Rock Your Gig into Something Big
You are a rocker, an actor, a singer, or a starlet with big dreams of performing in front of the bright lights. So, let's say you have lined up that big gig (AKA "show" or "event") the one to showcase your talents to prospective investors and producers.
Now, all you have to do is sell out your show and deliver an awesome performance to land your big deal, right?
In today's economic climate, everyone wants to see more before making any decision involving money. Not only are prospective investors and producers searching for great talent, they want to look at the level of buzz that exists leading up to the gig, on the day of the gig, and after the gig is over.
The good news is that with a vast number of tools at your disposal, there are a variety of actions you can take as an artist, can do on your own, without hiring a firm -- to give yourself the best chances to open those doors to real deal-making success.
If the buzz is on fire before and after you gig, then you will be able to negotiate things in your favor. As such, here are some actionable ideas you can do to rock your gig into something BIG.
Before the Gig
1. Shareable information: Make sure every e-mail, website, or marketing flyer/mailer includes clear and simple directions on how the reader can share the news of you and your gig with others.
2. Functional website: If you include an e-mail address of a contact person within your materials, please make sure that the domain name of the e-mail address is a real functioning website.
3. Email address collection: Collect e-mail addresses and track the number of new e-mail addresses you add. If your prospective investors and producers can see that your e-mail subscription rate is increasing, then they will see this as a positive sign. You can collect e-mail addresses on your website and on day of sales.
4. Rally your forces and get everyone to promote the gig: Develop one marketing e-mail and flyer and make sure that your performers, musicians, producers, directors, and sponsors are all sending out the same email and flyer.
5. Create a Twitter hashtag for your event: A hashtag is a shorthand way of naming your gig. Let's say your show is called "The Tower of Pisa: The Musical". Perhaps your hashtag could be "#TowerPisaMusical or "#TPMusical". A real-life example is #sxsw11 which is the hashtag for the recently-held "South by Southwest Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.
Creating a hashtag makes it easier for producers, investors, and even reporters to search for things being said about your event.
6. Be sure to publicize the Twitter accounts: If your main performers have Twitter accounts (AKA a "Twitter handle") then absolutely promote it! Make sure this information is on all materials before, during, and after the gig. This makes it much easier for audience members to tweet about your gig and the audience members spend less time trying to locate the correct Twitter handle to use.
7. Line up bloggers and friends to write about the event: Encourage your contacts to blog about your gig. Avoid the "pay to blog" route. The blog post is always more credible when it is written by someone who writes because s/he is passionate about the topics and not because s/he was paid to write and or received some perk/meal/gift -- you get the picture . If you can't avoid the "pay to blog" route, then make sure the blogger looks up the current conflict of interest disclosure rules and strictly follows them.
8. Line up photographers and videographers to capture the event: If you have no pictures or video of the event, then did it really happen? Ask a few friends to photo/videotape the event and post pictures on Flickr or Facebook or YouTube. Make sure to tag these materials appropriately - remember those hashtags? Also have your blogging friends reference these images and videos in their blogs, too. Be sure to acknowledge the photographer and videographer.
9. Recruit organizations to help you sell tickets: Give every marketing organization a separate promo code to use. This is the best way to track how each marketing organization contributes to your ticket sales. This also helps you figure out which organization to tap for future events.
10. Include a Twitter feed on your website: If you are generating some buzz about your gig via Twitter, on which Tweeps (AKA "people who tweet") are using the hashtag for the gig, then you might want to consider installing the Twitter widget for your site.
To do so, go to the bottom of your Twitter page and click on the "Resources" tab for widgets that you can copy and paste directly onto your website.
Day of the Event
1. Share Twitter hashtags and handles: A side note to this is to make sure that the flyer/materials you hand out on the day of the gig also include this information.
2. Encourage everyone to Tweet, take photos, and share: Before the event, announce the hashtags, and Twitter handles for everyone to use. Remember to ask attendees to tweet about your gig.
3. Show a live Twitter feed: If your budget permits a screen, laptop, and Internet connection, you can actually put up a big screen featuring the live feed of tweets regarding the event. Tweeps, defined here as people who tweet, can sometimes become competitive wanting to see their names in the live capture.
4. Collect e-mail addresses on site: Many ticket goers buy tickets for friends. You need every e-mail address you can get your hands on. Be sure to collect e-mail addresses at the door and add that to the data you share with your prospective investors and producers.
5. Circulate a survey: Why not? Not everyone is going to be tweet or take pictures or blog. You can use the audience feedback in your negotiations. Your prospective investor or producer would appreciate having this information. Be sure to request written permission to use their feedback for marketing purposes. You can use the feedback to tweek the gig and make it better.
After the Event
1. E-mail the survey to all attendees: Not everyone is going to fill out a survey during the show. Right after the show, send the survey via e-mail. You'll get more feedback to analyze.
2. Facebook your e-mail list: You've collected e-mail addresses before and at the gig. It's time to update your e-mail list. Consider sending them a Facebook request to see if they would like to "like" your Facebook page, if you have one.
3. Share the information: Forward images, video, tweets, clippings to your prospective producer and investors and e-mail lists. Heck, forward all these items to those who came to watch the show. Don't forget to include a feature that allows readers to forward your information to others. Also, include a feature that allows e-mail recipients to opt out of receiving your emails.
4. Include a call to action: This is extremely important. If you want your show attendees to help you - then ask them for help and tell them how to do so. Encourage your attendees to blog about the event, share photos, videos, etc. If you can, show them precisely where you would like them to place this information.
5. Pull all the content onto your website: If you or others have produced photos, videos, blogs, tweets about your event, then be sure to pull all of it onto your website.
Get organized about marketing your gig and your prospective investors and producers will take you very seriously.
Rock on!
What do you think about these ideas? Are there others, too, that should be listed? Do you find these tips helpful? Please feel free to post your comments below.
For more ideas, come to our upcoming workshop, "Do it Yourself: How to Use Public Relations to Promote Your Business in Extraordinary Ways". The event is $20 for Asian Women in Business members and $45 for non-members. All proceeds go to the Asian Women in Business. For $15 off the non-member price of $45 use promo code "PR2011".
Photo credits: Top photo - istockphoto.com, middle photo - Kaimen Company, Bottom photo - istockphoto.com