the world of heavy metal. Having worked with everyone from Glam Rock icon Phil Collen of Def Leppard, to post Black Metal titans Alcest, by way of legendary thrashers Exhorder as well as labels including Prophecy Productions and Ripple Music, he has dedicated his life to helping young bands develop. Having started his own blog at the age of 14 he views his career in artist development as ‘a hobby that got out of hand’. In 2015 he formed Dropout Media in order to better support the artists he loves. We sit here now, years later with countless tours booked, records released and deals signed, and loving every minute of it.
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