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9:34 pm
June 7, 2011
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QuoteJust realized that I hadn't posted a link here yet. The latest training module has been posted and you can find it here: https://www.mmmanifesto.com/in.....ring-smart
In this lesson I go over a plan for touring smart, and applying your broader online marketing tactics to traditional touring. Let me know if you have any questions, thoughts, or feedback.
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.
5:52 pm
December 8, 2016
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This was a great lesson, John...very informative. It's cool to see how direct marketing tactics can be applied to traditional things like touring.
I was wondering if it would be more difficult to draw playing in the same venue (same city) once per week? Would you be trying to get some of the same people to come out to hear you every week, or trying to get new and different people each time? It seems like playing more than once a month in the same geographical area would be "overplaying" and would make it harder to get people to come out...but maybe the marketing tactics (scarcity, etc) would help to over come that.
Just thinking out loud...
7:26 pm
June 9, 2011
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Hi Donnie,
Steve here. John may have a different opinion than this, being that he was once a club promoter, but in my opinion, it would be difficult to draw the same city once per week. Most definitely the same venue within that city.
I actually have experience with this very thing. In around 2004, my band had the opportunity to play a certain club, in a high foot traffic area, every other weekend. While I certainly didn't know any direct response marketing back then, I was most definitely emailing my list about the gigs.
What I found was that when we did this, people tended to kind of take an attitude, where there's nothing special about it, and that if they wanted to, they could just see us in two weeks. "Maybe next time". Do you know what I mean?
I think that now knowing a bit about direct response, I could write much better email, but that in this particular scenario I don't really think you can honestly introduce scarcity. I mean any type of scarcity offer would be a complete add-on, bonus type of thing, rather than the event itself being scarce at all, because obviously, it wouldn't be if you're there every week.
I think if you were only playing once per month, you could still make really cool add-on offers to get people to come to the show, but also having just played the month prior, you could get return fans who might also call friends to come back with them.
Again, I'm saying this without knowing anything about your act, or your arrangement with the club. It may be perfect for residency.
In my experience, as a band playing a 50 minute set of original music, I think the magic is in spacing out those live appearances. People will look forward to that email message, when it's been long enough since they've gotten to see you live.
I mean if your list in these cities was large enough to sort of shake 25 show-goers out of it each time, then that's only place I can see it being effective.
In the lesson John mentions 5% turn out of total list. If your list is really big then you might be able to do this at a once per week frequency, but then why not just play less and do a big show or two?
8:25 pm
December 8, 2016
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Thanks, Steve...good thoughts that align with my original thinking. I'd also be doing a 50-minute set of original music, which is why a monthly appearance would seem to make more sense.
12:10 am
June 7, 2011
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Hey Donnie,
Again, my apologies for the slow response. I've been largely offline for the holidays. Just getting back to work now.
My opinion is that it really depends. The "Touring Smart" lesson is a specific strategy that involves doing limited scope residencies, in which you play once a week for a month to generate an audience in a town. I have seen (and done) residencies like these with success. They are particularly helpful when trying to break an artist in a region. The idea is to establish a community of fans, in part, through repetition, while also making the tour cost effective and close to home.
I've also done long term residencies in the same city with a lot of success, however long term residencies tend to do better when there is a theme or a "vibe" to your act and you are as much promoting a club/night as you are a band. For example, I had a neo-glam band in the late 90s that performed every Tuesday in Los Angeles for over 6 months and attendance grew nearly every week and we were one of the cities most popular rock bands. But there was a big spectacle aspect to the night and people came for the scene, as much as they did for the band.
That said, for many artists playing once a week in their home town would be too often. It really depends. If you are growing your list every day and driving attendance via your list, you should be able to maintain a healthy attendance for a weekly gig, challenging as it may be.
Having trouble with your marketing? Wish you could have an experienced direct-to-fan marketing expert look over your actual campaigns, music, or content and offer feedback? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a little one-on-one assistance so you can ask questions that pertain to your specific goals and get a second, more experienced, perspective? Click here to book a session with me now.
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