Thread: Better Ways To Promote Oneself

I know this is old ground for a lot of people, but I feel like I could use some fresh information or new thinking. What are some good ways to promote oneself besides Partypop, Gigmasters, and our own websites? I've been in such a dry spell lately, I'm starting to wonder if I've become the bellydance version of box office poison! I think I need to do something, but I'm just not sure what, exactly.

Thanks,
Leela

news paper local small news papers are not to expensive, also hand out your buisness cards to buisness, "holiday Party's

I'm still trying.. so far the most effective thing I did was collaborate for a while with a local singing telegram-type agency. They offered strippers, but they also offered lots of other types of entertainment and there was no confusion. I had to give them a cut, but they also handled the advertising, web promo, pre-screening, contracts, etc etc etc so I didn't mind.

Been thinking a lot about this one, too. Now that I'm working as a sales rep for a radio station, it's making me feel like a lot of our preferred advertising methods are old-school and ineffective....but at the same time, I sure as hell can't afford to advertise on the radio or cable TV at a frequency that delivers a good return on my investment.

Bearing in mind that a lot of us can only afford to go grassroots with our marketing efforts, I think the main objectives are to increase our visibility on the Internet, do a hell of a lot of networking, and fine-tune our brand and our niches with laser-like accuracy.

Leela, since you're located in NYC, I'd suggest that you focus on ways to cut through the clutter of your saturated geographic region. I'd imagine it's so hard to get noticed in an area where there are so many dancers! Learn more about search engine optimization methods and revamp your website so you come out on top. Maybe you might want to supplement your current website with a blog, a MySpace, a Facebook and other social networking elements - I've actually gotten tons of restaurant and club gigs by being MySpace savvy, oddly enough. A lot of nightclub promoters send out their feelers on MySpace, so it can be a good way to get noticed.

Also, never EVER underestimate the power of good old fashioned networking. Being in sales (and a chatty Cathy in general), I naturally tend to form rapport wherever I go. That's another one of those odd things that's led to gigs: you strike up a totally random conversation with a store owner, mention bellydance, and before you know it, they mention their good friend who's opening a new restaurant down the street and might need entertainment. I'm not suggesting you play the role of bellyvangelist or annoying salesperson, or that you view every person as the gatekeeper to a potential gig (that gets real old, real fast) - but do pride yourself as a valuable member in your local business community. Because you are. To take this further, you might even want to join a local chamber of commerce.

Furthermore, have you developed your niche? If not, you've got some fun self-exploration to do! If so, do a mental check-in: Are you doing everything you can to stay on top of your niche? Does the message in your images and web copy run consistent to your target consumer and the type of gigs you wish to pursue? Have you explored all of your options for cross-promotion? If you do a kick-ass baby shower, you might want to introduce yourself to the owners of baby boutiques, or prenatal yoga instructors, or even cool holistic-minded midwives.

I don't necessarily advocate that anybody try to re-invent the wheel. Sometimes, a tune-up of your marketing radar can really make an entire world of difference.

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I'm still trying.. so far the most effective thing I did was collaborate for a while with a local singing telegram-type agency. They offered strippers, but they also offered lots of other types of entertainment and there was no confusion. I had to give them a cut, but they also handled the advertising, web promo, pre-screening, contracts, etc etc etc so I didn't mind.

Good call, and I'd totally second this recommendation. Agencies will get you gigs and leave you with more free time to, well, go out and pursue more gigs ..l;,

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I'm not suggesting you play the role of bellyvangelist or annoying salesperson,

Ha ha, I love it! Hi, my name is Jewel and I'm a bellyvangelist. And I'm proud of it!

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Now that I'm working as a sales rep for a radio station, it's making me feel like a lot of our preferred advertising methods are old-school and ineffective....but at the same time, I sure as hell can't afford to advertise on the radio or cable TV at a frequency that delivers a good return on my investment.

