Music fans love you. And if they don’t love you now, they soon will. By its very nature, music creates a sense of deep emotional connection between the creator and the listener. Knowing how to tap into that sense of connection via your music marketing strategy can help set the foundation for long-term loyalty and fantastic engagement. Here’s how to leverage parasocial relationships in a healthy, mutually beneficial way…

What’s a ‘parasocial relationship’?

According to Psychology Today, a parasocial relationship is a one-sided relationship “in which a person develops a strong sense of connection, intimacy, or familiarity with someone they don’t know, most often celebrities or media personalities. These relationships exist only in the mind of the individual, who experiences a bond despite the lack of reciprocity.”

It’s thought that parasocial relationships date back as far as ancient Rome and stem from our natural inclination to feel warmth and affection for the faces we see most often in daily life. They’re also thought to act as low-stakes relationships that offer fun and excitement without the burden of reciprocity.  

Although they were originally considered harmful, modern psychologists have revised their view and now see parasocial relationships as normal, with research indicating that they improve well-being by providing companionship. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be dangerous, exploitative, or harmful when handled without caution (we’ll get to that in a bit).

Why parasocial relationships are marketing gold

Emotional connection

Music is a profoundly personal medium and is emotionally charged by the creator and the listener — songs can follow a person through their entire lifetime, score an epic love story, bring comfort in times of grief, or be pure nostalgia. Feeling connected with that song’s creator can make it even more precious.

Tribalism

Music is a potent form of modern-day tribalism. Your band shirt, listening habits, and vinyl collection are powerfully suggestive of who you are and how you identify. Following your favourite artists on social media and having that deep knowledge of the music, the techniques, the creative process, and even a few fun facts about band members can add to someone’s status within that tribe.

Use responsibly

Letting the general public into your life can lead them to feel entitled to you. It also holds ethical concerns and can veer dangerously into exploitative territory. Set firm boundaries with yourself before making this kind of marketing content. For example, knowing what you’d like to keep private and how you’ll set the standard in your fandom for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. Will you have a code of ethics to adhere to when asking for support? Don’t delve into a parasocial marketing plan without doing this groundwork first.

5 ways to leverage parasocial relationships in your music marketing

1.    Stream your solo practices

Practice streams are part behind-the-scenes content and part geek-off sesh. They open a door between you and your fans, allowing them to see how you practice, which instruments you like to use, the practice strategy you follow…the list goes on. It’s not just a great way to form connections with music fans — you can also earn good money from live streams if you really hone your skills! At one time, Trivium’s Matt Heafy was making more money from Twitch than he was from his band.

2.    Give insider tours

Humans are nosey creatures at heart. We love to see other people’s habits, homes, and routines, so why not give the people what they want? Film posts about your favourite instrument and the story behind it. Show your set-up and talk people through the kit and the settings. You could even do a ‘pack for tour with me’ or ‘get ready to go on stage with me’ video (it worked for Billie Eilish!) and give fans a glimpse into your world.

3.    Show your relationship dynamics

Fans love to see their favourite music artist’s relationships with other people — be that band mates, loved ones, or other fans. It helps reveal your personality and authentic social dynamics, which gives fans a more complete picture of who you are beyond your music. You can explore this by hopping on social media trends that involve groups of people, or by interviewing each other in casual settings.

4.    Interact with comments

Would you bother commenting under someone’s post if you knew they’d never see or respond to it? Didn’t think so. Try to make a habit of replying to some of the early comments under any post you make — fans are likely to notice the trend and may prioritise being one of the first to comment in future. As a result, you get maximum engagement during the first critical hours after posting, making it more likely you’ll get picked up in the algorithm. Comments also give insight into what your fans want and provide a ton of new content opportunities, so don’t waste them!

5.    Duets and collaborations

Want to take your fan engagement even further? Make a post inviting people to create with you. Give them a guitar riff, drum groove, or vocal melody and invite them to duet it. Alternatively, use the search function or hashtags to find people who are already covering your stuff or tracks you like, then hop in and add to the mix. Moby did this recently and people ate that shit up.

At the end of the day, your most powerful marketing tool is the genuine human connection your music already creates. Using it strategically isn’t just the fastest route to success; it’s the lifeblood of a sustainable music career. Use it wisely!