Now that the internet has a foothold, many forms of cheap promotion need to change.
In the good old days, people would stand outside of shows and pass out 8½ by 11 inch flyers to all who would accept them.
Today this might still make a small contribution toward getting people to shows, but there are much better ways to get flyers made and distributed.
First, let's look at flyers themselves. They are a huge waste of paper.
People get them and then throw them away.
Everyone sees flyers as trash. It reminds most people of papers they used to get in school, and we all know where those things went.
Let the internet take the brunt of human apathy, not the trees.
I am not suggesting that paper flyers should be scrapped altogether. They should just be used in moderation.
Instead of using an entire sheet for 1 flyer, create 4 from that sheet. This is not a new idea, but it will save you money.
People waste too much real estate on flyers. The important information on a flyer is who are you, why are you giving me this, and where can I learn more.
You can easily do that on a 4¼ by 5½ inch piece of paper.
Don't hand them out. Post them on bulletin boards and other places where they will be seen by your potential audience.
If you feel the need to hand something out get stickers printed. Stickers will be a much better investment.
Your flyers need to have:
- Your name
- Your contact information - phone numbers and e-mails
- Your genre - people want to know what kind of music you play
- And, most important, your online flyer address
Your website is your online promo pack. Most bands these days don't know how to leverage this asset.
They usually never update it. It is your #1 marketing tool to your audience.
No flyer will do what a site can do.
You need to create an eFlyer on your site. You will need to constantly update it.
It allows people to find out what's going on.
- Put your next and only your next gig on it.
- Place information from your last gig on it.
- Give them some news to know whats going on.
- Make it a page long. If you make it too long, you will lose your reader.
Let the rest of the site hold the gigs and songs and news, but make your eFlyer your visitors point of entry.
E-mail those people on your mailing list every time you do a good update (hopefully once a week).
If you can, make it your first page.
Leverage your website to become a cheap form of communication to all your fans out there.
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How the Web has Changed Flyers |
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