What is your best marketing plan for corporate events?
What has worked best for you?
Thanks,
Paul
What has worked best for you?
Thanks,
Paul
your opinion please
- Thread starter DJ PAUL
- Start date
The same as my other event and venue marketing:
Call for a contact name. If completely impossible to get, use Human Resources / Event Director
A Mailing. Do NOT send a folded flyer in a letter envelope. Send unfolded in a 9x12. One or two pages TOPS, plus your card. I prefer to have these inserted into a clear page protector or report cover. What you send is VERY important. It may be very professional, but if it looks like every other piece of corporate junk mail, it will be treated that way. I send out, in my opinion, the most unprofessional, uncorporate flyer/line card that I have ever seen. Yet, even if I visit months later, it's on their desk....it's memorable!
Follow Up within a few days with a phone call, and attempt to set up an appointment.
If this was a bar venue, I would add an unscheduled visit shortly after if an appointment can't be made. However, this is impractical and annoying for corporate work.
No Appointment? Wait awhile, and REPEAT
Target your market. Do you have an industrial park nearby? A drive-through will give you a list of local leads. So will the local Yellow Pages. NOT the online version (not always up to date). Actually sit down and start reading. The local newspaper's business section.
Work at least one nite per week in a local restaurant/bar venue!
I can't stress this enough. You get a place to showcase your skills. You get free advertising. You get a place to give out, and more importantly, RECEIVE business cards from corporate contacts. All of this, and you even get PAID to receive these benefits! If you are specializing in corporate, then find a nice restaurant bar rather than a saloon. The atmosphere is important to the type of service that you are trying to showcase.
As far as private events, I specialize in corporate as opposed to weddings. Although I get a decent percentage of my bookings from mailings, the large majority are from bar exposure..
Hope this helps, and good luck
Joe some awsome tips man!
you wouldnt be willing to share your flyer would ya?
I do alot of corporate, picked up from local venues just as you mentioned. I wanted to push for more resort work here in fla as there are many! but very slow to book my show.
i think a memorable flyer is just the ticket!
Paul
you wouldnt be willing to share your flyer would ya?
I do alot of corporate, picked up from local venues just as you mentioned. I wanted to push for more resort work here in fla as there are many! but very slow to book my show.
i think a memorable flyer is just the ticket!
Paul
Resort work is s different bag of worms..... Check and see if they hire you directly, or if they only book through entertainment companies...
Most of the resorts here on Maui do it that way... You want a gig at The Ritz-Carlton Resort, get in with Envisions Entertainment, The Hyatt? That would be Tihati.....
If you have to work through the agents, call them, set up a meeting with them, bring your promo, music lists, pics and more pics.
The problem with getting into established venues is that they are already working with a DJ or two. You are not going to go in and just walk into a gig. Make yourself available to them, keep in touch with them, they will call you.
Most DJ's I know when they reach a certain level, to be honest, are all good. In my case, I'm a tad more outgoing than most so when they need the interactive or fun DJ, someone who can be a mouthy MC, they call me.
I also have Karaoke and a lot don't.
I'm am priced right, I am not cheap or a middle feeder, but I try not to gouge my clients. They like that and in turn keep me busy and I can live a comfortable lifestyle that suits me.
Joe started a thread about "Why You" that's exactly right, why should they hire you over someone who they are already booking? What do you have to offer to make THEM look good?
In the case of corps, what type are you looking at? Nike or Bills Grocery Store Employee Party?
Join your local Chamber of Commerence (sp),,, go network. They have a list of companies in town with contact info.
How far are you willing to travel to do a gig? Just getting your feet wet and want some gigs to get under your belt? Try expanding your travel zone. Are you willing to drive 2 or 3 hours to an event in another town?
Before going after them, you have to know what you want out of then, what you are willing to do.
Most of the resorts here on Maui do it that way... You want a gig at The Ritz-Carlton Resort, get in with Envisions Entertainment, The Hyatt? That would be Tihati.....
If you have to work through the agents, call them, set up a meeting with them, bring your promo, music lists, pics and more pics.
The problem with getting into established venues is that they are already working with a DJ or two. You are not going to go in and just walk into a gig. Make yourself available to them, keep in touch with them, they will call you.
Most DJ's I know when they reach a certain level, to be honest, are all good. In my case, I'm a tad more outgoing than most so when they need the interactive or fun DJ, someone who can be a mouthy MC, they call me.
I also have Karaoke and a lot don't.
I'm am priced right, I am not cheap or a middle feeder, but I try not to gouge my clients. They like that and in turn keep me busy and I can live a comfortable lifestyle that suits me.
Joe started a thread about "Why You" that's exactly right, why should they hire you over someone who they are already booking? What do you have to offer to make THEM look good?
In the case of corps, what type are you looking at? Nike or Bills Grocery Store Employee Party?
Join your local Chamber of Commerence (sp),,, go network. They have a list of companies in town with contact info.
How far are you willing to travel to do a gig? Just getting your feet wet and want some gigs to get under your belt? Try expanding your travel zone. Are you willing to drive 2 or 3 hours to an event in another town?
Before going after them, you have to know what you want out of then, what you are willing to do.
Jon you are exactly right i meant Joe! i dont know what the hell i was thinking.
please correct if you can!
