Friends and family want to support you in everything you do. That's a given.
If what you have to offer is good -fans will be drawn to it, and they will support you as you continue to move forward.
Let's talk about inviting for a little bit.
It might seem like you invite EVERYBODY to your shows, but nobody seems to care. Let's unpack that a little bit.
Things to ask yourself when inviting friends and family to shows:
1. Will you get to spend more time with them than you will onstage? (If your show is 4 hours long, and your breaks equal less than an hour... that would be a no. If your show is a 30-90 minute segment and your face time with your friends/family will be 60 minutes to 2 hours, then go ahead and invite them. They are there for YOU, not your show.)
2. Did I invite them to something else recently? Yesterday? A couple days ago? Last week? Again, how much time did you spend with them at the show? If the answer is very little... You've been inviting your friends and family to watch you work -not actually spend time with you.
3. Are you going to send a mass invite? Facebook invitations can be pretty slick, but they are also incredibly impersonal. When was the last time you accepted an event request that your buddy Joe sent to 1500 other people (and the analytics showed that 6 people were attending)? Doesn't sound very fun does it?
4. What night of the week are you playing on? Sometimes you don't get to be upset about a low turnout. Monday-Thursday nights are notoriously slow nights for any venue. Don't be discouraged if nobody shows up. It's okay! If the bar gives you flack for it, they have unrealistic expectations for their local entertainment. After all, they are trying to be successful as a business owner, too, and unfortunately, artists often get thrown under the bus if a low-turnout happens at the shows.
Now, if you are booked on a Friday or Saturday and nobody shows up, then you might have to reconsider the kinds of venues you are booking yourself in. There's a degree of responsibility the venue has by inviting entertainment in -the regulars will inevitably be there, but the band should be able to draw in at LEAST 15 people to add to the show's attendance -you'll be able to gauge your "FAN" numbers based on your social media presence and how much they interact with you (yes, it's more than just how many people "like" your page)... If they aren't interacting with you on the various platforms, it's just a number... but that's for a different post!
So, how do I invite people?
Friends and Family:
- Send a personal invite via text, phone call, or even Facebook. Keep it to once or twice a month, and make sure it's for an event you'll be able to spend time with them -and don't question them (hold them socially hostage) if they leave a 4-hour event early.
- If you send a FB invitation to friends/family, only send it to people that are within a 10 mile radius of the venue -and keep the invite number less than 30. There are so many implications that go into that -including that you chose them PERSONALLY rather than putting out a mass invite to all of your friends online.
- After you've invited people, don't tag them in anything related to your event until after the event (assuming they show up). Excessive tagging is not only annoying but also feels like harassment. If I get tagged in other peoples' events, I usually remove my tag immediately. Heck, I've had to block band pages that I've been IN because of the excessive tagging that our page moderator would do. Not cool.
Key point: Give your friends and family a break, man! A true fanbase will happen slowly -just stick to your guns and keep booking shows. Again, your audience shouldn't feel uncomfortable because YOU feel uncomfortable... and there's nothing much more socially uncomfortable about having a friend send weekly texts, calls, and FB invitations to events I'm going to end up sitting at by myself. Just saying!
Until next time,
-T.