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#37038 by gbheil
Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:37 pm
What is the most efficiant and effective ways you have advertised your band or act. Newspaper is very expensive for a long running add.
Posters in store / resturaunt windows seem to be ignored.
Keep in mind I'm not looking to book Bars. But if it works for you post your response anyway.
Thanks.

#37040 by The KIDD
Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:16 pm
Hey Sans,

Well, you know ,most of OUR lives , we didnt have the NET, AND I personally dont think IT does any good on a local level anyway...SO, what works around here and has been since the vacuum tube is Local Radio,the Printed Flyer.People have quit taking the paper around here by in large.I cant really speak to the bigger citys becuase I lived in them during the 80's BC (before computers)...You have a myspace site, has it done ya much good?...Ive nver heard of anyone sayin "OH MAN, Im so glad I have this site, its gotten us tons of gigs and really put us on the map"..Its like going to Walmart and buying cereal..You stand there and look at 200-300 boxes, THEN go grab count chocula as you have since 73... :lol: I belive the internet has become TOO MUCH .Too hard to single any one thing out....Plus , WE'RE always gettin bombarded with posts on here about how to promote a band.Do THOSE do any good?..Dang , Ive posted myself into a corner here :? I still believe good ole word of mouth, music store flyers, radio, jam session gossip, is the best way of promoting and find out whats available in the market..

John

#37052 by Kramerguy
Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:28 pm
I see a lot of postings on CL these days. Not sure if it's successful, but another avenue I've been seeing more often lately.

I also hear a lot of radio stations giving props to local bands and telling us where they are playing (usually in the city, not so much in the burbs)

#37075 by philbymon
Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:17 pm
We used to find key ppl in all the little clicks around here, & tell them about it, & let word-of-mouth do its job, sans.

We were a lil hippie band, so we'd tell all the pot dealers & artists & those crystal thingies vendors & stuff, & ppl that flitted around from group to group. It was amazing how well that worked, really.

If I were doing what you do, I guess I'd go to the higher ups in different churches & befriend them & tell them about whatever gig I had coming up. It might work the same way, when ppl ask them what they're doing this weekend, etc. I dunno. Church ppl are different that way, I think. For them, don't they usually stick to their own particular church activities rather than grouping together with several other churches to enjoy stuff? I mean, you don't see Catholics & Methodists & Presbyterians all going to the same religious events much, do you, except for the big shows, maybe, but not on the local level much? I dunno how to make that work.

Generic Christian stuff might work very well around here, if you were to try it. There's a lot of independent churches. Maybe you should target them? It's worth a try, anyway. Don't forget the religious book stores. Those ppl have influence too. And your local generic health food store. I'd ask to put up some flyers there.

#37085 by gbheil
Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:00 am
Thanks for the input friends. Some good ideas and pretty much echos my own thoughts. I've printed up a flyer for the band. Going to start putting them out and about. Now I'm not working every Sunday I will network some of the indi Churches as well. Wish me luck my musical bretherin.
We can do a 2 hour show fairly easy now. Time to put up or shut up.

#37110 by philbymon
Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:29 am
Best o' luck, sans. I know you can find a way to get the ppl, cuz you're such a good ppl person.

Hey! I just thought of something! If you changed your band name to "Knotty Nurse" & advertised on a few of those weird S&M sites o/l, I'll bet you'd fill the house everywhere you went! Of course it might not be the audience you're looking for... :?

J/k...sorta...anyway, fill them seats, man.

#37112 by Axesligner for hire
Tue Jul 22, 2008 12:38 pm
I know not everyone here is going to agree with me on this one but MySpace has been a huge blessing here in the Chicago area. There are so many bands and venues around here it's hard to keep them all straight.

MySpace kinda lets you do that. With my old band we had all the venues we had played and wanted to play on our site, and when they see you are a working band they come to you. Plus we had a sign up sheet at shows that got fans' myspace and email addresses and we used to either add them and/or group email everyone about shows.

We also send out invites to our friends about shows as well as bulletin them and it seems to work pretty well. We had a good draw even in some obscure locations in our area and always seemed to walk away with a minimum of a handful of new contacts after each show.

All I know is it ain't easy promoting, it's a job in and of itself.

Good luck

#37115 by The KIDD
Tue Jul 22, 2008 1:55 pm
Hey LGAD,

Yeah ,I had just posted about the internet not doing much for the local scene here in the arm pit capitol of the WORLD and right AS I was posting I wondered how IT was doing for Chicagoland scene, where I lived and prospered very well 88-94..Great too hear it has simplified things and created a better organization for you guys...Hey, is the Keyboard player Scott Hendricks still around?..Havent been able to find him?.Still alot of jams up N? Any 3-4 niters still happenin?...Forgive me :lol: I just miss the area and curious how things were nowdays..

My best to you guys,

John

#37562 by philbymon
Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:18 pm
Hey sans - are you setting up shows & advertising for them?

How's it going?

#37587 by gbheil
Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:43 am
Well at this point in time I,m just full of sh*t, apparently.
The job change has got me working damn near 8 days a week.
Even my bandmates had the gear set up at my place for Tuesdays practice before I got home.
My intent was two fold. I made up a poster / flyer to post at the music stores as well as to run in the local classifides sales paper. They have a huge circulation, much more than the News rags nobody reads.
I also want to make the Wednesday and Sunday night rounds to the local Churches that would be large enough to handle the watts. To make some personal contacts ya know.
Right now though I just feel like a F,n blow hard.
Thanks for asking though. Just kick start my assalittle ok.

#37790 by AirViking
Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:09 am
Street teams.

We have the Slain Team to go post crap for us, and word of mouth it, stickers etc.

Street teams are very effective for an area I've found.
Doesnt help at all for touring though.

#37792 by gbheil
Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:34 am
Not so fast AV. Barnimun & Bailey as well as The Great Houdini both used street teams whom went town to town weeks in advance to build interest.
Would be a very expensive way to advertise these days.

#37796 by AirViking
Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:43 am
sanshouheil wrote:Not so fast AV. Barnimun & Bailey as well as The Great Houdini both used street teams whom went town to town weeks in advance to build interest.
Would be a very expensive way to advertise these days.


People do our team for free.
They set up stuff at stores, schools etc.
Word of mouth is always free :D

I'd aim for colleges and if you have the access aim for highschools too, matters where you play though. of course minors cant go to bars.

Malls are also good.

#37798 by gbheil
Sat Aug 02, 2008 12:51 am
I am currently doing an Enet search and sezure of local Churches big enough to handle the watts. And sending out E mails as well. Going to start making visits next Wednesday. Posters go up in the music stores on my lunch break Monday.

#37906 by The Hunter
Sun Aug 03, 2008 12:38 am
A naked guy with a sandwhich sign on his shoulders.
Or a naked woman.

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