Promoting a Gig Without Social Media?
- Thread starter JoeVermont
- Start date
Redbeard
Senior Member
Definitely partner with the venue for promotion. When I'm not playing, I check the social media pages of local venues each week to help decide where to go. Often I'll see the name of a band that I've heard of but don't follow (or one I haven't heard of), so I wouldn't know where they're playing if not for the venue advertising it.
River19
Senior Member
Not all social media is created equally.
Meaning that I somehow got sucked into moderating a community (town area) FB group and there are 8,000 people in that group that need babysitting.....a post in THAT group for a local band appearing at one of the local watering holes gets right at the folks that are local enough to actually go and were probably looking for an excuse to choose one bar over another that week as it was just a matter of which one. All you need is like 250 of those folks to pack up a normal sized watering hole......
So a friend network is "fine" and all but unless they are all geographically concentrated who gives a shit if someone on the other coast likes and comments on the link.......
So leveraging the venues Social Media page to blast out the upcoming entertainment along with your vid/pic/link etc. is key then approach the local chamber of commerce social media folks, the community/town page etc.
Meaning that I somehow got sucked into moderating a community (town area) FB group and there are 8,000 people in that group that need babysitting.....a post in THAT group for a local band appearing at one of the local watering holes gets right at the folks that are local enough to actually go and were probably looking for an excuse to choose one bar over another that week as it was just a matter of which one. All you need is like 250 of those folks to pack up a normal sized watering hole......
So a friend network is "fine" and all but unless they are all geographically concentrated who gives a shit if someone on the other coast likes and comments on the link.......
So leveraging the venues Social Media page to blast out the upcoming entertainment along with your vid/pic/link etc. is key then approach the local chamber of commerce social media folks, the community/town page etc.
DrumEatDrum
Platinum Member
^
This.
My business (non-music related) grew 89% in 2020 and 123% in 2021 on social media marketing. Not paid social media, just use of free social media.
To think you can promote much of anything these days without social media is ludicrous.
JoeVermont
Well-known Member
The people I had in mind when I generated the post are leaving Social entirely, not just going elsewhere - namely privacy concerns. I've thought of leaving FB but things that keep me there are family posts, band promotion, and a really good Yamaha drum group.
From my day job in radio and TV I can say email marketing has been and remains strong. Oddly, paper snail mail marketing has made a HUGE comeback this year (cuts through the noise). I think on site marketing - posters - is a smart move. One of the other bands at a club where we play leaves handbills on the tables with their schedule for the next several months. That seems like a smart idea.
SmoothOperator
Gold Member
Set up your own blog? I abstain from social media, career choice, nothing good happens on Facebook or Twitter.
I will say though, I find that social media is a dual edge sword. EG the same people who are providing a content delivery platform are trying to get your fans glued to their screen and will in general control your audience. Seems like I recall a hand drum group that sort of died when they went to social media, if you know what I mean.
There are plenty of Social Media alternatives though: Meetups, Nextdoor, etc.
I will say though, I find that social media is a dual edge sword. EG the same people who are providing a content delivery platform are trying to get your fans glued to their screen and will in general control your audience. Seems like I recall a hand drum group that sort of died when they went to social media, if you know what I mean.
There are plenty of Social Media alternatives though: Meetups, Nextdoor, etc.
No Way Jose
Silver Member
A poster on the bulletin board or front door of a venue is still the best advertising. Better than internet, because the people reading the poster are customers, know where the venue is and want to go there. Make sure the poster has a picture of the band on it.
Cmdr. Ross
Platinum Member
I'm trying to grasp how to use other platforms besides Facebook, to our advantage. (yes, I'm old) Seems most venues (bars, clubs) that we play at can't be bothered to even make a Facebook post to promote their own venues, or at least who is playing there. I'm reasonably certain they won't be doing IG, or Twitter, or anything else...
I guess I don't get it. If I'm to create an IG account, for instance, won't I need to go attracting friends, followers, (whatever they use to describe users) in order to get my posts there seen by anyone? I'm not certain that i know many folks that will use another platfrm and not at least maintain a Facebook account. I'm not against using other platforms, so long as it reaches people we don't already reach. Again I/we are old, and our primary audiences are certainly middle aged at least, so perhaps this stuff doesn't really apply to us.
I guess I don't get it. If I'm to create an IG account, for instance, won't I need to go attracting friends, followers, (whatever they use to describe users) in order to get my posts there seen by anyone? I'm not certain that i know many folks that will use another platfrm and not at least maintain a Facebook account. I'm not against using other platforms, so long as it reaches people we don't already reach. Again I/we are old, and our primary audiences are certainly middle aged at least, so perhaps this stuff doesn't really apply to us.
SmoothOperator
Gold Member
I agree. I am sitting at a coffee shop looking at a new restaurant that opened. It has "live music" stenciled on the window, I hadn't seen this in my area in a while. I went in the other day and asked about the band. They said Thursday and Friday are booked, but they wouldn't tell me who even after talking to the manager/owner. Looked at their website nothing.
No band start times or anything. Makes it tough to set aside time. No, I am not going to go there for the overpriced drinks, just to find out the band doesn't start until 10:00pm.
flamateurhour
Active Member
Email still seems to be the best direct marketing, but requires some kind of audience member to email list conversion, whether that's at show collection or some sort of business.facebook targeted marketing/fan finding. We largely use it for retention and interaction with already existing fans. I'm also planning to shift somewhat towards Patreon since Jack Conte was kind enough to integrate Discord com which is super rad. I'm going to try that on for size since the Metaverse is evil.
