The Importance of Promoting Your Show

I'm sure this is not secret to anyone out there. Promoting your show is the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE SHOW. Getting your band ready, having a great merch booth, and learning how to throw your guitar around your body while your play is only cool if you've got people to play for.

I'm sure everyone is sick of playing for the same 25 people or else you wouldn't be reading this, so I'm going to list a few things you can do for your next show to get some more peeps through the door, and leave with a few new fans.

1. Flyers. Now 10, not 50, not even 100. I'm talking 4-500 flyers, everything Friday and Saturday night 2-3 weeks prior to the show. If nothing else this will help brand your band. I expect to take some heat for pushing flyering out their as many will say it's a dinosaur, but mark my words, you flyer it...and they will come.

2. Radio Advertising. This may be a little advanced for some of the bands out there, but having an advertisement on the radio for your show is a big help to get new fans. People think if something is on the radio it's a big deal. $4-500 should get a you a great package for the week or so before the gig. Investigate it, and if you've got a good ticket percentage/garuntee with the promoter, give it a shot...it may make the difference between $200 and $800 at the end of the night.

3. Social Networking. I've said it before and I'll say it again, MySpace and Facebook are two of your best assets. Use them. For more info check out my post on Social Networking/Marketing here.

4. Clubbing. This is what I call going to the club you are playing at and handing out free CD's and swag every Friday and Saturday 2-3 weeks prior to your gig. This is also a great way to see the other bands on the scene, as well as see what their draw is and how they operate. If you're a little weary about giving your CD away for free, let me ease your mind a bit. You are NEVER going to make a penny off your CD without fans, and until you have them you might as well give it away, or at least a sample of it away. And please, at the show don't make your disc more than $5. I'm not going to buy a band's album if it's got 8 songs and is $10, specially if it's my first time seeing them. Keep it cheap or go home with a full box of CD's.

5. Contests/Fan Interaction. If you've got at least a small fan base this is a great way to get them involved. Have them sell tickets for you. For the first fan to sell 5 tickets gets free entrance to the show and a free t-shirt. Get creative and give your fans a reason to come back, even after they've been to your show 5 times and you haven't written a new song in months.

The five ways listed above to promote your show is only a sample of the possibilities. Bands that make it get extremely good at promoting. At times it seems like too much work, but that's the game. It's sad but true, the next Led Zeppelin is in some basement in Your Town, USA...and no one will ever know about them because they have no idea the importance of promoting.OVER AND OUT.