How Do You Generate Business?

[zzfdvz@mac.com]

Hello fellow slutz!

I think the title is pretty self explanatory, but to elaborate a bit further...what are you doing to drum up business? Obviously word of mouth and referals, but aside from that...what kind of marketing, if any?

And if there's anything you've found to be completely useless, that'd be helpful too.

With everything going on in the industry (or lack thereof), I think it'd be helpful to throw out ideas others might not have and do what little we can to keep us in business.

thanks!

[dangoudie]

I've found more things to be useless than useful! I know that's not helpful. ha

I've found posters on noticeboards are a waste of time unless you renew them regularly (£££) or have a relationship with the board owner so they will make sure they're not immediately covered up, ripped down etc...

Face-to-face meetings I find are most fruitful BY FAR!
Going to gigs and talking to the band afterwards has probably a 50% success rate (which is pretty good in marketing terms) but it is labour intensive and costly.

Myspace is great for finding artists and bands and getting your name about but it is so easy to be a flake on the internet. If 50% of people you talk to their actually ask for more info, probably 5% actually book, if that.

I think 10% is a fairly standard acceptable success rate with marketing so if anyone has any other ideas then please pass them on.

[shaneoconnor]

it is sort of like dating. would you pick up a flyer advertising a girl and say "oh i should go on a date with you!"

well some people would. and they are creepy.

so if you want quality clients, you have to build personal, quality relationships. doing this is very genre dependent.