Why You Need A Street Team To Help Grow Your Band To New Heights
When learning why you need a street team, the answer lies within their purpose. Hardcore fans will sell your band to other fans spreading the word about your act. So, why do you need a street team?
You need a street team because it is a great way to naturally promote your act and give back to passionate fans who are dedicated to the music you produce.
Nothing resonates better than fans sharing their love with others about your music. This is why it is an excellent way to promote material at shows or other promotional events.
Street teams vary in size and can range from one person to groups in individual cities. However, they are effective no matter how they are used. So what are the reasons why you need a street team?
What does a street team do?
Let’s set the record straight – a street team is not a fan club. They may involve fan club members, but a street team has a dedicated purpose. That is to promote your band to the masses.
You will find that a street team can represent you in any way possible. This goes from handing out merch to sticking posters on street corners.
Some of the primary jobs a street team will include:
- Hand out banners and flyers
- Give out sample CDs or QR codes
- Promote new merch or gear
A street team will also vary depending on the size of your act. If you are just a local band, a couple of close friends may accompany you to every show.
Larger acts have more scope to act. This means they may get local fan club chapters to represent them or even get marketing companies to act on their behalf.
The role remains the same regardless of who makes up the street team. It’s about getting the word out quickly and effectively to plug your act.
How street teams work
You will find that street teams are often just a one-off gig. They include people who are accessible then to give a rapid-fire marketing push to fans in an area.
However, there is a particular knack for perfecting the effectiveness of a street team. This involves knowing the following:
- Who to represent you
- What specific product you are plugging
- Where and when the street team will represent you
Managing these aspects is crucial as to how beneficial it will be to your act. Striking act your gig would be much more effective than targeting a band of a polarizing genre.
Furthermore, using them to plug in random passers in the street is also a no-go. Instead, use them at shows or club nights where your gear will get their attention.
Targeting the right individuals and areas guarantees a higher rate of being noticed by casual fans and expanding your fanbase naturally.
Choosing the right representatives for your street team
Bear in mind that just getting any random person to be on your street team won’t cut it. The people acting on your behalf need to know what your band is about.
This means picking fans or friends who support your work and are passionate about helping you. This knowledge instantly connects with fans and will give off a much better impression to others nearby.
That’s why you should know at least why someone is keen to be in your street team and what it means for them to be a representative of your act.
It’s also then worth incentivizing them for their efforts. Most street teams aren’t paid but are rewarded in other ways for these efforts.
These rewards usually come in the form of the following:
- Free gig entry
- Free merch
- Exclusive access to new material
- Meet & greet with band members
Giving exclusive rewards to those presenting you shows your gratitude for their help and also creates a lasting memory they will treasure long after a show.
How to form a street team
There are plenty of ways to form a street team. Even if you are a local band, you can find ways to create a small group of just one or two people.
You must consider how, why, and who would be best for the job. This way, you can guarantee that they will proudly represent your name.
As your act grows, you can think about more ways to expand this and make your street team more noticeable. So how do you form a street team?
Start small
For starting bands, having a street team is nothing but a pipedream. However, getting family and friends to spread the word isn’t. This in itself is a street team – even if unconventional.
Even if the audience is just 50 people, posting your best mate on the door wearing your shirt and handing a free flyer counts.
Giving those fans something to follow up on is getting your name out. If you put on a killer show afterward, those fans will pay close attention to what they have been handed.
Having that presence already gives you a leg up on others on the bill who might not have any representation. It’s a win-win to help boost your rep and your fanbase.
Persistency pays off
Don’t think a one-off street team will be enough to impact new fans directly. It won’t. Like any marketing tactic, it must be used and deployed repeatedly to be impactful.
The more fans a street team connects with, the higher chance more people will check out your act. As you go from gig to gig, having someone around with your merch and image makes an impact.
After a while, people will start talking. They’ll know who you are and what you are about. This may bring notoriety but it raises your profile. That is something that doesn’t just connect with fans. It makes industry experts notice too.
Whether it be promoters, bookers or talent scouts, they will always look to acts that are generating any hype or buzz.
It only takes your street rep to hand over one flyer with a killer tune to a hidden scout to open a new wealth of opportunities. And then things can take off.
How to find new street team members
One thing about a street team is that it evolves with your act. After you leave the local scene, having your friends and family around night after night won’t be possible.
It would be best to consider ways to expand and reach out to find fans willing to spread your name like wildfire. But how do you do just that?
Engage on social media
One great thing for bands is that social media makes fan interaction more accessible. Just posting on a platform opens up ways to direct comment with fans.
It’s also a great way to find people to join your street team. Social media can offer this in several different ways too. This could be through:
- Showing their knowledge of the band
- Competing in competitions
- Sharing and re-liking posts
Once you start interacting with fans, it indicates who the most passionate fans are and if they could be a good representative for your act.
You can also engage directly in conversations with fans to give an idea of what might be expected. If they seem up to the task, it’s worth giving them a chance.
Should you be going out on tour, you can also use this as a platform to find fans in the local area who want to represent you. If this is successful, you can be assured that you can have new reps at every show you go to.
Always reward their efforts
For fans, one of the most enticing parts of being on a street team is getting that reward for their efforts. And that is something you should always keep in mind.
It might be meeting their heroes or getting on the show’s guest list. There needs to be a reward for them representing you.
This should be established before the street team gets to work. Setting this up gives them an indication of what to expect and see if they are happy with representing you.
By giving them access to something no one else does, fans who are part of a street team will be more than willing to go the extra mile for your band.
This gives them the energy and enthusiasm to put your band over with new fans. A great opportunity that rewards both fans and your band alike.
A third-party opportunity?
In some cases, bands with a substantial profile may not be directly involved with a street team, depending on the campaign.
This usually happens when a record company looks to promote an act with new material, and no shows or promotional appearances are scheduled.
Instead, they will send out newsletters and emails to see if anyone is interested in working with them on a campaign.
Should fans sign up and show interest in certain acts or genres, then a marketing company will offer them the chance to represent a band on their behalf.
Once an agreement has been made, the flyers and promo gear can be mailed to spread to their area.
To entice fans to join the campaign, they will still be rewarded with exclusive rewards such as gig tickets or exclusive merch.
However, the same fans can be used to represent multiple bands over time instead of just solely repping just one act.
It’s an excellent form of mass advertising for record companies looking to tap into the demand of booming genres or talents. A tactic also used by venues and promoters too when the opportunity arises.
Why you need a street team
The answers are easy to see when it comes to learning why you need a street team. After all, fans connecting with fans brings a unique energy that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
You will find that fans will be willing to plug new material from your band primarily when it is based on something they are passionate about.
This plugs anything from a new record, new merch, or just opening the door to increasing your fan base. No matter if you have just a close friend or people you never met before, the impact is still worth the effort.
To entice fans to put in the effort, it’s always worth rewarding them for their efforts. By meeting them and giving them free gig access, the rewards are more than enough to appease your crew.
It’s never difficult to find fans willing to be on street teams. Social media sites and email newsletters make it easy to recruit new members, ensuring that you can always form a street team no matter where you tour.
Therefore, a street team benefits your act and your fans no matter where you go. It’s why you need a street team to keep your brand growing.