Promotion

• when to start promoting

• what information to promote

  • what the event is for, who is performing, date, time, price, location, address, where to get more info

• flyers, posters

  • where to distribute them – stores, other venues, telephone poles, schools, etc

  • supplies – wheatpasting, staplers, tape, etc

• internet (myspace/livejournal/messageboards, other networking sites)

• radio/newspapers/etc

• word of mouth

from Dan:

PROMOTION

FLYERING: Not everyone has a computer or regular

internet access, so flyering is extremely important.

What’s vital here is to make your flyer stand out but

also clearly present the information.  Find a cool

background image (or draw one yourself, hand drawn

flyers are the shit!), find or make graphics for the

bands’ names, go to Kinko’s, and do a cut and paste

job.  Fuck computer generated flyers.  I recommend

making an 11”x17” flyer and not an 8.5”x11” flyer, and

also recommend making a color copy of your original,

as to avoid the rapid degradation that will be

inevitable once you start making copies of your

original.

Here’s a checklist for the info the flyer needs to

have (it’s sad how often at least one of these is left

out): ALL BANDS, DATE, TIME, PRICE, and VENUE (with

address if it’s not a regular spot for shows).

Optional info: descriptions of each band under their

name (describing the band’s style or to say something

funny), directions to the venue, and your contact

info.

Once you have your flyer, scale it down and make

handbills that can be handed out to people.  You can

probably fit three or four per 8.5”x11” sheet.

When flyering, bring a stapler and either mailing tape

or wheatpaste.  Hit all the usual spots where you see

flyers in your town, but also unusual spots where

there aren’t any so that yours will stand out.  Be

liberal with your flyering but also smart: flyers in

common places will most likely be covered up, and

those in illegal places (telephone poles, utility

boxes) WILL be torn down unless you are an expert

wheatpaster.  And don’t forget about indoctrination of

the uninitiated: hand out handbills at middle or high

schools and at shows.

Personally, I think that the best time to physically

flyer is between one and two weeks before a show.

Doing it too early can result in people forgetting

about your show or your flyers getting covered up, and

doing it too late can result in people not finding out

about it in time or at all.  However, if it’s a show

that you know for a fact will be a significant one,

you should flyer early and then do a repeat flyering

closer to the actual date in case any of the earlier

ones are taken down or covered up.

PROMOTION IN PRINT: If your area has any local scene

oriented zines or trendy weeklies with show listings,

get them in here too.  But make sure you get all your

info right and check the listing for accuracy once

it’s in print.

INTERNET PROMOTION: For those that never leave their

rooms, give them a good reason.  Promote your show on

various show listing websites, message boards (any and

all hardcore shows should be posted on the Rev Board,

which should otherwise be avoided like the plague), or

internet communities for your area.  Even if you hate

livejournal or friendster, it’s a good idea to find

relevant communities or bulletin boards and make posts

in these places too.

A final note: when determining a time, I usually

either put the show’s starting time at least a half

hour earlier than I anticipate it starting (for the

“fashionably late”) or point out that the show WILL

start on time (and stick to it).