When CMJ released its panel schedule about ten days ago, there were a couple titles that jumped out at us right away, most of which we've been lucky enough to attend over the past few days. But the final panel we attended today, “How to Sell 500 Tickets in 5 Different Markets," was the first thing we circled.
And it turns out our instincts were good. There was a ton of information offered up not just by the panelists, but by audience members themselves. I thought of grouping these into some snazzy categories, but honestly, it's Friday, I have to go to Southpaw, I have a hangover that feels and acts like it was designed by the Defense Department, and we all know that everybody prefers listicles, anyway.
- “Chamillionaire recently talked about one way to add Twitter followers at a gig: take a picture of the crowd during the set with your cell phone, then tell them you're going to post the picture to your Twitter feed the next day. The people that want to see that photo will follow you."—Steve Tramposch, Launch Pad Entertainment
- “Hit up Yelp to find nearby businesses and offer their employees deals. Ask the venue if people who mention a particular business can get a dollar off drinks or cheaper tickets. The venue will usually be okay with it, and the businesses definitely will."—Ryan Sweeney, Wine From the Moon
- “Invite groups to shows instead of individuals. If you know somebody in a market that works at a law firm, invite the entire firm. If you know someone that went to school nearby, invite the entire alumni office."—Random Lady From the Crowd
- “If you want to find blogs that are based near an upcoming gig, type the venue name into Hype Machine or Elbows. The bloggers that go there regularly will have posts about attending shows at that venue. Offer them your music or offer them a free ticket to your show."—Me
- “Don't feel bad about playing lots of shows in smaller markets. It's better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small band in a big market like New York or Philadelphia."—Steve Tramposch
- “If you're playing an opening slot for a bigger band, and the gig is a reasonable driving distance, get fans from your local market to buy tickets, then rent a van or a bus to bring them down there with you. The fans of the headliner will notice your fans there, and they'll take your set more seriously."—Jake Szufnarowski, Rocks Off
- “Play your home market as little as possible. As much as your mom loves you and your band, she can only come out and bring your cousins and her friends so many times. And if you burn your local market out when you're still starting out, you're done. It's better to look special than busy."—Marshall Betts, Supreme Entertainment
