December 1st, 2008
It’s no secret. The world is in an economic mess. But as a concert promoter, there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t be winning; unless you’re still promoting they way they did 10-20 years ago. Through the good times and the bad, most people still feel the need to go out and have a good time. However, for concert promoters winning is more than ever about going the extra mile. It’s about working harder than ever. In addition, having savvy internet marketing, business, and creative skills may be the difference between winning and losing in this business. The key is knowing how to use all three in perfect harmony and getting help in areas you don’t what the hell you’re doing.
Don’t ignore the marketing power of the internet. Today Myspace and Facebook (to name a couple of social networks) get as many viewers as a lot of the top cable televison channels. One email can reach thousands of people in an instant. Meanwhile, newspaper and magazine readership are tumbling. Any wonder where the cataclysmic shift in concert promotions is going? You guessed it, to the internet. To survive, you need to know who’s writing the music blogs in your town, how to advertise on those sites, how to giveaway tickets online, and how to get concert details, artists interviews, and video links on your local radio stations’ web sites. In addition, concert promoters must also have their own online presence to do some of the same things. Being computer illiterate is no excuse. You can get any teenager to put together your myspace page in less than an hour. Do you have your own email list to blast information about your events? If not, do a little research and find out who has the hot email list in your market. Work out a deal for an email blast, a mention, or a banner ad. Whenever you advertise, mention your web site and start creating your own email database. It’s not too late to get in the game. Here’s a quick and effective way to utilize the video web sites like Youtube. Open a free account and upload your television commercial to their site, so you can post the video or link on other sites.I can go on and on about the use of the internet but I’ll stop right here for now (and save some more tips for a later issue).
Read the entire article: Concert Promoters Working Harder Than Ever
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September 19th, 2008
Want to advertise on television? Cable tv now makes it easier than ever before to advertise to your target audience with a large amount of channels and programs to choose from.
1. Compare the GRP (Gross Rating Point) of the stations you are interested in, to help you determine your budget. A GRP equals one percent of the households in the tv marketing area. For example, if there are one million tv sets in the market, one rating point equals 10,000 tv households. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of tv advertising to have in impact in the market. Some suggest no less than 150 GRPs/per month. In addition, larger markets usually have a higher GRP.
2. Avoid primetime advertising (8:00pm-11:00pm) and you will be able to stretch your dollar farther.
3.Just like anything else tv rates are negotiable. Depending on the scale of your advertising, your knowledge of the market, or lack of time, hiring a media-buying service to place your ads is not a bad idea. Many will do the job for a fee of 7.5-10% of your advertising budget. Because they buy lots of ad time for their other clients, they tend to get a very low rate.
For more concert promotion tips visit www.eJams.net/links.htm
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August 13th, 2008
1. When using the print media, one must decide which newspaper or magazine will reach your target audience. This may include the area of distribution, age of the readers, their ethnicity, and how frequently (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) it is published.
2. If your competition uses print media, never run a smaller ad than them.
3. Find out from the publisher the best day to run your ad.
4. If you intend on running more ads on this or other events in the future, compare the cost of signing a long term schedule to the shorter options.
5. Visit your local library and find the Standard Rates and Data Service, Inc.’s (also online at SRDS.com)”Consumer Magazine and Agri-Media Rates.” This will help you find out if a specific magazine offers a regional rate/edition for advertisers.
For more concert promotion tips visit www.eJams.net/links.htm
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May 22nd, 2008
Many experts are reporting that the US economy is weakening. Some have even suggested that we are in a recession which could have a ripple effect around the world. However, it has always been my opinion that no matter how tight consumers get with their hard-earned dollars, they still need to be entertained. I’m not talking about playing video or card games with friends or family. And, watching a ballgame or the movie of the week on television isn’t exactly what I’m referring to either. I’m talking about putting on some nice clothes, getting out of the house for a few hours, and spending some money to see a live concert at the local night club, theater, arena, or stadium. So, I ask the question “is the concert promotions business recession proof?”
People are pulling back from spending on big ticket items. Consumer spending has dropped for at least four straight months. In the meantime, our business strives on people who have discretionary income. These are the same folks who pay their cable tv bill every month before buying food or shoes for their kids. This may sound strange but you gotta love it. Some consumers will still pay for entertainment even while living on a tight budget that keeps getting tighter. Six Flags recently reported that season-pass sales are running comfortably ahead of last year’s pace. The WWE stock is up and there is no shortage of wrestling fans packing the arenas even when it’s being broadcast on tv 3-4 days in the week. Rap start Jay-Z just signed a $150 million deal with Live Nation which includes the rights to promote his live concert performances. And there are so many more examples to state.
It does appear that one of the affects of the slow economy is that many are bypassing the opportunity to buy a lot of merchandise while inside the venue. I recently took my son to a Monster Jam Truck Show and passed on getting us Grave Digger t-shirts because they were like $30 each. Instead, he got a less expensive banner to hang in his room. He was happy and I saved about $25 (OK, some may say I’m just cheap). It’s all good. Merchants will find creative ways to get their numbers up and so will the various businesses related to the concert promotions business. The key is getting the people in the house and this is something the consumers still want. Their appetite for live concerts may have slightly diminished. The results of which may lead to lower ticket prices, finding stronger acts to book, looking at alternative music genres, or securing more sponsors. However, the good news is that, no matter what the current economic conditions are, people are still going to theaters, concert halls and night clubs to see a live show. There’s nothing like it and it can’t be duplicated on tv, on the internet, on CD, on DVD, or anywhere else. Technology has improved the audio quality and the light show experience. Plus, live shows offer a unique emotional bond between the fans and the artist. The average fan may not have all of their favorite recording artist’s albums but they never miss them when they come to town to perform.
I believe concert promoters can still promote successful shows and special events, despite the current economic conditions. Entertainment provides an escape from the challenges of everyday life. It provides a way of releasing tension and anxiety. It makes one feel good. And when times are tough sometimes it’s worth paying a few bucks (or a lot of bucks) just to remember what it feels like to enjoy life.
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