2 replies to this topic

[Paul Brown]

Nowadays, most people say they 'promote' their band on facebook. Just putting it out there, inviting your 2000 'friends' to see your band play in your local bar isn't promoting. It's just going to annoy the hell out of them.

Design (or have someone design) a good, eye-catching poster with all the relevant details on it

Bands Performing
Admission
Doors - Open / Close
Age Restriction
Venue

Have a good picture or at least some kind of image, and make it colourful. It's incredible the number of bands who don't have their latest gig poster available on their pages or websites. How can a website (such as Chordblossom, ATL or NIROCKS) find your poster to add to their gig calendar?

Or worse again, those bands who don't take the time to send an e-mail asking for a full size copy of the poster and content with the barely visible facebook event version copied.

Posters are still vital, they contain all the needed information and are cross-platform capable, facebook events just aren't. A combination of the two is the key!

[vigo]

My band always did our own virtual posters and flyers for every gig in addition to the "promoters'" posters (when they actually bothered their holes to do one) and plastered them all over our various online presences. I'd say its also vital not to forget about actual posters and flyers - a few flyers dotted aorund the venue you're playing about your upcoming release, gigs or even just website details are all a good way to at least get somebody to register your existence. also, dropping into the venue BEFORE you play to leave some flyers, put up a poster for your upcoming show there. Facebook will only help alert people you're already connected to - you have to reach out to those you have yet to connect to.

[LouiseConlon88]

I must admit, I remember about 3 or 4 years ago, sticking posters up all around Lurgan at about 2am so noone would see us.

See now? I'd see the odd poster promoting gigs in Lurgan now. Alot of bands i know do use facebook to promote, but I do think posters should still be used.

I think for bands that do most of their promoting on facebook/twitter, they really need to keep their pages exciting.