Make the most of your performance opportunities at the end of the yea

Santa’s not the only one coming to town – the holiday season brings singers special opportunities for making music.

In addition to club/pub gigs, many people hire musicians for private parties and events.

Over the next three weeks we’ll look at how you can maximize your promotion, income and performance energy as we come to an exciting end of the year.

Today, here are some tips on promoting your holiday event:

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Turn your gig into a holiday event. Everyone loves a party, especially around the holidays. Rather than promoting the gig as just a regular gig, promote it as a holiday event. (“Mike’s first annual holiday bash!”)

Send out a “Save the Date” announcement.
 The holidays are a super busy time of year for people. Parties, family commitments and work events can fill up calendars fast. To get your gig on those calendars before they fill up, try sending out a “save the date” announcement to your friends and fans a minimum of 4 weeks before your gig.

Promote your gigs well. In addition to being extra busy, people also tend to be a bit forgetful during the holidays. After you’ve sent out your “save the date” announcement, reminders are a good idea. This is especially important for club/pub gigs. Send follow-up e-mails 2-weeks before the gig, 1-week before the gig and then again the day of.

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Don’t rely on social media to promote your gigs. Social media is great, but don’t depend on it. Your friends and followers may not check their newsfeeds as often during the holidays and your gig invite could easily be missed. Send e-mails to your mailing list, make phone calls and tell people in person. Remember that for club/pub gigs, the venue is relying on YOU to fill the room.

Tune in next week for tips on handling Money at your Holiday Gig.