Hey Guys, coming from a music marketing background since the jurassic age, and seeing huge changes in the past few years...I'm curious to hear how some of you are: (A) Getting people to your gigs and (B) selling your product. It seems like not many people are sharing their experiences regarding this topic.
Great topic!
And where do people post their band info and tracks now that MySpace is dying?
We use Bandcamp to host our EPs, Facebook and Twitter for news/fan interaction and just started using Soundcloud to host demos/one offs.
My Space went out with the dinasaurs.
Reverbnation.com - I've got their music player plugged in directly to my own website and there have been five "plays" this morning.
http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk/html/listen_online.html
Get yourself a profile on every single free advertising space you can find.
Don't discount direct e-mail. Venues aren't so hot at replying to "I'm a musician looking for a gig" but I've had favourable response from some of the 400 Event and Wedding Planners I hit with direct e-mails last month. I asked them to add me to their suppliers' list; I got one mail about a possible booking next July and a few who said I sounded good - they went and had a listen so get some product out there for people to hear.
There's also a lot to be said for having a sign up in the front window of your house, and I have another on the back parcel shelf in the car.
"Letterbox drops" - flyers through the door - 200 dropped in my village (that's every house) - two phone calls, one new student.
Get some business cards done, some flyers, and some postcards to put through doors. I use these guys for all my printing and sometimes they offer me free stuff (postage only) :
And my cousin will do graphic design for you (she did a great job on the Essex Guitar Orchestra brochures the other year) - tell her I sent sent you:
And the most important point - if someone replies, make sure you get back to them PDQ.
Marketing yourself is not a "half hour on the PC a couple of times a week" thing, it's a non-stop thing that takes up 50% of your available time.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Great topic!
And where do people post their band info and tracks now that MySpace is dying?
Facebook's a good site to post links on....you don't have to restrict yourself to a personal page, you can also create a band or music page. I've mentioned it before, but now that MySpace is "dying," it might be a good idea to expand the "GN Member MySpace/ Soundclick little black book page" at the top of the Opinions & Polls forum to include Facebook band/personal pages....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Was going to post these a little while ago (well, the older one anyway). I'm not in a band so not sure how relevant these are, but BBC 6Music blog articles about getting your band noticed online:
Approaching websites (maybe also good advice for approaching venues).
Making the most of the internet.
But these is a bit web centric, it's easy to forget lots of people still don't really do the internet, so Alan's burn shoe-leather advice is important.
Great topic!
And where do people post their band info and tracks now that MySpace is dying?
Facebook's a good site to post links on .... it might be a good idea to expand the "GN Member MySpace/ Soundclick little black book page" at the top of the Opinions & Polls forum to include Facebook band/personal pages....
:D :D :D
Vic
And you can set it all up so you don't have to visit each individual site to do updates. My Reverbnation updates automatically feed my Facebook, Facebook Band, Twitter and MySpace pages.
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Was going to post these a little while ago (well, the older one anyway). I'm not in a band so not sure how relevant these are, but BBC 6Music blog articles about getting your band noticed online:
Approaching websites (maybe also good advice for approaching venues).
Making the most of the internet.
But these is a bit web centric, it's easy to forget lots of people still don't really do the internet, so Alan's burn shoe-leather advice is important.
Yo Imalone, great info .... especially the stuff about blogging. I hope many bands see your post!
Hey Guys, coming from a music marketing background since the jurassic age, and seeing huge changes in the past few years...I'm curious to hear how some of you are: (A) Getting people to your gigs and (B) selling your product. It seems like not many people are sharing their experiences regarding this topic.
Write a hit...
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
