Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I probably have breached this subject before but it is fresh on my mind this morning due to my wife having booked some adds for her shop.


How do you guys feel about advertisement in local papers / circulars ETC.

It can be rather expensive ... I just wonder about it as an appropriate application for a band?

I've invested a lot in equipment ... this seems to be at least one of the next logical steps in pursuit of a larger piece of the local pie.

And perhaps some opinions on order of attack while we are at it.

We have invested in equipment.
We have invested in extra time at practice and rehearsal.

I'm thinking winter to pull together record and print a CD.
Book a venue large enough to do a CD release party with full band lights ETC with about two months lead in order to do a massive advertisement campaign.

Any thoughts?

sanshouheil wrote:I probably have breached this subject before but it is fresh on my mind this morning due to my wife having booked some adds for her shop.


How do you guys feel about advertisement in local papers / circulars ETC.

It can be rather expensive ... I just wonder about it as an appropriate application for a band?

I've invested a lot in equipment ... this seems to be at least one of the next logical steps in pursuit of a larger piece of the local pie.

And perhaps some opinions on order of attack while we are at it.

We have invested in equipment.
We have invested in extra time at practice and rehearsal.

I'm thinking winter to pull together record and print a CD.
Book a venue large enough to do a CD release party with full band lights ETC with about two months lead in order to do a massive advertisement campaign.

Any thoughts?

Sans, great questions...!

About Advertisement: I was told once by a professional advertising executive, the standard squat is that if you are 'unknown" in your community, it takes between @6-8 weeks of rock-solid daily exposure of the ad to the population, before customers bite. (This is an average)
This also assumes that whatever you are advertising has emerged from a vacuous void, never been put out there...so to speak.

In the case of music, because you have reasonable history of live exposure (gigs) in the community, you don't really need to do a ' blitz'

Keep in mind what the function of an ad really amounts to... It strives to bring "awareness" of your'offerings' to the public (if they do not know you exist and/or what you offer). After that, they simply maintains a minimal finger on the pulse... i.e. just notifying the public of significant change in offerings, etc... A good example is Guitar center...They follow up with catalogs etc, when they announce sales, etc...

So, having said all that,... You might want to attach relevant context to the Band's activity...meaning, You wouldnt advertise unless you have specific dates/times and locations and you are offering a show...

1) Benefit and Charity concerts: Always helps to notify your local New outlets... If they know about you, they'll likely put the word out..If you are interesting enough, they'll even interview (Excellent publicity) Even if they dont, you are now on file... and sooner or later they will catch up.

2) Routine Gigs: Go to Kinko's, Yellow, Orange or Blue 8x11 letter size paper with black ink graphics and play-dates info (A different design for each different bar/club you play) . As you know the bars tend to pass on the cost to the artists...

3) Special events (NON charity) , Let the venue handle it...but for some PR discretion, advance notice on Bios and info is always helpful (Where applicable).

Finally, reputation and word of mouth seems to really have a significant and, in many case, stronger bearing than paid ads do. . When you do right by people, seems they do right, back at at ya.

I hate to say this but a good booking agent can help alot they can get you into places you cann't and exposure. They'll take a small cut but if you already invested alot it couldn't hurt anymore.

Look at all the free places to advertise!


Advertising works, create a time and space.

Great input ... thanks!

Let's keep in mind in this discussion we are a "mission band".
We don't charge for performance though we are often "paid" in "gifts" and sometimes quite well all things considered.

Here is my blueprint blitzkrieg idea for consideration.

(1) Produce a full CD of better quality than the EP released last year.
Have said CD professional reproduced so that we always have copies ready for our public.

(2) Swag ... T-shirts ETC to offer at merch tables.

(3) Book a local venue two months in advance and advertise our CD release concert on all the available free and some carefully chosen paid media as well as circulars to all the local "youth ministers" ETC.

(4) Follow up with 10 months of further advertisement of band being available for shows at private or public venues.

See what happens:

If there are no significant changes for our band in the following year it will likely dissolve in 2013.
Some members feel the time money and effort are too disproportionate to the mission results at the present level.
( I am not numbered in that group by the way as for me this is my greatest contribution to my Great Commission from my Lord. I would not care to place any "expenditure to return" restrictions on that idea )

And yes ... I am interested in any "secular" ideas or opinions as that is the realm and reality in which I must operate ... for now.

Check out free local internet advertising, craigslist,
bm, utube, everybody you knows web page. Most
churches and religous organizations, as well as faith
based social organizations have a web prescense, be
sure your included as a public service announcement,
endorsement, paid advertiser, who knows.

I'm a t-shirt freak, you could make some cool NKF
t-shirts, good theme rock n' roll and fighting and Jesus,
I love it I want a t-shirt. What about download cards on
your merch table, DVDs ans CDs, ball caps. pictures.
Flash a merch table out like a carny at the Texas State Fair.

Yes sir ... that's the plan ... only time and money stand in the way.

That's why I appreciate your in put. It helps me to decide on the order in which to invest / accomplish the various tasks that need doing.

Sans, if you advertise in a newspaper I would put a small ad (business card size) in the same section or page where the churches run their ads. Anywhere else would be a waste of time and money for you guys. Many newspapers in the K.C. area are struggling. Some are exclusively on-line. You have such a specialized band that the majority of readers outside the church page(s) may not have much interest in your band. There was a band here in K.C. that was running ads with a company that does glossy doorhanger coupon pages. I don't know if it did them any good, kind of an odd place to promote a band.
You may have real good luck developing a glossy 8 1/2 X 11 inch full color ad you can put on supermarket bulletin boards. I've seen entertainers run ads there, they are free. Most supermarkets date the ads for two weeks then take your ad down.
I've been self employed for 21 years. Newspapers used to be my bread and butter advertisements, now they are dead as far as I'm concerned. If there's a Backpage.com in your area I would promote your band in the "Plug the band" section under "musicians". I see all kinds of bands advertised there. Then we have a classified only newspaper K.C. metrowide. I run ads occasionally there, it's dirt cheap. Our K.C. version is American Classifieds and used to be called Thrifty Nickel. There may be a religious section in there as well.

Bob

Good observation and suggestions ... no one under the age of 80 reads newspapers anymore ... the local rag is useless and only runs like 5 days a week.

However there are a few local circulars like the Nickle ( goes by another name now perhaps American Classifieds is correct. )

They also have an off shoot called The Piney Woods Magazine.

It has an ARTS & MUSIC section that has caught my eye.


There are some unique venues in our area. One of which is an ancient meteor crater site that has been converted into an outdoors amphitheater.