| Archive for SLMC Second Life® Music Community Forum |
| Cristalle |
How to properly promote an event?What do you venue owners do for promotion? Beyond putting it in the calendar and maybe an announcement in LME, what do you do? |
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| ticious |
Your single most important promotion tool is listing the events in the Live Music Events within the Second Life Search database.
There is a thread talking about this in the FAQs section which gives some do's, don'ts and tips for the listing: http://slmc.myfastforum.org/about1505.html I also maintain public Google calendars for my venues and have a venue fan group to whom I send notices. |
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| Cristalle |
Thanks, Ticious. I do that already. I was wondering what to do above and beyond that, if anything?
I have a small place and I have put out notices to the group, put it in the Live Music calendar. I even put out notices in my own residential rental group. I'm really trying to crack the nut on getting people to show up for lesser known people that don't come with a huge following of their own or don't use a promoter/group. |
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| RayW |
Hi, Cristalle ... I'm not a venue owner (though I do have three stages) ... but, I'm one of those lesser knowns. And, it IS a tough nut to crack. It depends on the competition running at the same time. Plus, it depends on name recognition. I've seen people throwing a lot of BS out there, trying to get peoples attention. It doesn't work for me. I have signs on all my properties advertising my main show on Tuesdays, trying to catch the eye of passers-by and friends. That helps. I think that the thing Kim was working on ... an industry publication to help people see what's going on will help ... after you get listed or get a write-up in there. Otherwise ... short of paid advertising ... it's tough! |
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| Cristalle |
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| ticious |
This is a terrific goal, but the best way I know of to crack that nut, is to get a name who has a following and whose style is similar or complimentary to the lesser known's style to open for them. And hold shows on a regular schedule so folks get used to looking for your shows. Also, work to build your own group (this ain't easy for a venue to do, but a few venues have huge groups . . . for instance, the Hummingbird Cafe I think is over 600 or 700 members now). If you can become known for promoting high quality, lesser known and new acts, you should be able to do this. Also, there's a section here for posting notices about your events. It's not intended for 'ordinary' events and probably is not very effective as such (you won't see me listing my weekly Saturday on the Rock line ups here). People don't come here to find shows. It's more effective for posting about shows people here might find interesting enough to make note of and come to see. . . like Eva's recent post about debuting new songs. If you're featuring new or lesser known acts, posting about them here might be effective in generating interest in the new musicians you showcase. Be sure to describe their music well and post a link to their MySpace or website so people can hear samples (if such are available). To be honest with you Ray, I don't have a lot of hope for Kim's magazine to bring a lot of fresh publicity. It will be a help, yes, and I fully support it (where are we on that, Kim?), but there are so many SL magazines and newspapers and blogs out there already that it's pure info overload and no one ends up reaching very many residents. Most likely the majority of readers for Kim's magazine will come from right here in the forum, for a while at least. |
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| Zak Claxton |
A few random thoughts. None of this stuff helps on its own, but tends to have a cumulative effect:
- Put up a web site or a MySpace page (or both) for your venue. - Get to know folks in places where musicians and music fans might tend to congregate (perhaps like this forum  ) so more folks can become aware of your place.
- Do bring in a well-known talent every so often (once a month, maybe?) so that their large fan base can become familiar with your place. - Work with the lesser-known artists who play there and help them cultivate their own fan bases. - Host combination events (contests, games, whatever) where folks who might not attend a live music performance on its own will come anyway, and perhaps get to enjoy your place and your artists. It all takes time and effort, just like real life. Best of luck! |
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| Doubledown Tandino |
Here's my sooper dooper thread on the topic:
http://slmc.myfastforum.org/about203.html It's in this need some advice section below. |
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| Sally Silvera |
Great to see you here Cristalle! Hope you find loads of usefull advice!
for what it's worth Cristalle is a great hostess, I've only managed to get to a couple of gigs at her place but it's very nice! |
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| Cristalle |
Very helpful. Thank you so much.
eta: Hi Sally 
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| Jura Shepherd |
Re: How to properly promote an event?Hello again Cristalle,Try the other suggestions in the thread and I think you’ll be in good shape as far as promoting the individual shows. You have a great group system and you’re posting event listings so that’s good. I know it can be frustrating but I think the trick here is that there is no trick. Conscientious musicians (or their management) should already be doing their own promotion. This is especially true when they are playing a lesser-known venue where turnout might be low for them. It’s a combined effort between the performer pushing their show, and you pushing your venue. The venue is where I think you should focus. Classifieds are fine for services and goods but I can’t really get my head around using them for venues. I don’t really think people search them for live entertainment. I use ad boards which makes some people groan, but I believe in them enough to advertise myself on them. You just have to think about them in the right way to see the benefit. I could go on and on about why but the short version is that I think they have several uses. One is that they have a collective effect in raising brand awareness. If someone sees an eye-catching ad in a mall and see it again in another place they like, it will make your notices and event listings stand out because they’ll think: “Hey! I’ve seen that place”. A good ad will also create a professional image for your venue that can set it apart from some of the half-handed efforts out there. Lastly, ad boards can distribute information like show schedules and special promotions and that info as well as the image can be changed regularly to keep it fresh. You can also try generating some buzz for your venue in the in-world press or SL related blogs. The simplest way would be to find an entertainment review that you like and contact the author. Make up a schedule of shows and invite them to your venue. Give them the golden treatment. Even if the focus of the review is the performance, the venue will most likely be referenced. Also, SL press is hungry for news content. So-n-so playing a Friday night gig isn’t really news but if so-n-so will be playing with a special guest, then maybe you have something. A venue makeover or charity event may also get you some press. Anyway, you get the idea. Do this kind of stuff and do it relentlessly. It’s work but you have a great place and you’re a warm host so in time the crowds will come your way. |
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| EvaMoon |
I'm more and more impressed with the effect of good staff at events. It won't change attendance at a particular event, but I think it has a cumulative effect. Some places are just simply fun. And it has a lot to do with the room chat. A great, lively host/hostess or two who can actually chat (rather than just bombard the room with chat gestures and endless all-caps pleas to tip) can really make a show click with the audience. Over time, I think people start to remember where they are likely to have a good time.
Not that chat gestures and reminders to tip are not appropriate. It's all about balance. |
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| Cristalle |
Thanks for the input! Much food for thought.
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