Karaoke Forums

Just wondering what kind of regular advertizing is done for your REGULAR karaoke shows, and what you also do for special events.


For me, my show is listed in the weekly music events listing of a couple local papers. Other than that I also maintain a Facebook site. (myspace is pretty much dead here).


For special events I sometimes do about 200 facebook invitiations to known karaoke friends.


I no longer do regular fliers, larger newspaper ads or anything else. It seems that my main advertizement is the paper events listings. However it seems that I really depend mostly on word of mouth.


As for facebook it seems of late I am getting a lot of events advertized by others and I suspect that a lot of people (like me) are feeling saturated by this media. A year ago it seemed a lot more people were paying closer attention to Facebook.

I decided to do a poll as there are probably too many different combinations of advertizing.

Fred,

That's a great question. I have a listing in the AT&T yellow pages both under DeeJay and Entertainment, and that appears on the internet as well.

The marketing for my shows include:
In-venue signs and tent cards
Online directories
Free drink cards handed out around town by me and at the venues I work
Business Cards
Craig's List
Email to a limited list
Phone calls to a limited list

I am leery about spending much money on any one effort because any one of the above efforts, by itself, yields limited results. In its entirety it's not too bad, but not great!

I am still investigating social networking sites

If anyone has a "fool-proof" suggestion for marketing, even if it costs money, I'll be happy to make the investment and give it a try.

I've posted on CL in the past and usually send out emails to my mailer list.

The venue usually has some outside banners and inside flyers promoting karaoke night and then the rest is word of mouth.

This past summer the venue did put a listing in the ares summer "entertainment mag" but it was just a small listing...every place helps

E-mail
Facebook (easiest way yet to communicate with a LOT of people at one time)
Craigslist Events
All shows listed on our request slips
I will do posters to place on community bulletin boards (nice ones, printed on photopaper, good color, etc.)

Minimal investment for fairly decent return. My facebook stuff consists mostly of just reminders about shows and occasionally will go fishing and ask if anyone knows of anyone who is looking for a great karaoke show. I will also occasionally post a PDF poster on f/b about special events we're doing.

Fred,

to advertise my shows, it's ads in my songbooks, Flyers around the neighborhood, emails to my client list. There's a rule to emails...they have to be personal, not just 'business only'. Your list wants to get to know you. As well as press releases to local papers. You don't get much 'free' advertising but on occasion a press release will get you a news story.

To get NEW business (weekly or private shows) I determine the market I want to persue. For example BARS. Then I send a series of Lead Generation Letters to those bars.

Any of the bars that response I send a promo packet -- or set up a meeting -- or set up a live audition.

Direct Mail is basically the ONLY (and best) way that I produce new shows. I will get many repeat shows as well, but only after I GET THE BUSINESS the FIRST TIME.

Jason

_________________
Jason Christopher
Want To Learn How To Grow An Outrageously Profitable KJ Business And Put An Iron Cage Around Your Customers? visit my web site below..

My Advertising is a mix of everything.


In house flyers.

Facebook and Myspace.

Mass Email.

Signs on outside of bar.

Radio ads.

Billboards.


I get most everything from beer companies. Coors Light Sponsers my Tuesday night, Bud Light Sponsers my Wednesday, and Miller Light Sponsers Sunday.

I get the most from coors they generally give me 4 two week 90 ad campains a year. I think I actually got 5 for 2009.

i'm probably the only one here that does no advertising at all. The 2 venues i work for USED to have table tents the first year of business but now NOTHING AT ALL...no signage of any kind and nothing online.....but being in a tourist area and with local word-of-mouth we stay pretty busy all year 'round.

This keeps me happy because we never get too saturated with singers...that tends to make people seek other places that don't have a 2-hour rotation.

For me, the only advertising of regular bar gigs is facebook/twitter (my space is dead here too).

For special events (Weddings/anniversarys ect....)...I stick mainly to the local news paper for print ads when the have special inserts. Such as every spring there is a local bridal fair with a full page add of vendors, and I have an add on that. Also
About 80% of my web hits and phone calls come from people searching Google, so that is what I am sticking too.

Tried a Yellow book add for 2009 and will never do that again. It was a waste of $$$$. Only got 3 hist all year on our website that came from the Yellow book website, and only about 3 phone calls that found us from the Yellow book ad.

Google and the local paper for me.