Once you have booked your venue and have formulated a plan of action, you need to start promoting your gig. Promoting a music event is an adventure, as there is a lot of work that needs to be done in a small amount of time, but it is also very rewarding. Different events require different kinds of promotion. The following tips will guide you through the promotion process for smaller gigs.
Gather all your materials and make the contacts
Before you can start promoting your gig you need to make sure all the promotional materials including CDs, band bios and photos, posters for the show and a press kit are in place. Once all the material is in place you can start building a promotional package to send to local papers and radio stations that can advertise your gig. Make sure to include information about where/when the gig is, as well as the ticket price and some info about you, the artist. If you or your band is available for interviews in the time leading up to the show make sure to mention this in your press release.
Do the legwork
Granted that this may not be the most appealing part of the promotion process, but it cannot be avoided – you need to head out to the gig venue and to other places around town that allow posters to be put up and place yours front and center. If you want to ensure that your show is being promoted efficiently you need to either do the work yourself or enlist the services of a professional marketing team, at a cost of course.
Follow-ups!
As your gig draws closer it is important to keep the lines of communication with the media open. Send out a couple of emails to your mailing list reminding them of your show. You can even make some phone calls and see if you can get a local journalist to attend and provide feedback after the show. At the very least you need to make sure well in advance that the show will be listed in all the local gig guides and remember to send out another email on the day of the show to remind everyone one last time of what is happening.
Don't be afraid to ask for help
Promoting your gig may prove to be harder than you thought, especially if it is your first time trying your hand at it. If you find yourself buckling under the pressure don’t be afraid to enlist the help of family, friends or a seasoned events planner who will not only assist in the physical planning of your event but who will offer much needed moral support as well. Alternatively, invest in software designed to assist with event planning, it is guaranteed to be money well-spent.
Be realistic and don’t neglect your other duties
Sometimes you can promote and promote without any obvious success. All you can do is spread the word – you can’t unfortunately force people to attend your show. If you did everything you could to promote your show and the attendance is still poor you should re-evaluate not only your promotional strategies but your entire planning process as well. Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by having to promote your gig and neglect your other duties, such as practicing your set list, in the process. Set enough time aside for all the tasks you need to complete and stick to the schedule.
Music gigs will always be an important part of an artist or band’s career, especially when starting out, making it vitally important to never underestimate the power of a live music show. If you can garner enough local support at your gigs you will soon have the confidence to spread your wings and book a lengthy tour filled with gigs, fans and pure musical exhilaration.
Blog by Sally Writes