Promoting Your Next Show!

Lets say you have a concert in two weeks. How would you normally advertise such a thing? Word of mouth? Handbills? Posters on phone poles? Ads in newspapers? Text messages to your friends? Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Posts? An email blast? Writing a blog post?

Self promotion can be a lot of work. Sometimes all we have time for is a few email reminders, a post on MySpace and a text message on the day of the show.

Given the limited time and energy you have to advertise for a gig, what’s the most effective way to spend your energy?

Lets flash forward to the night of your show. You’re staring at your audience from the stage. The room is packed. They’re all smiling back at you–hanging on your every word.

But how did they get here? Do you recognize any of them? Are they co-workers, family members and friends? These are usually the people that cheer the loudest (so make sure they show up and make you look good). What about the others you don’t recognize? Are they here to see YOU or the group that plays after you?

There’s a couple standing in the front row. They look familiar.
Let’s imagine their conversation a few hours earlier:

John: Isn’t there something going on tonight? Ryan gave me a handbill, but I lost it.
Sarah: Yeah there’s a show–Blankety Blank is playing. Someone posted on Facebook.
John: Blankety Blank. Oh right, Ryan said they’re really fun live show
Sarah: Joan told me she loves ‘Blankety Blank.’
John: *click, click, click* Their website says it starts at 8pm. They’re playing with the So and So’s and they’re giving away free jello shots
Sarah: I’ve always wanted to see the So and Sos.
John: I love Jello shots. Let’s go.

Now here’s an example of how it probably never happens:

(John and Sarah walking down the street. John stops and looks at poster-plastered telephone pole.)
John: Look. Salami Sandwhich is playing at Dinos.
Sarah: Who’s Salami Sandwich?
John: Never heard of them.
Sarah: You wanna go?
John: Yes. I love going to see bands I’ve never heard of based on telephone pole advertising.

Now the difference between these two scenarios is two-fold:

The first conversation suggests that John and Sarah have received recommendations from trusted sources (Authorities) as well as repeated exposure to the upcoming event (Familiarity).  It’s the combo of these two aspects of promotion that succeed in getting them to the show.

Authorities

Whose opinion would you trust more: a friend or a telephone pole? People who have never heard of your music group are not going to come to your concert unless an authoritative source has offered them a good reason to.   In some cases this authority might be you.

Your best bet for getting new people out to your concerts is to encourage your die-hard friends and fans to spread the word. In the first example above, John and Sarah hadn’t actually listened to Blankety Blank but they both had friends who recommended the show and therefore decided to check it out. Respected newspapers and magazines also have authoritative power so make sure to submit your concert dates to your local weekly’s and newspapers.

Make sure that you invite your biggest fans first. If your biggest fans are your Aunt Suzie and your kid brother, that’s ok. Invite them! Ask them to bring a friend. Ask them to spread the word. Invite them to post about your show on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace.

Do you have any friends who’s opinion you trust unfailingly on certain subjects? Do you always ask Terry about hair products or Pat about computers? There are music fans out there, taste-makers, people who other people listen too. These are the best fans to have. Bribe them, massage them, give them free stuff. They will repay you in bringing more fans.

Familiarity

It’s good to get in people’s heads through different mediums. In the first example, John and Sarah had heard about the show through word of mouth, a handbill and on Facebook. If you’re anything like me, you often forget about concerts you’d like to go to unless you get multiple, different reminders.  So yes, making posters, handbills, posting on all your social networks, blogging and doing everything else you can think of can be very beneficial. But only if you are reaching the right people and places. Posting your metal show poster on the conservatory’s bulletin board may not create positive results.

Who listens to the kind of music you like? Where do they eat,  sleep and play? What social networks do they use? Target these places first.

Unless you have all the time in the world, you must focus your marketing efforts. Even if it’s just a gig at a hole in the wall, smart promotion can make for a killer show.  Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Figure out what works best and improve on it.  Try using incentives to get people to come to your shows. Give your biggest fan 5 free tickets to the gig. Offer free t-shirts, stage a raffle, a dance contest, a giveaway.

Lastly, don’t be discouraged.  Anybody who’s ever set foot on stage in front of screaming fans has also had a crumby gig on the wrong day of the week when nobody showed up.