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This is a follow up for my first article, 7 Ways To Get More Fans To Shows (50+ fans). I thought of 7 more great promo tactics to help your draw at every gig you book. Again, promoters put a lot of pressure on artists and bands to pack the house at their venues, for one very important reason; it’s their job to run a successful business, so if you can’t draw a crowd to their venue, they can’t sustain their business. It’s nothing personal, so do yourself a favor and check your ego at the door right now. Some venue promoters even require a 50 person minimum just to get a booking these days, so here are 7 MORE promotional power tips that will help you get more fans to shows (50+ fans):

1. Make it a special event. Turn an ordinary booking into something extra special, and invite another artist or band to join you on stage for the night. Perhaps they could open for you or back you up during your performance. The more the merrier really, because it will increase the chances of getting more people in the audience by extending your reach to other musicians fans, friends, and family. Get creative – invite a children’s choir to join you on stage for a song or two! Do you know how many proud parents there would be in the audience for a show like that?

2. Alert the media. Don’t forget about local press! While the web might still be throwing all the heavyweight newspapers and magazines under the bus, folks are still paying attention to calendar listings and local news. Figure out what the local papers and alternative weeklies are in the surrounding area where you’re scheduled to perform, and alert the folks in charge of calendar listings with a press release email. If you have something special to report about – like an album release show or special guests – it’s worth contacting someone in the arts & entertainment editorial department with a press release specific to your story, but be sure to include your performance details as well. Check out AltWeeklies.com for a comprehensive list of alternative weekly publications in the U.S. There’s also a great media alert tool available for members of ArtistData.com.

3. Guest-list VIPs. I’m sure there are plenty of very important people in your corner, so send personal invitations to some of the special people in your life and offer to guest-list them at your show. You can guest-list influential people in the community, supporters, allies, or select family, friends, and fans. You can also target local media contacts and offer them free media passes for you show, which might even result in additional coverage after the show in the form of a review.

4. Purchase 50 tickets in advance. The best way to guarantee a promoter that you’ll draw at least 50 people to your show is to purchase 50 tickets in advance. It may feel like risky business to your gut (and your wallet) but think of it as an investment and set aside a contingency fund that you can tap into for these type of miscellaneous purposes. The goal will be to pedal and promote those tickets as best you can to recoup the costs and pack the house for your show. In the unlikely chance that you aren’t able to offload all 50 tickets, you can always do some promotional giveaways for the remaining tickets. Regardless of how many tickets you sell, you’ll have kept your promise to the promoter and will likely be offered more chances in the future to build your following in the area. This method will help build your confidence as you prove to yourself how quickly you can offload those tickets and make a return on your investment!

5. Get sponsored. Seek out a local business or organization that you would be proud to associate with, and ask them to consider sponsoring your show. Sponsorships can come in many different forms, so get creative. Start with proposing an offer to promote the business or organization’s logo on every promotional campaign you have – like posters, online banners and photos, and in email campaigns – in exchange for promotional support. Propose that they promote your show on their website and in their ongoing e-newsletters in exchange. You could also target sponsorship money in lieu of promotional support and instead ask for the amount it would cost you to meet your 50 ticket investment so you don’t suffer a loss on any pre-paid tickets you aren’t able to offload yourself.

6. Increase your goal of 50 to 100. When you aim higher, you produce greater results. If you target 50 people to be in the audience for your show, chances are you will reach your goal, or come close to it. It’s really mind over matter, so why not aim for 100? If the same rules apply, you’ll again, either reach your goal, or come close to it. Before you know it, your venue promoter will be hunting you down to play at his club again!

7. Put on a stellar show. If you read the first article – 7 Ways To Get More Fans To Shows (50+ fans) – then you know I’m repeating this one. This is the most important one, so I’m saving the best for last. Again, if you are consistently putting on an irresistable show that people just can’t get enough of, that’s leverage in itself to draw a great crowd! Try playing each show like it is your last, and give 100% to every one of your performances – no matter what. Regardless of how large or small of an audience you’re performing to – you will be remembered by the quality of your performance, so play like you’re headlining The Super Bowl every single time!

You’re a rock star.

Here’s to your creative genius!

-Gregory Douglass, The Creative Advisor

P.S. Want more power tips like this to help fast-track your music career? Sign up below for more free training and creative advice I only share through email…

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