My band's vision might not be totally aligned with most groups though. Kind of an aside but still relevant - my goal is to slow down on expanding tour routes and really focus on building and strengthening community in our existing markets and then expand slowly. Really leaning towards smaller spaces and investing in a smaller pool of more dedicated lead users rather than trying to pack venues and sell tickets. I don't know if this will be as financially lucrative, but my band and I have discussed it and have agreed that we'd rather seek community and really invest our time in the individuals that seem to love us a lot instead of the shotgun method of trying to attract as many bugs to a lightbulb as possible. That being said, it's my experience that dedicated fans will literally buy every merch option you have. Not to be transactional about it but one good fan has the buying power of a ton of casually interested audience members. Basket size, baby.
My band's vision might not be totally aligned with most groups though. Kind of an aside but still relevant - my goal is to slow down on expanding tour routes and really focus on building and strengthening community in our existing markets and then expand slowly. Really leaning towards smaller spaces and investing in a smaller pool of more dedicated lead users rather than trying to pack venues and sell tickets. I don't know if this will be as financially lucrative, but my band and I have discussed it and have agreed that we'd rather seek community and really invest our time in the individuals that seem to love us a lot instead of the shotgun method of trying to attract as many bugs to a lightbulb as possible. That being said, it's my experience that dedicated fans will literally buy every merch option you have. Not to be transactional about it but one good fan has the buying power of a ton of casually interested audience members. Basket size, baby.
What seems a blind spot for most is that a social media post can lead to negative reaction....or be a tool of someone who wants to sabotage your efforts.
I suggest setting up your own web site and stay out from under the thumb of politically/financially driven stupidity.(no Takedown that you must honor since your social media platform does not want to protect you from such potential stupidity)
I don't suggest accepting posting from those that show up...allow that to occur elsewhere...complexity is too much unless you want to do it as a living.
If you want to sell, use something else as well(security/tracking...blech...ever wanted to have a second job?)...but for your publicity, your own read only page is freeing. Keep it up to date!!
I also suggest saturation...so muti-formatted advertisement is advisable...and paper posters DO continue to get looked at in the age of the internet...now with less competition because other advertisers don't want the effort anymore.(I'm not seeing the massive walls of flyers anymore like i used to see...seems a lost opportunity)
I suggest setting up your own web site and stay out from under the thumb of politically/financially driven stupidity.(no Takedown that you must honor since your social media platform does not want to protect you from such potential stupidity)
I don't suggest accepting posting from those that show up...allow that to occur elsewhere...complexity is too much unless you want to do it as a living.
If you want to sell, use something else as well(security/tracking...blech...ever wanted to have a second job?)...but for your publicity, your own read only page is freeing. Keep it up to date!!
I also suggest saturation...so muti-formatted advertisement is advisable...and paper posters DO continue to get looked at in the age of the internet...now with less competition because other advertisers don't want the effort anymore.(I'm not seeing the massive walls of flyers anymore like i used to see...seems a lost opportunity)
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Seafroggys
Silver Member
For what its worth, I have never paid attention to any poster advertising a show or gig.
SmoothOperator
Gold Member
I agree. Twitter especially seems to be a tool for celebrities with money to control the narrative. EG they have legions of meat bots twitting away crushing new entrants.
KEEF
Senior Member
I too am old.....but I use FB (only for promoting the band) I post an event mid week before the gig and another short post on the morning of the gig itself. We have about a thousand 'followers' and get maybe 50 likes on a post. I don't know how effective it is in getting people to actually turn up on the night but for the time it takes to do, its no hassle.
I also send hard copy flyers to every venue about 3 weeks before we're due to play, for them to use (or not) as they wish. Most do put them up. It's aimed at the people who are there watching the bands in the week(s) before.
Some venues do nothing more than hand written scrawl on a chalkboard outside - its frustrating - we don't want to play to an empty venue anymore than the venue wants to pay us to play to an empty venue - but if they're not willing to put any effort into advertising then that's their loss - we're getting paid either way.
I also send hard copy flyers to every venue about 3 weeks before we're due to play, for them to use (or not) as they wish. Most do put them up. It's aimed at the people who are there watching the bands in the week(s) before.
Some venues do nothing more than hand written scrawl on a chalkboard outside - its frustrating - we don't want to play to an empty venue anymore than the venue wants to pay us to play to an empty venue - but if they're not willing to put any effort into advertising then that's their loss - we're getting paid either way.
Just a word on posters, 5 years ago I was on a week's holiday in Benalmadena on the Costa Del Sol when I saw the attached poster. My wife isn't a fan but she agreed it could be a good night, and it was. We more than paid our way at the bar, the band were great and we went back a few days later for their Halloween Punk show. Yes we were in holiday mode but if that poster hadn't been put up I would have never known.
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cbphoto
Diamond Member
In 1978 there was this small ad in the San Fransisco Chronicle classifieds section. It said something to the effect of, “Craig Smith’s Late Night Show will have local band Journey as their musical guest. Taping starts at noon at the such-and-such theater.”
No other announcements were made.
My roommate & I took a bus to the venue and there was a long line. Admission was free and it was a legit taping of a tv show. Ansley Dunbar was still their drummer and they were introducing their new singer Steve Perry. They rocked hard and the host couldn’t stop them from playing more than the obligatory two songs. After the fourth or fifth tune they cut the power to the stage.
No other announcements were made.
My roommate & I took a bus to the venue and there was a long line. Admission was free and it was a legit taping of a tv show. Ansley Dunbar was still their drummer and they were introducing their new singer Steve Perry. They rocked hard and the host couldn’t stop them from playing more than the obligatory two songs. After the fourth or fifth tune they cut the power to the stage.
I'm seeing the same thing. The sort of people who would actually go out to see a band aren't on social media, or not much. Some of us work at a desk all day, so we visit SM on company time. But music fans who have real jobs work during the day and have other things to do at night than sit and stare at a screen. How best to reach those people?