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By Colin Marchon

The commercial landscape for musicians has undergone a tremendous change since the dawn of the internet. While musicians of all degrees of popularity now have a new and versatile medium for fostering an audience, monetizing on listeners has become a much harder task. The casual listener has become economically fruitless, engaging with music almost cost-free by listening to YouTube tracks, Spotify singles, and pirated albums.

For full-time musicians to pay rent, they need a modest but devoted group of what internet guru Kevin Kelly calls “True Fans” (a minimum of one thousand to be exact). They go to concerts, buy vinyl editions of their favorite albums, contribute to crowdfunding campaigns; they don’t just love the music, they love the musician.

For the modern working artist to foster this kind of devotion, going above and beyond to connect with fans across the globe is fundamental. Musicians have to bring their A-games on social media in a way other occupations don’t.

Here’s what brands and social media agencies can learn from them.