Memo To Bands & Promoters: Use Discount Tickets To Announce A Show, Not To Save One
This simple and powerful idea somes from Scott Perry of The New Music Tip Sheet:
"Don't use sites like Goldstar and Groupon to discount tickets at the last minute, use those services to announce a tour and give fans the discount up front. Offer the cheap seats at 2-for-1 pricing via a partnered presale, and then…
sell the rest of the tickets at full price. You miss the Groupon sale, you miss the discount, no more of this waiting for a last-minute discount bullshit that's been hurting the biz for the past couple of years."
Brilliant.
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Better yet, don’t use discount sites at all! There are many platforms that charge you way less to do pre-orders and discounts, you keep more of the profit, and you maintain control of the distribution.
Certainly, more people can be reached using the mega-discount services. However, you have to ask what the return on investment will actually be. My opinion is that the only way most businesses can afford to take such a huge loss (not only because of the discount, but also because of the fees charged by the service) is that they rely on a certain percentage of purchasers not redeeming the vouchers. Does it really benefit bands if they have empty seats at their shows?
I’d love to hear from musicians who have used these services – what has your experience been like?
I just saw this, which might add to the discussion.
The Grouponing of Hollywood