We all tend to think that people buy CD’s because they just love the music of their favorite artist or because of the message contained in certain songs. This is true but, in terms of artist marketing, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

People become attached to certain artists as a result of a myriad of factors about the artist and all this gets “bundled” into how they “experience” that artist. Here are some of the factors involved in that experience:

• How the artist looks, dresses, and talks on stage
• What topics the artist chooses to talk and sing about
• What others around me think and feel about the artist
• What happens at concerts
• How often I get to see and hear, or hear from the artist
• How much the artist seems to feel and think like me
• How, whether, and how much the artist talks to me offstage
• Does the artist answer my calls, emails, etc.
• Does the artist have a web presence that is interesting to me or that I can participate in
• What do I know about the artist’s “private” life and what do I think about it
• Are there places, other than concerts where I encounter the artist: do they teach music, produce CD’s, write books, use social networking, etc.
• Does the artist ever engage me in person outside, or alongside, of concerts.

All these aspects (and more) of “experiencing” an artist fold together to create an image held in the mind(s) of those following an artist to determine how much the artist’s ministry is valued.  And here’s the really important part: the value of that entire experience represents how well the artist’s ministry succeeds. Bookings, CD sales, concert attendance, and sales of other products, are all really just “souvenirs” of that experience.

Most artists do not fully understand the quality and quantity of the kinds of experience they do or could offer. They simply look at their success as a function of how many CD’s they sell or whether they get “good bookings.”

Artists can “grow” their ministries by learning how to look at themselves broadly, and understanding the real breadth and depth of experience they offer.  Deeper and more meaningful experiences for followers means a more fulfilling experience for the artist.  And this will result in a more stable funding for the ministry as more followers find more value for more “souvenirs” of their experience.