A very good stay present may be the engine that actually drives your music profession. Let’s make sure that persons are there to see it!
You place your coronary heart into your efficiency, however taking part in to 5 folks and a bartender may be soul-crushing. The issue isn’t your expertise or a perceived lack of skill, it’s the promotion.
Listed below are 7 action-oriented methods that can assist you fill the room, whether or not you’re taking part in a neighborhood gig or heading out on tour.
1. Announce the Present Like It’s an Occasion and Not a Gig
You should pique their curiosity and make them really feel like one thing distinctive or particular will occur.Don’t simply put up a flyer and say, “Come out in the event you’re free.”
As a substitute:
- Make it really feel like a celebration or milestone
- Use phrases like “One night time solely,” “This Friday goes to be wild,” or “You have to see what we’re bringing this time”
Takeaway: Individuals present up once they really feel like they’ll miss out in the event that they don’t.
2. Textual content Your Superfans Personally
DMs are good. Texts are higher.
“Hey! Enjoying [venue] on Friday [date] would like to see you there! Need me to place you on the record?”
Even when they’ll’t make it, the private contact builds loyalty. You can too embrace a fast teaser about WHY they need to come out for this specific present.
10 private invitations > 100 flyer reposts.
3. Collaborate With One other Act (Or Two)
Extra bands = extra attain. Even higher: choose acts from completely different scenes (like the following main metropolis) to cross-pollinate your audiences. If coordinated correctly and ALL the artists and bands promote the present, it may be an enormous win for everybody!
Bonus:
- Create a joint flyer that options everybody (not simply the headliner)
- Movie a fast “See you Friday!” video collectively
- Encourage every act to advertise prefer it’s their very own present (as a result of it’s)
- Within the final set, carry out a collaborative track with all of the acts from the night time
4. Use Countdown Posts the Week Earlier than
Don’t simply announce it as soon as, remind folks typically! The gravity on followers to remain dwelling and simply watch Netflix is robust. Use highlights from previous exhibits to advertise the upcoming present. It faucets into the concept that leaving the home is not going to solely be value it, it is going to be an expertise!
Submit one thing like:
- “7 days out” – rehearsal clip
- “5 days out” – throwback to an emotional present second
- “3 days to go” – throwback to a wild present second
- “Tomorrow night time!” – stage shot or new merch teaser
Takeaway: Repetition + momentum = attendance.
5. Make Your Poster Shareable
You want to give your followers (and normally the venue) the supplies that make it simple for them to share and do promotion for you. Static JPEGs of a cluttered flyer gained’t reduce it.
As a substitute:
- Make sq./vertical variations for IG Tales & Reels
- Embrace your face or band pic, not simply textual content
- Add a hyperlink QR code or easy link-in-bio information
- Use Canva or PosterMyWall to make it look 🔥
Takeaway: Good design = extra shares.
Sure, folks nonetheless test them on a weekly foundation. Particularly locals on the lookout for issues to do. This gained’t be the silver bullet that brings the followers out in droves, nevertheless it’s a part of the fundamentals that make it simpler for folks to recollect your present once they see it on all of the occasion calendars.
Strive:
- Fb Occasions (and native FB teams)
- Reddit metropolis subreddits
- Native alt-weekly or newspaper occasion listings
- Eventbrite, Bandsintown, DoStuff, Indie on the Transfer
Takeaway: It’s free visibility you’re most likely ignoring.
7. Supply a “Carry a Pal” Bonus
Nobody desires to go to a present alone, so flip your followers into your private live performance promoters.
Instance:
“Carry a buddy to the present and get a free sticker / pin / shoutout / entry to win a hoodie.”
It offers folks a motive to not come alone, which can enhance turnout and fan engagement.
Takeaway: Incentivize the conduct you need.
Don’t simply play the native scene, use it as a launch pad!
Your subsequent present doesn’t should be empty, however in the event you’re simply counting on the membership or venue to fill the room, likelihood is, you’re setting your self up for a foul night time. You simply must market it with the identical power and pleasure you set into your music. As a result of in the event you don’t imagine it’s value exhibiting up for, why would anybody else?
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