An excellent stay present will be the engine that really drives your music profession. Let’s ensure persons are there to see it!
You place your coronary heart into your efficiency, however taking part in to 5 individuals and a bartender will be soul-crushing. The issue isn’t your expertise or a perceived lack of means, it’s the promotion.
Listed here are 7 action-oriented methods that will help you fill the room, whether or not you’re taking part in an area gig or heading out on tour.
1. Announce the Present Like It’s an Occasion and Not a Gig
You could 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 should 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 after 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 checklist?”
Even when they will’t make it, the non-public contact builds loyalty. You can too embody 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: decide acts from completely different scenes (like the subsequent main metropolis) to cross-pollinate your audiences. If coordinated correctly and ALL the artists and bands promote the present, it may be a giant 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 music 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 individuals typically! The gravity on followers to remain house and simply watch Netflix is robust. Use highlights from previous reveals to advertise the upcoming present. It faucets into the concept that leaving the home won’t solely be price it, it will likely be an expertise!
Put up 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
That you must give your followers (and often the venue) the supplies that make it simple for them to share and do promotion for you. Static JPEGs of a cluttered flyer received’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, individuals nonetheless verify them on a weekly foundation. Particularly locals searching for issues to do. This received’t be the silver bullet that brings the followers out in droves, but it surely’s a part of the fundamentals that make it simpler for individuals to recollect your present after 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. Provide 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 good friend to the present and get a free sticker / pin / shoutout / entry to win a hoodie.”
It provides individuals a purpose to not come alone, which can improve turnout and fan engagement.
Takeaway: Incentivize the habits you need.
Don’t simply play the native scene, use it as a launch pad!
Your subsequent present doesn’t must be empty, however should 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 have to put it up for sale with the identical vitality and pleasure you set into your music. As a result of should you don’t imagine it’s price exhibiting up for, why would anybody else?
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