// The Word This Week

Hey babe.

You've got your platforms locked down. Your visual brand doesn't look like a middle schooler's MySpace page. You're creating content systematically instead of panic-posting at 2 AM.

Cool.

Now what?

Because here's the thing everyone gets wrong about social media: posting content isn't the same as building an audience. And building an audience isn't the same as building a community.

Most artists treat their followers like a faceless mass of potential streams. They broadcast. They announce. They promote.

And then they wonder why nobody gives a shit.

The Brutal Truth About Your Current "Engagement"

Let's do a quick health check on your fan situation:

• Comments are either nonexistent, some emojis, or some promo account telling you to send your post to them

• Your DMs are either empty or full of bots

• Nobody screenshots your posts

• Your followers never tag friends

• Engagement rate hovers around "funeral attendance"

• You get more likes than comments

Sound familiar?

You're not building relationships. You're running a museum exhibit.

NEW RULE: If strangers aren't DMing you or sharing your posts organically, your engagement strategy is garbage.

The Cross-Platform Funnel That Actually Works

Here's what indie artists who actually make money figured out: you don't convert followers on the same platform where you find them.

Think of social media like a series of increasingly intimate rooms:

TikTok/Twitter = The Street Corner

• Quick discovery

• Viral potential

• Zero intimacy

• Everyone's shouting

Instagram = The Coffee Shop

• Behind-the-scenes content

• Personality on display

• Moderate engagement

• Visual storytelling

Discord/Email List = Your Living Room

• Direct conversation

• Community feeling

• High engagement

• True fans only

The magic happens when you guide people from the street corner to your living room.

Platform-Exclusive Content Strategy

Stop posting the same shit everywhere.

Each platform gets something unique:

TikTok teaser: "Sharing the story behind this song on my IG Live tonight"

Instagram hook: "Posted a dumb remix challenge on TikTok - too crazy for here, find me @..."

Discord reward: "First 5 people to comment get the stems to mess with"

Give fans a reason to follow you everywhere. FOMO is a hell of a drug.

Engagement Scripts That Don't Suck

Most artists' idea of engagement is responding "thanks!" to every comment.

That's not engagement. That's politeness.

Here's what you do:

The Interactive Call-to-Action

Instead of: "New track out now!" → Try: "Share this if you've ever felt completely misunderstood by your parents"

Instead of: "What do you think of this beat?" → Try: "Send this to your friend who always plays music too loud in the car"

Behind-the-Scenes Vulnerability

Instead of: Polished studio photos → Try: 20-second voice note about why you almost scrapped the song

Instead of: "Here's my new gear!" → Try: "This $50 mic has been on more songs than my $2000 one - here's why"

The DM Automation That Feels Personal

Set up keyword triggers:

Post: "DM me LYRICS and I'll send you my song writing process"

Auto-reply: "Hey! Here's that lyric breakdown I promised. Let me know which line hits different for you"

60% of merch sales for smart indie artists now come through DMs.

Not because they're pushy. But because they're conversational.

The 1% Rule: Finding Your Superfans

Reality check: Only 1% of your followers will ever spend money on you.

Your job isn't to convert everyone. It's to identify that 1% and make them feel like family.

Superfan Identification Signals:

• Comments on every post

• Shares your content organically

• Shows up to livestreams

• Engages with other fans in comments

• High streaming frequency on Spotify

Once you find them, treat them differently:

• VIP Discord channels for your most active members

• Early access to everything

• Personal shoutouts during livestreams

• Behind-the-scenes access that casual fans don't get

  The Escalation Ladder

Follower → Community member → Small purchase → Regular buyer → Monthly supporter

Make each step feel like joining a more exclusive club, not opening your wallet.

Community Building Without Becoming a Mall Cop

Here's where most artists fuck it up: they get 500 people in a Discord and turn into authoritarian weirdos.

The Light Touch Moderation Strategy:

Set the vibe, don't police it.

Pin a message that says: "This is where the cool kids hang - just don't be a dick and we'll all get along"

Use fan moderators. Your biggest fans make the best mods because they understand the culture.

Address problems privately first. Public callouts kill the vibe faster than anything.

Create channels for different energy levels:

• #general-chaos (anything goes)

• #serious-music-talk (thoughtful discussion)

• #random-nonsense (memes and off-topic)

Keeping It Alive Without Living There

Most artist communities die because the artist burns out trying to be everywhere.

Daily rhythm that works:

• Morning: Quick hello + question ("What's everyone listening to?")

