Marketing Your Band..

[degroove]

I know there is a forum for this on HC, but I wanted to get your all experience and opinions.

 

I am interested in learning what works for you for marketing your band whether its original or cover stuff? What helps you establish a following? How do you keep communcation open with you and followers?

 

So far we have...

 

Demo CD mailed to bars and clubs. It has five songs on it.

Presence on Gigmasters website

Website with pictures, song clips, etc.

Cards

Soon to be completed T Shirts

 

What works for you?

[james on bass]

All we have is a demo pack with a 3 song demo, a blurb about the band and our current song list.

Both my bands are cover bands and we are getting as many gigs as we can handle/want.

[bassplayer7770]

We also use promo packs to get gigs. Along with the promo pack, it's been useful to actually visit the venues and talk with those responsible for the booking. If you don't book gigs during your visit, then you can call them to keep in touch and make sure they know you're still interested. If you have any connections, use 'em.

 

As for gaining a following, we simply try to play well every night and always plug our website address. I think having a banner helps too because people don't have to ask you for the name of the band. We've found that having a signup sheet for our mailing list at gigs hasn't been very useful. People are usually too drunk to write legibly... Of course, we always make sure we send out gig notices prior to every gig.

[greenshag]

biggest marketing tool is.....you. All of the other things mentioned work well, but unless you actually mingle in the crowd at gigs, the drunk comment is what comes to my mind...I try to mingle with everyone I know, plus ask people in the crowd why the came, who they came to see, etc...then I sneakily bring my own band into the picture, and direct the conversation that way...for an industrial band in salt lake to average around 100 people on a weeknight is very hard to do, and that is what we averaged on weeknight shows...

[degroove]

BP...

 

We also use promo packs to get gigs. Along with the promo pack, it's been useful to actually visit the venues and talk with those responsible for the booking. If you don't book gigs during your visit, then you can call them to keep in touch and make sure they know you're still interested. If you have any connections, use 'em.

 

The only issue we have here is that some of the places are a distance away. One we played was 1.5 hours and another was 40 minutes. I think you are right about this approach. Also, a banner is a GREAT idea!! We could have our name and web address on it!

 

Greenshag...

 

biggest marketing tool is.....you. All of the other things mentioned work well, but unless you actually mingle in the crowd at gigs, the drunk comment is what comes to my mind...I try to mingle with everyone I know, plus ask people in the crowd why the came, who they came to see, etc...then I sneakily bring my own band into the picture, and direct the conversation that way...for an industrial band in salt lake to average around 100 people on a weeknight is very hard to do, and that is what we averaged on weeknight shows...

 

Another good point. I play with two socially inhibited people, so I have to be the hand shaker and small talker. People like when they connect with us off stage. This is good advice...

[Detox]

I was at the doctor's office last week, and met a nurse who hung out at the old punk rocker clubs around Detroit back in the '70s (like I did).

 

She told me she will talk to her friend who is a promoter, and see if she can scare something up for us.

 

I hope she doesn't hustle us a gig for next week, we've only had two practices.

[bassplayer7770]

Originally posted by degroove Also, a banner is a GREAT idea!! We could have our name and web address on it!

 

Name and web address are essential on a banner IMO.

[degroove]

Originally posted by bassplayer7770 Name and web address are essential on a banner IMO.

 

I am going to mention this now! We are getting Tshirts done now, so I have no idea on the money situation.

 

A Banner can't be too expensive though...

 

Cool

[bassplayer7770]

 

Originally posted by degroove A Banner can't be too expensive though...

 

 

In my experience, they usually run just over $100. A 3' by 5' sign should be sufficient.

[degroove]

Originally posted by bassplayer7770 In my experience, they usually run just over $100. A 3' by 5' sign should be sufficient.

 

That is no sweat! If we each pitch in $30, problem solved.

 

[fastplant]

No offense, but being on gigmaster, or garageband, purevolume, jambase, etc. is pretty worthless. I've had only one person ever say to me that they found us on one of those sites. Myspace may be an exception, but hasn't proven itself worthy yet. Having your own site is infinitely better. And it's good to see you did that.

[Thunderbroom]

Great thread!

 

We're just getting into the groove with all of this. We're printing nice gig flyers (11 x 17) and taking them to the venues a couple of weeks in advance. We'll see how it goes in two weeks. We stole the idea from Uncle Boogie Pants.

 

I'm really pushing the banner idea with our band as well.

 

For those with banners, how do you hang them?

Pics?

[fastplant]

Originally posted by degroove That is no sweat! If we each pitch in $30, problem solved.

 

www.lowpricebanners.com

[greenshag]

 

Originally posted by fastplant No offense, but being on gigmaster, or garageband, purevolume, jambase, etc. is pretty worthless. I've had only one person ever say to me that they found us on one of those sites. Myspace may be an exception, but hasn't proven itself worthy yet. Having your own site is infinitely better. And it's good to see you did that.

 

 

they can work, but you have to ask yourself this question....who are you marketing yourself to?

[fastplant]

 

Originally posted by greenshag they can work, but you have to ask yourself this question....who are you marketing yourself to?

 

 

That's a great point and you have to go one step further and say 'who is going to these site?' The answer is other musicians. There's little to no reason for a random local band fan to go on those sites. They're basically filled with every garage band that ever thought about playing out. In fact, I'd say most of the bands on there are bands that weren't serious enough to pay for their own site, thus they probably aren't worth checking out.

