Help Me Build A Ticket Stimulus Package
HELP! As many of you know, in addition to writing Hypebot and consulting, I also help run boutique booking agency Skyline Music. Despite some press reports to the contrary, live music is being effected by the global economic downturn just like the rest of the music industry. We’re hearing daily from artists and promoters that ticket sales are down even for many established artists, and most expect things to get worse.
To help fight soft sales, my Skyline associates and I are working on something we’re calling the Ticket Stimulus Package. The goal is to provide promoters, venues, artists and fans with free or low cost tools to help sell tickets. The emphasis is on digital tools, but not restricted to them. All must be scalable to serve all of the 40 artists on our roster.
How do you think we can help stimulate ticket sales? To learn what promoters thought, we sent out a survey to select buyers. Click below to see it. Which ideas do you think are better than others? You can cut and paste it into the comments section and answer all the questionnaire if you like. Or better yet, what ideas are we forgetting?
What’s in it for you? Please, take the best ideas and use them.
SURVEY OF PROMOTERS & TALENT BUYERS
In addition to the usual photo, bio and press kit, what materials would you be likely use to promote a Skyline date if they were provided to you at no charge?
- Video: Code to drop a band video onto your site or in an HTML email.
- Banners: Graphic web banners customized to your date like the one attached to drop onto your site, html emails and/or use in an online advertising campaign. If so, which 2 or 3 sizes or most useful. Some popular sizes include:
- 468 X 60 horizontal banner
- 234 X 60 horizontal half banner
- 125 X 125 square banner
- 120 X 240 vertical banner
- 120 x 600 vertical skyscraper
- Other sizes that you prefer?
- Email: A graphic HTML email that you would forward to your email list customized to your date that “introduces” the band with links to tickets and the band’s site.
- Ad Mats: If so, in what size(s)?
- Flyers: A master b&w flyer customized to your date which you would reproduce and distribute.
- If so 8.5 x 11, 5.5 x 2.25 (half page) or some other size?
- What’s Missing? What else could would you use to promoter your date?
OPTIONAL QUESTIONS:
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least useful and 5 being the most useful) how would you rate each of the following:?
Get the rider before the date is confirmed
Simplified and riders
Less costly riders
Getting promo within 24 of confirmation
Promo sent directly to your publicist
Show notification to top online concert sites: MySpace, Eventful, Pollstar, PollstarPro, Jambase, AOL Music, Showtix, MoJam, PureVolume, CelebrityAccess, indie 911 and others
Radio beds/spots
Openers that matter
Free local openers
Other suggestions?
Find companies to sponsor more tours – that would help cover some travel, and other costs and would allow for the artist to perform for a lower ticket price and for a smaller guarantee and in return the promoter can continue bringing what would be a high price tour through an area and offer a bigger percentage after costs. As well with having a company sponsor a tour it would help bring more press coverage of not only a single date but the whole tour.
I would say to forget the banners, the ROI on that is I believe the lowest of any type of advertisement. I would suggest trying to bunch ticket purchases together, somewhat like the Amazon “People who bought ___ also bought___”. After purchasing the one ticket, list all other Skyline artists that are going to the city.