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Danika Holmes and her husband Jeb Hart are in an acoustic/pop/soul duo, Danika & the Jeb. Because of COVID-19, their spring tour and summer shows have been cancelled.
As Holmes explains, “The first time a cancellation came for a show, it was a bummer. The second time it was an inconvenience. And the third-through-30th time, it was a crisis.”
Danika & the Jeb have been making their living as touring musicians for 10 years, and getting a regular day job is not an option for them.
So they adjusted their business model — the show must go online!
But they moved more than their shows online. Danika & the Jeb moved every part of their business online, including their entire merchandise store.
And, going online allowed them to connect more intimately with their audience, in unexpected ways.
Email marketing and Patreon — a winning combination.
To make it easy for their audience to access their new music and offer support, Danika & Jeb used the membership platform Patreon. Patreon allows creators to get paid for the content they create, including video, songs, webcomics, audio performances, and more. Fans support creators and artists by paying either a few dollars per month or per post.
Danika & the Jeb, release their content on Patreon for as low as a $1 per video or song donation. They get paid every time they release something new, and their supports become bonafide, real-life patrons of the arts!
“We make music. We share music. We make videos. We share videos. Pretty simple. Our Patrons are literally helping us keep the lights on and the music playing,” says Holmes.
Email is the lifeline that connects with their audience.
Using email marketing, Danika & the Jeb send their audience updates on their music and behind-the-scenes life. “AWeber and email became our number one and best way to keep in touch with our audience,” says Holmes.
Email helps them explain what patrons can expect since this new online reality is new to both creators and audiences.