I've been in the media biz too, and I know what you mean. BUT our target market is small, radio or television buys aren't a good way to reach such a niche market.

They'd be good ways to reach potential students, but only if you were prepared to accommodate a large rush of incoming beginners. Most of us are better off using methods that deliver manageable growth.

Our target market for gigs is so much smaller and more specialized. If you know who they are, direct mail followed up by a phone call would be perfect. Postcard, phone call asking permission to send a DVD, follow-up phone call every 6 months or so...

But reaching people who are planning parties is harder. Probably the most important thing is to be easy to find online and in the yellow pages, which is where most people will look when they want to hire entertainment for a party.

Networking with DJs, caterers and others who tend to be involved with big events makes sense.

Specialized media -- advertising bridal showers in a local bridal publication, for instance -- makes sense, too.

But reaching people who are planning parties is harder. Probably the most important thing is to be easy to find online and in the yellow pages, which is where most people will look when they want to hire entertainment for a party<snip>

Networking with DJs, caterers and others who tend to be involved with big events makes sense.

Its old-skool marketing but I recently saw an add in a food/cookery magazine for a belly dancer. She's timed her ad to go in with an article/editorial on party planning.

It was a slick ad and I noticed it particularly because it is very, very unusual to see anyone advertise themselves over here in the UK other than in the local post office window/on their own websites/ through one of the agencies.

Ooooh! Quite randomly I have also just recalled that a local couple who are professional wedding photographers offered to distribute my business cards/marketing literature along with their own. They were pretty keen to help.

I had to laugh because I am a hafla-level performer and so not ready for professional gigs, if ever, but I still thought it was an excellent offer and maybe something to think about in future.

Originally Posted by khadiya

Its old-skool marketing but I recently saw an add in a food/cookery magazine for a belly dancer. She's timed her ad to go in with an article/editorial on party planning.

It was a slick ad and I noticed it particularly because it is very, very unusual to see anyone advertise themselves over here in the UK other than in the local post office window/on their own websites/ through one of the agencies.

That's amazing - and a such great example of smart media planning! Kudos to the dancer and/or the account exec at the magazine who hooked her up with such awesome real estate in print.

Otherwise, yeah - a print ad for bellydance would probably get lost in the middle of a section on fine wines.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

I've actually gotten tons of restaurant and club gigs by being MySpace savvy, oddly enough. A lot of nightclub promoters send out their feelers on MySpace, so it can be a good way to get noticed.

Lisa, can you share more details with us about what type of myspace savviness is helping you get gigs? I've joined myspace, and I've accepted some friend requests from local bands who approached me, as well as doing the usual friending of fellow belly dancers from around the world. It hasn't gotten me any students or performing gigs yet, though.

So far, when I go to myspace what I see is a hideous, cluttered-looking, chaotic user interface whose calendar functionality fails to post the class updates I try to key into it, and whose "help" desk never replied to my reports of said calendar problems.

So, what's your advice? What kind of strategy do you recommend for finding local businesses on myspace who might be in the market to hire dancers, and how do you recommend coming to their attention? Are you going after the clubs, the bands, or both? Are there other local contacts you're making that are turning into business? If so, how are you finding them?

I'd be very interested in knowing more about how to use myspace effectively, too.

Also, I forgot to mention because it has its own thread, but several of us just did a postcard mailing for the holidays, I'm getting a good response to that, but mostly from nursing homes/retirement communities that only have a budget of about $75/performance.

On the bright side, they're willing to take crazy time slots that I can't sell anyone else -- like Tuesdays at 2pm!

I'm passing some of those gigs to my student group. They really benefit from the performance opportunity, bring a lot of joy to the residents, and put the money away to buy something for the group later on.

Use your students! Offer them a discount or a free class if they bring X amount of newbies to class. I offered them a free month of classess for every two new students they brought and a hipscarf or jewelry set for every gig and if they got me a completely new dance class location that set of classes for free! Before I moved it worked wonders!