• Afternoon: Share something you're working on

• Evening: Start a discussion or drop a tip

2-3 touchpoints per day, 15 minutes total.

Your community should feel like friends hanging out, not a customer service desk.

Managing Parasocial Boundaries (Before Things Get Weird)

Here's the uncomfortable truth: fans want to feel close to you. But too close gets creepy fast.

Setting Boundaries That Don't Kill the Vibe:

• Be clear about your limits: "I love sharing my life with you, but I keep certain things private (like my address and relationships). Thanks for respecting that."

• Create "office hours" for engagement: "I hang out after shows for 30 minutes to meet everyone, but after that I need downtime."

• Use your Discord FAQ to set expectations: "I don't privately DM with fans - keeping conversations in the group keeps everyone comfortable."

The Chappell Roan Example

Rising pop star Chappell Roan built a passionate LGBTQ+ fanbase. But when fans started stalking her family and calling her by her real name in public, she drew a line.

Her response: "Just because you're a fan doesn't entitle you to every aspect of my life."

Some fans called her ungrateful. The smart ones realized she was protecting the relationship they all actually wanted.

Lesson: Set boundaries early. Enforce them consistently. Your real fans will respect you for it.

The Monetization Integration (AKA How to Ask for Money Without Being Gross)

Most artists treat monetization like a separate thing from community building.

Wrong.

Your community should feel like they're investing in your journey, not buying products.

Natural Revenue Integration:

• After a fun livestream: "Thanks for hanging! If you want to support the music, I just dropped some new merch. No pressure - your presence here means everything."

• Limited drops tied to community milestones: When your Discord hits 1,000 members, drop exclusive merch that says "1 of 1000 - OG Fan"

• Patreon as an inner circle, not a store: "$5/month gets you early demos and monthly Zoom hangs. Not buying access - joining the family."

Fan-Driven Promotion

In healthy communities, fans become your street team:

• They hype each other to buy merch

• They encourage newcomers to join Patreon

• They organize when your gear gets stolen

• They create fan art and covers

This only happens when they trust you're not milking them for money.

The Reality Check Section

Let's be honest about what this approach can and can't do:

What It Will Do:

• Turn passive followers into active community members

• Create superfans who actually spend money

• Build a sustainable fanbase that grows itself

• Make social media feel less like screaming into the void

What It Won't Do:

• Magically make your music better

• Replace the need for good songs

• Work if you're fake or manipulative

• Create overnight success

This is about building real relationships with people who genuinely connect with your art.

If that sounds like work, then indie music probably isn't for you.

Your 30-Day Community Building Challenge

Week 1: Set Up Your Funnel

• Create platform-exclusive content strategy

• Set up Discord or private community space

• Write your boundary statements

• Plan your daily engagement routine

Week 2: Start the Conversations

• Test interactive calls-to-action on posts

• Engage personally with your top commenters

• Share vulnerable behind-the-scenes content

• Host your first community event (listening party, Q&A, etc.)

Week 3: Identify Your Superfans

• Note who shows up consistently

• Give them special recognition

• Create VIP perks for most engaged members

• Start personal conversations with your top 10 fans

Week 4: Scale and Systematize

• Set up DM automation for common requests

• Train fan moderators for your community

• Plan your first soft monetization attempt

• Prepare your next month's engagement calendar

Final Words for the Engagement-Challenged

Building a real fanbase isn't about gaming algorithms or viral hacks.

It's about being genuinely interesting to a specific group of people.

And then making those people feel like they found their tribe.

Your music attracts them. Your personality keeps them. Your community turns them into evangelists.

Most artists skip steps 2 and 3, then wonder why their streaming numbers don't translate to ticket sales or merch revenue.

Stop broadcasting to strangers. Start building relationships with humans.

The artists making real money in 2025 have 1,000 true fans, not 100,000 passive followers.

Which group are you building?

Next Issue Preview

Next week: The final chapter of Social Media Mastery! And it’s going to be: drum roll - Analytics That Actually Matter. How to track engagement that leads to revenue instead of vanity metrics that stroke your ego but don't pay your rent.

Until then, go have an actual conversation with someone who follows you. Ask them what they're listening to. See what happens.

Your community is waiting for you to show up,

Lance

P.S. If you're still posting "new music out now!" with zero context about why anyone should care, please stop. Your feed looks like a spam bot's fever dream.

If you want to join our community and learn from us in real-time, check out our V1LLAG3 Discord server. Ask questions about music, the industry, promotion, and anything else your heart desires.