Paul
please correct if you can!
Paul
First, for some reason I have always been unable to post pictures here. The virtual buttons just don't do anything. No one can figure it out....
Anyway my flyer would be no help because it's all about me. However, I can give you some idea...
I went for neat, but UGLY. What's that mean? It is printed on non-glossy bright chartreuse ( hmm, wonder why?) paper, in a comic font. COMPLETELY unprofessional, but reminiscent of FUN. NO PICTURE of me with my head tilted to the side, holding one cup of my earphone to my head, the other on the mixer like so many others have. The only graphics are Paint Shop crap of a spinning record in one corner and a microphone ( repping karaoke) on the other.
Follow the KISS principle
The corporate flyer ( as opposed to bar venues) is ONE page in a sheet protector. I have a total of 18 lines on it in different point sizes. Second largest size at top ( bold)( title or intro ) , largest ( and bold) font for my company name, medium font for the point of your flyer, smaller font with info about you or yiour company, medium bold and point marks for each of your selling points, and medium bold for final message. The different fonts sizes keep their eyes moving, as opposed to a page full of same size blather of which they skip half...
These people are BUSY. The flyer MUST:
Tell them why the SERVICE is a good idea
Tell them WHO you are
Tell them why hiring YOU to do it is a good idea
Tell them ABOUT you
Tell them WHAT you offer
At the end, REMIND them to call you.
AND, make it memorable!
This MUST be done quickly, clearly, and fully. I managed it in 18 lines- it CAN be done. The page protector keeps the flyer pristine during mailing, and the 3 holes are sometimes put to use by the receiver for storing it. I get an average of 10-12% feedback from these ugly things, as opposed to the 2-3% I got from my old "corporate style" fancy flyers. Another point, at the risk of repetition: I have never walked into an office, no matter what the length of time, and not seen that flyer on the contact's desk. It doesn't get thrown away. Don't forget to include the business card!
Despite the ugly, these are NOT cheap mailings. After you put together the cost of the larger envelope itself, the page protector, the flyer, magnetic and regular business card, and the postage ( , each mailing runs around 1.95 ( and more for my 3 page bar mailings). Worth every penny, but targeting is a MUST, or you'll go broke mailing to closed businesses, mom & pop tiny businesses, inappropriate businesses ( funeral homes come to mind, but hey, anything's possible), and even other entertainment businesses.
Hope I covered it....:splaugh:
I don't have a flyer for corps, never did,,,, but a party page on your web site, that is geared for everyone could be a start...
http://www.mauimobilemusic.com/parties.html
http://www.mauimobilemusic.com/parties.html
Love what ya did there! However, I have a problem with websites as a primary marketing tool.
1) If they don't know you, then how would they know to go to YOUR website. The only way to find it would be to cruise a listing with a bunch of DJs on it and randomly choosing yours- as well as giving them the opportunity to check out your competition's as well....
2) If the DO know who you are, chances are they've seen you work- a card will do for further discussion.
I AM listed on all the local freebie sites, but no longer maintain a dedicated website. It just wasn't worth the time or expense. As previously stated, most of my private bookings come from referrals and bar exposure, with mailings for more permanent work and corporates as well. I got more price shoppers and time wasters than anything else on my website, though I did book a few.
This is just my experience though. I know a few DJs that pretty much depend on sites for their business- just not many...
OK first off we're members of 3 chambers and two merchans associations and constantly volunteer to do networking events free.
When i send a flyer i send it to the owners attention in a non-descript handwritten stamped envelope (even though we have a meter) i do this because it instantly strikes curiousity.
Usually during the HOTTEST day in july one of my bizpartners, vance, dresses up in our santa suit and we go cold calling to the large businesses out here. It gets secretaries engaged.
Although people tell you to get to the decision maker and past the gate keeper, thats great advice, but Mary the secretary at the front desk is usually someone that the boss has organize a christmas or holiday party.
We did googles ground breaking in Lenoir and then the Christmas Party they through for the contractors.
We do Dell regularly
Reynolds regularly
and we've done RF a couple years in a row
Also Volvo
and of course local smaller companies as well
Also print advertising in "THE BUSINESS JOURNAL" always works in late august and early september. Find the local publisher you may be able to trade out their christmas party for a 1/4 page ad
thats just some. I cant give away all my secrets Greg might become the biggest guy in town
j/k
When i send a flyer i send it to the owners attention in a non-descript handwritten stamped envelope (even though we have a meter) i do this because it instantly strikes curiousity.
Usually during the HOTTEST day in july one of my bizpartners, vance, dresses up in our santa suit and we go cold calling to the large businesses out here. It gets secretaries engaged.
Although people tell you to get to the decision maker and past the gate keeper, thats great advice, but Mary the secretary at the front desk is usually someone that the boss has organize a christmas or holiday party.
We did googles ground breaking in Lenoir and then the Christmas Party they through for the contractors.
We do Dell regularly
Reynolds regularly
and we've done RF a couple years in a row
Also Volvo
and of course local smaller companies as well
Also print advertising in "THE BUSINESS JOURNAL" always works in late august and early september. Find the local publisher you may be able to trade out their christmas party for a 1/4 page ad
thats just some. I cant give away all my secrets Greg might become the biggest guy in town
j/k