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Your first 10 Kollekt members are probably already in your DMs. This is about how to bring them in directly, which matters more than a public announcement — for your morale, for the vibe of the space, and for the credibility of anything you post to your wider fanbase next.

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What to know first

  • A close-circle launch outperforms a cold broadcast. Ten people who joined because you DM’d them personally will post in Chat, react to your Direct Line messages, and set the tone for everyone who joins later. Ten members from a cold Story will mostly stay silent.
  • The first 10 shape the community’s personality. If your close friends and most engaged fans are in first, the space feels warm. If your first members are strangers from a random Story view, it feels like an empty room with the lights on.
  • Don’t make it feel like a campaign. A DM that sounds like a marketing message gets ignored. A DM that sounds like you thinking of them works.

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Who to DM (in order of priority)

Aim for 10–20 DMs in the first 48 hours. Cast net from closest-out.
  1. Close friends who also follow your music. They’ll say yes because it’s you, not because of Kollekt.
  2. Top 5–10 engaged fans — whoever comments on your posts consistently, shares your stuff, shows up to every show. You already know who they are.
  3. Other artists and collaborators — peers who’d want to see your Kollekt, plus potentially feature what they’re doing in it.
  4. Supportive industry contacts — manager, label rep, publicist, anyone already rooting for you. Not for their subscription, for their presence.
  5. People who’ve bought something from you — Bandcamp customers, merch buyers, anyone who’s raised their hand with money before.

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DM templates by relationship

Steal and adapt. Keep them short.

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Close friend

Yo — made a Kollekt. kollekt.io/yourname. Join before I tell anyone else lol

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Engaged fan

Hey! You’ve been one of the most consistent people around my stuff for a while. Made a Kollekt where I’ll post things first — would mean a lot if you joined. kollekt.io/yourname

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Another artist / collaborator

Made a Kollekt. Putting everything in one place — Direct Line, Chat, subscription stuff eventually. Thought you’d want to see it: kollekt.io/yourname. Also if you ever want to collab on a drop, let’s talk.

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Industry contact

Small thing — made a Kollekt to centralize my fan community. Would be good to have you in the first group so you can see how it works: kollekt.io/yourname

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Bandcamp / merch buyer (if you have their email or DMs)

Hey, you bought [thing] from me — made a new space for fans called Kollekt where I post before anything else. Free to join, thought you’d want first access: kollekt.io/yourname

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Don’t

  • Don’t post in mass group chats. “Hey everyone, I’m on Kollekt!” dropped into a group chat with 40 people converts nobody and looks spammy.
  • Don’t fake scarcity. “First 10 people only!” or “limited-time offer!” sounds like a marketing email. Your invitation is already special because you sent it.
  • Don’t copy-paste the same DM to 20 people. Spend 90 seconds tailoring each one. The first sentence should reference something specific about them.
  • Don’t ask people to subscribe yet. Getting them in as free members is the move for the first 10. Subscription conversion comes later, after they’ve seen what the space is like.

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What to do when they join

  • Reply in your Direct Line, not in DMs. When the first member joins, post a welcome in your Direct Line. “Ok the first human is in. Hi Marc.” Low-key. Fans feel acknowledged, lurkers see the space is alive.
  • Ask them to say something in Chat. A DM back: “You’re in. Drop a hello in the Chat so it’s not just me in there.” Six words makes the space feel occupied.
  • Notice and respond to whoever posts first. Heart-react their message in Chat. Respond to what they said. Low-effort, high-signal.

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Signs it’s working

  • 5+ members in the first 24 hours from your DMs alone
  • First Chat messages within 48 hours — this is the real signal. If the Chat has activity in the first 2 days, the community is alive.
  • A couple of them message you back after joining — “this is cool, what is it?” That’s your cue to explain properly.

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What comes next

Once you’ve got your first 10, you’re ready to announce to the wider world. Close-circle fans joining early gives you two things for the broader announcement: proof the space isn’t empty when people arrive, and social proof (“[friend] is in this”) if your announcement mentions that.