[greenshag]

 

Originally posted by fastplant That's a great point and you have to go one step further and say 'who is going to these site?' The answer is other musicians. There's little to no reason for a random local band fan to go on those sites. They're basically filled with every garage band that ever thought about playing out. In fact, I'd say most of the bands on there are bands that weren't serious enough to pay for their own site, thus they probably aren't worth checking out.

 

 

good point as well! myspace works for me, and some of my friends bands, as we tend to market ourselves to younger kids, goths, and peeps who hang out on computers all day with nothing to do (mainly bored kids with money from mommy and daddy)...so we have found our fanbase, now we just have to whore ourselves out to everyone:D

[bassplayer7770]

Originally posted by Thunderbroom For those with banners, how do you hang them?

 

We usually use either thumb tacks or staples (from a staple gun). Once we used darts...

[M-1 Fan]

Popularity and success as a band depends on this:

 

1. The area in which you play

2. Your age (I'm gonna get flamed for this one I know)

3. Your following

4. Your material

 

Let me explain:

 

The more opportunities in your area to play the easier it will be to land gigs. In my area, there are only three major clubs to play at. If we wanted to travel over 50 miles we could get more. In my area, people are so afraid of getting picked up by the cops for dui that they just stay home and party. There isn't the crowds in clubs these days. Back in the '70's, we could pack the bars. Now bands are lucky to draw fifty people.

 

The younger you are the younger the following. The younger the following the more girls you're going to see. The more girls you draw, the more men you get. Geezers like me can play all the most recent material, but all of my friends are sitting in front of a TV or laying on a couch at 10:00 at night.

 

Your following breeds people. The better your following the better the crowd. Duh.

 

The material you play has to be diverse enough to draw people. The area I'm in totally sucks, but I've seen other bands fall short simply because they played material that was either not popular or simply originals.

[greenshag]

 

Originally posted by M-1 Fan Popularity and success as a band depends on this: 1. The area in which you play 2. Your age (I'm gonna get flamed for this one I know) 3. Your following 4. Your material Let me explain: The more opportunities in your area to play the easier it will be to land gigs. In my area, there are only three major clubs to play at. If we wanted to travel over 50 miles we could get more. In my area, people are so afraid of getting picked up by the cops for dui that they just stay home and party. There isn't the crowds in clubs these days. Back in the '70's, we could pack the bars. Now bands are lucky to draw fifty people. The younger you are the younger the following. The younger the following the more girls you're going to see. The more girls you draw, the more men you get. Geezers like me can play all the most recent material, but all of my friends are sitting in front of a TV or laying on a couch at 10:00 at night. Your following breeds people. The better your following the better the crowd. Duh. The material you play has to be diverse enough to draw people. The area I'm in totally sucks, but I've seen other bands fall short simply because they played material that was either not popular or simply originals.

 

 

no flames, you just picked up on what I was getting at...

[fastplant]

 

Originally posted by M-1 Fan but all of my friends are sitting in front of a TV or laying on a couch at 10:00 at night.

 

 

You just brought up a very overlooked issues; friends. I've found that any band that starts up has a very good chance of failure if they don't have a ton of friends that like to go out and drink while listening to a band. The bands that start out this way, many of which are awful, tend to become huge in the scene. The reason is because initially, those friends aren't there to see the band, they're there to drink. But other people just see a band with a following and latch onto that, thus continuing the following. It's like a mob mentality. If you tend to play to no one on a regular basis, get used to it, because it's that much harder to build the following from scratch.

[degroove]

Fastplant and M-1

 

You both have a lot of good points. I realize we are not TOP 40, poular, young person attracting band. We figure blues stuff attracts a more mature audience that appreciates real talent.

 

Every show I have played so far involves us as more like live background music than center of attention music.

 

Each place wanted us to play "softly", including a private party! So, I am thinking that another way of getting gigs is satisfying the people who pay you to come out by being professional and listening to their needs. We have already been asked back to a few places. We have gotten some word of mouth business as well for private parties.

 

We figure eventually we will have a crowd demanding for us to rock out most furiously!

[james on bass]

My guitarist in the one band does the booking. Drives out, checks the bar, meets with the owner, gives them posters etc...

 

I might add that even though I haven't booked any of the gigs myself personally, I never leave the bar without finding the owner/manager and personally thanking them for having us at their establishment. A friendly gesture goes a long way.

[Gfunkk44]

 

Originally posted by Detox I was at the doctor's office last week, and met a nurse who hung out at the old punk rocker clubs around Detroit back in the '70s (like I did). She told me she will talk to her friend who is a promoter, and see if she can scare something up for us. I hope she doesn't hustle us a gig for next week, we've only had two practices.

 

 

 

Detox, what band are you in? Im from greater detroit area also, were Vantage Ground. What kind of stuff you play?

[tylytle]

Our band uses a large peice of black cloth (10'X30') Black sheet sewn together work well. Stretch this on the back wall to black it out. hang your banner on this. Make it really pop out. Plus gives the stage a nice clean look.

 

Ty

[Detox]

 

Originally posted by Gfunkk44 Detox, what band are you in? Im from greater detroit area also, were Vantage Ground. What kind of stuff you play?

 

 

 

We were about to call ourselves Green River, until I looked up the name at AMG and found out it was used already, by a significant band. We're still trying to decide on a permanent name.

 

At the moment, we're doing mostly '60s and '70s, including garage, psychedelic, and freak beat. We also play some of the guitarist's originals. Probably will be a while before we play out, as I just got home from our third practice.