Karaoke Forums

Currently what do you think is the best way to "advertise" a show to get more people to your bar show?

What works best?

Drink coupons?
Posting in certain "where to find karaoke bars" websites? if so which ones?
Social sites? Facebook? Where?
Local "What's happening magazines or newspapers" in your local city?
giving regulars incentives to bring new people in?
Being able to call shot specials or other drink specials?
Do contests really bring a lot of revenue to a club?
Theme night (50's 60's 70's 80's) ?

Thank you!

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What works best?

1. Drink coupons?
2. Posting in certain "where to find karaoke bars" websites? if so which ones?
3. Social sites? Facebook? Where?
4. Local "What's happening magazines or newspapers" in your local city?
giving regulars incentives to bring new people in?
5. Being able to call shot specials or other drink specials?
6. Do contests really bring a lot of revenue to a club?
7. Theme night (50's 60's 70's 80's) ?


No
No
Yes
No
No
Don't think so
No


Facebook, usually both myself and the venue.

Word of mouth and the bars I regularly host at have colored laminated flyers with my business name and logo on them. By laminating them (in 14 mil pouches) they can wet erase or dry erase the dates and times on them that I will be there.

That's about it for me.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Social media works - Facebook, Yelp!, Twitter, MySpace

Find or create a karaoke enthusiasts group on Facebook/MySpace for your area.
Create a Yelp! profile with karaoke keys words/tags
Create a Twitter account and tweet about your shows. Every mobile device worth having these days has a Twitter client. Tweet during your shows. Takes seconds.

Print advertisement - if you have a local entertainment magazine geared toward night life, you might check into rates. We have a monthly print magazine in the northwest dedicated to karaoke, live entertainment, and darts. I advertise there. Make sure above social media items are included in advertisements.

I think the absolute best method of advertising is having posters at the venue itself. If you do karaoke 1 night a week, why shouldn't the other 6 nights advertise for you? Posters, table tents, post cards on tables. Try to get a poster at the front door so people see it as soon as they walk in. Make sure the word KARAOKE stands out. Don't forget to hang posters in the restrooms. Make sure all of your relevant social media info is on them.

-Chris

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-Chris

Before I read the posts on this thread, just let me correct myself. When I say no, I mean I don't personally use those methods. And I've never had a karaoke contest. I've talked one owner out of the contest, just based off all the comments I've read about them on this forum. Some will tell you they can be successful, in my current area I don't see it as being an asset for the bars around here.

Theme nights? I think it's a great idea, but you have to have a strong following and or really get the work out, so instead of it being advertising, it needs the advertising in my opinion. I do love the idea, sometimes I dress up, including dressing to look like my logo with the dancing king. I just don't have the tights yet!

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Drink coupons? Never used them, but something I would probably leave up to the venue.

Posting in certain "where to find karaoke bars" websites? if so which ones?
Social sites? Facebook? Where?
Local "What's happening magazines or newspapers" in your local city? See my previous reply

giving regulars incentives to bring new people in? Being able to call shot specials or other drink specials? Combining these two - I have been brainstorming with a local venue on ideas. One of the ideas we are going to implement is to advertise and offer a free ***something*** to birthday parties of 6 or more. Maybe a pitcher, appetizers, or even full meals this is TBD. Only condition is SOMEONE has to show a valid ID with a birthdate within a week of the current date.

If I know someone is having a birthday, I always offer to buy them a drink. Just something I have chosen to do.

Do contests really bring a lot of revenue to a club? I am not a fan of contests. Others here have great success with contests. It just isn't how I want to run or promote my shows.

Theme night (50's 60's 70's 80's) ? I have done this. Worked well and plan on doing more of these. Even if it doesn't bring in new people, it is a nice change of pace and a lot of fun for the regulars. They appreciate the effort and the word of mouth will positively impact the show.

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-Chris

Drink coupons?
No except theme nights
Posting in certain "where to find karaoke bars" websites? if so which ones?
no
Social sites? Facebook? Where?
Yes FB and Twitter are very useful
Local "What's happening magazines or newspapers" in your local city?
yes local weekly papers
giving regulars incentives to bring new people in?
no
Being able to call shot specials or other drink specials?
occasionally
Do contests really bring a lot of revenue to a club?
they can, however we have found the "rebound" loss of customers have decimated venues.We have not run a contest in over 7 years
Theme night (50's 60's 70's 80's) ?
Yes, we do many theme nights and do drawings of song tickets for themed gag gifts and some drink tickets

I have a lot lately given out gag gifts, drink coupons to singers with a lottery type drawing. I've used raffle tickets and baseball cards. They draw one, if the numbers on a baseball card add up to 9, I buy them a drink. If they add up to 5, I let them draw from the bag. Neon glow in the dark bracelets bla bla bla. I've given cracker jack prizes to singers, beeds (play on my last name), Hawaiian leis and other small items.


I do not consider this advertising.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I use posters and radio ads

facebook and twitter i think

My best gag gift ever: Dinner for 2.

It was actually 2 military MRE's I had acquired from our supply room.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

MRE's? I'm gaggin' already!

I don't really advertise at all - probably should have and probably should be doing more with it now, but just kind of got back to doing karaoke by accident through the work of friends pushing my show to the bar owner. I don't even have a business card - I just print my phone number on my song slips.

After 6 months at my Friday show I now have a Thursday show, an offer for a Sunday show and calls for private parties have begun to trickle in and all of it has just happened to fall into my lap through the work of friends who like me and what I do.

Like the song says, "Beer's good, God's great and people are crazy". That's about all I can say about my dumb luck. EVERYTHING, I've gotten in this business has come through the friends I've made. This book may help you make more friends in your business. I think it's helped me.

http://www.amazon.com/Exceptional-Customer-Service-Customers-Expectation/dp/1580624588/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366729464&sr=8-1&keywords=exceptional+customer+service

Facebook sounds like a good idea - I guess I need to do something about making a professional page. I have a personal page, but I'm frank about some controversial things there and that's the last thing I want to do when I'm entertaining people. Nobody wants to know about that stuff and I don't really want to talk about it in that setting anyway.