7 Ways To Better Connect With Your Audience
Treat your followers like Billy Joel treats his concertgoers.
We can learn a lot from the Piano Man.
I went to my first Billy Joel concert recently and in addition to a great show, it was a master class on how to connect with an audience.
No matter whether your audience connects with you in a stadium or in their Facebook feed, there’s a lot to be learned from what Billy did on a warm Los Angeles night.
1. Share your backstory.
One of the first things Billy talked about on stage was his background — specifically his connection to Dodger Stadium, where he was performing for the first time in his life.
He talked about growing up as a Brooklyn Dodgers fan until they left for Los Angeles. Then, he looked around at the stadium and joked, “So, this is where they ended up?”
He later shared a memory of coming to Dodgers Stadium in the 1970s to watch Elton John perform and how surreal it was to now be on that same stage.
Both stories may seem like random stage banter, but a closer look reveals they serve a greater purpose.
By sharing his personal backstory Billy drew the audience into his world and established a context for why this show mattered— it wasn’t just another road gig, it was special. And that made the audience feel special.
His Elton John story also sent a message to the crowd that he’s not that different from them.
He has stood where they stand now and remembers what it’s like to be the audience instead of the star. Deep down, we’re all the same.
Sharing your backstory is a great way to connect with your audience.
It can be a foundational element to what you create and give your followers context to understand why it matters to you — and why it should matter to them.
2. Invite your audience to influence your work.
During the concert Billy would occasionally name two songs and ask the crowd to vote for which one they wanted him to play. Essentially, he crowdsourced the set list.
That’s more than just a fun gimmick.
It enables customization of the show, ensures each show is unique (different crowds may choose different songs), and gives the audience a sense of ownership of the experience.
By creating a way for the audience to influence the show, Billy makes them feel like an active participant in it. It’s not his show, it’s now our show.
The same can be applied to our own creations. You can bring your audience into the fold, enable them to influence your creations, and make them feel a part of it.
The more your audience feels a sense of ownership of your creations, the more likely they are to enjoy them, connect with them, and tell others about them.
3. Surprise your audience.
There were no shortage of memorable moments in the concert, but you know what most people talked about afterwards? The surprises.
Two surprise guest appearances — one from Pink who joined Billy to sing “New York State of Mind” and one from Axl Rose who joined on “Big Shot” and to cover the AC/DC classic “Highway to Hell” (talk about a surprise!).
It’s no shock these guest appearances stuck with the audience because they were both unexpected.
And the unexpected gets noticed.
It’s one thing to satisfy our audience, but it’s another to surprise them.
4. Collaborate and share the spotlight.
The appearances by Pink and Axl Rose were more than just a cool surprise — they were also acts of generosity.
They demonstrated Billy’s willingness to share the attention and shine his spotlight on others for the benefit of the show and his audience.
He realizes that just because it’s a Billy Joel show doesn’t mean it has to be ONLY about Billy Joel and he’s willing to put his audience above his ego.
This is important to remember when you try to connect with your own audience.
Just because your audience cares about you and what you create doesn’t mean they aren’t equally interested in the creations of others.
Share things you think your audience will enjoy. Lend your platform to others you think deserve it.
Your goal is to serve your audience, not to use your audience to serve yourself.
5. Curate your influences.
People are interested in what you’re interested in and can be influenced by that which influences you.
You can’t be afraid to curate our influences and incorporate them into what you do.
(I take this to heart on a weekly basis.)
That’s exactly what Billy Joel did through several cover songs he incorporated into his set. He played songs by Elton John, Led Zeppelin, and the Eagles among others and the crowd ate it up.
Fans love seeing artists perform cover songs in part because they appreciate them sharing their influences.
You can find ways to do the same in your own work.
When you share your influences with your audience, you draw your audience deeper into your world and strengthen your shared bond.
6. Embrace your mistakes.
At one point, about 30 seconds into a song, Billy realized it didn’t sound good so he stopped.
“That was an authentic rock n’ roll fuck up,” he said, noting that the mistake proved what they were doing was real and not some lip-synched show.
Mistakes happen. That’s what makes your creations real and what makes them interesting.
Your mistakes humanize your creations and connect your audience to you. You must embrace them.
Nobody connects to perfect because nobody is perfect.
So stop trying to be.
7. Play a long game.
Billy played for almost three hours to a packed Dodger Stadium crowd, despite having not released a pop album in more than 20 years.
It’s a testament to his staying power and the connection he’s built with his fans.
He’s done it by playing the long game — not looking for shortcuts or obsessing over instant fame.
He focused on his craft and delivering to his audience. As a result, his audience has stayed with him on a journey that’s lasted decades.
That’s the approach you must take with your own audience.
What will your relationship with them be in five years? 10? 20?
How can you nourish it so fans come along for the ride?
If you focus on that instead of worrying about how to go viral, you’ll wind up a lot better for it in the end.
As Billy sings in the song “Vienna…”
“Slow down, you’re doing fine. You can’t be everything you want to be before your time.”
Want more tips to produce, promote, and profit from your creations?
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