Value Your Show

You’ve come up with an awesome idea for your next show and you already have an ideal venue in mind. Before you put tickets on sale and start promoting, it’s important to make sure you’re communicating the value that your show provides your fans, and production partners. Learn how to value your show and use this checklist to help prove the real-life return on investment that your friends, fans, and partners will receive by attending or throwing their weight behind your next show.

1. Know your people.
Take a step back from your planning and think about your potential audience and their needs. Who is your audience? Get as specific as possible. What are they looking to get out of your show? Write out their goals. Additionally, if you have competitors, figure out what they’re doing and how it’s going. If you can put together something completely unique, you’re already ahead of the game and filling the room will be much easier. If not, you might discover how to do it better…

2. Charge.
On average, we see that free events have about a 50% show rate. Basically, people are more likely to attend a show if they’re paying for it. Even if you charge a nominal amount for your event, people will be more compelled to attend. If you don’t want to make money off of the show, use the funds collected to cover something extra, like free food or a drink for your fans, or donate the funds to a local cause or community organization.

3. Make costs and benefits clear.
Be very clear about the costs and benefits of attending. What do your fans gain from attending your show? Don’t show all your cards, but offer a teaser of what your audience will walk away with — whether it’s a new friend, new music, or a feeling they won’t get anywhere else.

4. Build FOMO.
From our study with Mashwork, we found that 21% of social media conversation about Music events fell into the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) category. These people predominantly expressed that they wished they were at a particular event but couldn’t attend. Tap into this FOMO phenomenon. Illustrate what people might be missing. Frame your show as an opportunity your fans do not want to miss out on.

5. Create a compelling event page and invitation.
Don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise: first impressions count. These posts will help you to write and design a compelling event page. Once finished, read 9 Ways Your Invitation Says Your Event Will Be Lame from our friends over at BizBash. If you saw your event page, would it make you want to read more? Would you want to attend? Would you want to sponsor it?

6. Promote wisely.
It takes some time to come up with a variety of fun, promotional messages, but it will make you look appealing, not to mention legit.  Go back to Step 1 and think about who your target audience is, then think of creative ways to reach them. Think of where that group gathers (both online and offline) and go from there.

Follow these six easy steps and prove to potential attendees why they should be attending your event and why they won’t regret it.

Anything you’d add? Tell us in the comments below! We’re here to hear you.