With festivals and live music events slowly making their return, it’s time to start planning how you can make your way back onto the stage in style. Here are our top tips for easing yourself and your band back into gigging again.
1. Consider your budget
Think about how big your tour is going to be and how much it will cost to get from place to place. Are you able to take the train to an event and head home afterward, or will you need to book a hotel or hostel and be back on the road for sunrise?
Having a budget template doesn’t sound very rock and roll but managing your finances will help you make sure things go as smoothly as possible. Create a template that is ready for you to input all your costs into and then prioritize each section from the most important to what can probably be trimmed out.
If you’re a music venue looking to hire multiple bands for your upcoming event, think about the fees these bands might require and also whether they might need you to offer them accommodation to seal the deal.
2. Create exclusive merchandise
Make your return a memorable one with exclusive merchandise. Fans will be more inclined to purchase such items as there’s more appeal with products that are rare and limited edition.
Try producing your merchandise on ethically sourced, organic t-shirts to show your fans you’re a band who care about the environment – this also makes your merchandise more inclusive and shows that each stage of its production has been carefully considered.
3. Plan your ticketing method
Use a specialized online ticketing service to ensure that you don’t under or overbook your venues. This is incredibly important now as social distancing is still paramount. Although ticketing sites take a cut of what you earn, they will be able to do the hard work for you and easily update you on sales and remaining spaces. This is also an easier way for your fans to get tickets, which they can print off at home or show on their phones upon entry.
4. Use paid promotion
Be sure to promote your next event as much as possible and on all platforms. Create videos to build hype on your social media accounts such as Instagram and TikTok, and even run competitions to win tickets if you can afford to do so.
Hiring a marketing expert might be a good idea as they will know exactly how to promote your event and which ways will work the best. You can also do paid promotions to boost your posts and advertise on platforms like Facebook to gain a wider reach and hopefully target a larger audience.
Originally posted 2021-06-15 18:09:24.
