GESTSIGNED.COM PRESENTS IN THE TRENCHES HANDS-ON ARTIST MANAGEMENT You just booked the fat gig. You are a
hero again, or at least the band has stopped cursing you to your face.
This is cool -- wouldn't it be really nice to have this feeling all
the time? The only way you can sustain your new status is by making
this and every important gig as successful as possible. A successful
gig on a limited (or nonexistent) budget is quite a magic trick, and
it can only happen through smart, efficient promotion. Promoting a show
is doing whatever it takes to put people in the seats. Some traditional
tactics include radio and print advertising or feature stories, flyers,
and posters. For regional acts with an established fanbase, newsletters,
e-mail, web sites, and telephones are all important tools. There are a million ways to make people
aware of your event, but if they are not receptive to your product,
you are wasting your time and money. Define your target market and focus
your efforts toward it: ask yourself if what you're doing is getting
the biggest bang for your promotional buck. And remember, time is money
when you are taking time away from a day job to get everything just
right. Free press is sometimes just a phone call away. If you can make
your event newsworthy in the eyes of the press, you've got it made.
To get recognition from the news media, your event needs to have an
impact on the community beyond just the event itself. One band we work
with, Sixth Floor, was able to attract significant regional television
and newspaper coverage because they were producing and hosting very
successful all-ages shows drawing record crowds for an event of its
type. The grass-roots aspects of the concerts obviously appealed to
the regional mainstream and entertainment press, and allowed us to make
each new show even more successful when we combined our free advertising
with targeted promotional techniques. A few examples of basic promotional
techniques, some of which are pretty obvious, include: 1. Place posters and flyers in high-visibility
locations where your target audience frequents. Use your imagination
-- bathroom stalls are great places for an imaginative flyer. Make sure
you're not violating any littering laws, and then paper the town. Check
that your flyers are still up in a few days, and stick to the places
that work. Also, distribute stacks of small, pocket-size flyers that
list all your upcoming shows, retail outlets for your product, and contact
information for the band. 2. Prepare monthly or pre-gig mailings
and e-mail to your entire mailing list. E-mail is a highly effective
way to stay in touch, so use it whenever you can. Hint: steal e-mail
addresses from other bands, radio stations, or venues who send e-mail
to you, but be sure to get approval from them first. You couldn't ask
for a better source of potential fans: these are people who have similar
interests and want to stay informed. 3. Begin a thorough telephone campaign
a week or two prior to the gig. A personal phone call (especially from
the band members) is the most effective way to draw people out to shows
and maintain a great relationship with your fan base. Fans love to hear
directly from the band--it is vital that you stay in touch with them,
because they are ultimately financing your career. 4. Don't forget that other regional bands
interested in working with you or playing the venue you've booked are
prime target customers, and can really help your draw if you work together.
The key to successful promotion is a group effort. Each member of the
organization, especially the band, is responsible for promoting each
gig, and everyone should assume his portion of the responsibility. The
band members, management, and a couple friends can reach so many more
people than just the management alone. Use your human resources effectively:
divide up the work of promotion. The success of the gig is directly related
to the amount of combined effort the organization puts into it. Don't
believe it? Try it. Six people can hang six times more flyers than one,
which might be seen by six times more people.... There is strength in
numbers, especially in promotion. Despite your best efforts, many gigs
will fail. Many variables (such as weather) which are beyond your control
can affect a concert's draw. Make sure you know the difference between
these variables and honest mistakes. Learn from the mistakes and do
not allow them to affect your outlook. As an artist manager, you must
have total confidence and a positive attitude 100% of the time. Don't
let problems grind things to a halt -- keep working, because success
makes everyone happy (usually). Scott Curtis and Janet Johnson are co-founders
of Curtis Johnson Entertainment, an entertainment consulting and production
company in _________________________________________________________________________________ |