Let's talk advertising...

[Arsenu,]

Hello guys 'n'... well mostly guys...

Today i would like to talk about what might be the most overlooked subject on the forum - Advertising.

I know some of you own studios, and some of you work as freelance AEs, and being at the point where i'm my own studio iv'e just started to grasp how important advertising really is!

so let's get a few things clear before we start to discuss:
1. word of mouth is unquestionably the best advertisement you can get, yet it's also the slowest.
2. even a bad AE that knows how to advertise well will find work, at least for a while IMO.
3. even the best AE that doesn't know how to advertise won't find work IMO.

at the moment, i'm throwing open jam sessions at the studio, using FB ads, hanging posters/stickers and of course running a FB page and website, but as i don't personally know any established AE, i'm very curious as to how other people are approaching the task of advertising themselves/studio?
other than than, what tips/tricks can you guys share about the subject?
i suppose almost no one here is from the same area so i don't think there's anything to hide.

 

[BLUElightCory]

3. even the best AE that doesn't know how to advertise won't find work IMO.

I disagree. The work of a great AE speaks for itself, and basically IS advertising. There are plenty of great AEs that don't advertise at all (besides having a website or some other method of allowing people to find them). People seek them out because they do great work.

 

[CubanDude]

I disagree. The work of a great AE speaks for itself, and basically IS advertising. There are plenty of great AEs that don't advertise at all (besides having a website or some other method of allowing people to find them). People seek them out because they do great work.

True. I think it also requires a lot of luck: live in an area with lots of good bands, make friends with them, get one to record at your studio, make a good record and your business will take off... :Smokin: I think it's quite the same as gigging: it's not as important to play as many gigs as you can, it's important to play the good gigs and focus on those! I know, it's always tough, especially in the beginning.. But my point is: Try to get those bands to record at your studio you see potential in... If they make it, you'll make it too!

 

[Mashreef]

well the thing i did..
i mixed for some of the most popular bands from my city totally free...
and the whole credit goes to me... that's how it started from one's mouth to another...

 

[Arsenu,]

I agree with everything you said, but it all falls under the category of "word of mouth" which is the best, yet slowest way to get your name out there.

There's no doubt that if a band hears another bands music and likes the production they will turn up at your door for sure, but i'm more interested in the advertisement methods that you do have control over, and you found out to be effective.

 

[FrontlineGuitar]

I think this is a much needed thread..

The guy that runs the place where our band practices also runs a studio literally upstairs from the rehearsal rooms. So all the bands that practice at that place immediately know to go to him if they ever wanna record anything, and word of mouth gets out etc. He does no advertising whatsoever, and people only found out about his rehearsal studios through word of mouth and reasonably cheap rates.

And in all honesty - He can't mix for shit!

He has good tracking units, and can get a good tone going in, but as far as making things sit in a mix, that's his job done haha. The only reason he keeps getting clients is that people keep coming to his rehearsal studios..

It's a pretty damn good business model if you ask me, and if you've spent five minutes on this forum then you can mix better than him, and that will help you gain more clients from word of 'ear' more than anything.

 

[botus99]

i'm throwing open jam sessions at the studio

That's a killer idea! Invite over friends and friends of friends, everyone brings something, record everything, jam like crazy....

I really like that idea!

 

[Mashreef]

well i have a lot of friends over diffrent local radio's,tv channel's
they did the whole thing...

 

[Arsenu,]

That's a killer idea! Invite over friends and friends of friends, everyone brings something, record everything, jam like crazy....

I really like that idea!

than i might also add that from my experience, it works. it got me a few bands (friends of friends) to rehears here regularly.

i also had the idea to stream the whole jam live on the internet, and now im breaking my skull on how to do it... (tips anyone?)

if you take it a step further, you can also throw a "private concert", record it, and than everyone can jam.

if you have the space, and you have the tools, why not use them?

 

[Arsenu,]

I think this is a much needed thread..

The guy that runs the place where our band practices also runs a studio literally upstairs from the rehearsal rooms. So all the bands that practice at that place immediately know to go to him if they ever wanna record anything, and word of mouth gets out etc. He does no advertising whatsoever, and people only found out about his rehearsal studios through word of mouth and reasonably cheap rates.

And in all honesty - He can't mix for shit!

He has good tracking units, and can get a good tone going in, but as far as making things sit in a mix, that's his job done haha. The only reason he keeps getting clients is that people keep coming to his rehearsal studios..

It's a pretty damn good business model if you ask me, and if you've spent five minutes on this forum then you can mix better than him, and that will help you gain more clients from word of 'ear' more than anything.

i know another guy which is exactly the same!
my dog can produce music better than him, but he always seems to get more work (unlike my dog, who seems to have it pretty easy)

i'm sure there's a lot of ways we can help each other in this field.
for starters, i see a lot of websites in peoples signatures, post your website/logo/FB group/whatever and we can analyze/criticize/improve the way we present ourselves to potential costumers.
you're welcome to have a go on my website, i just made it last week.

 

[MotherEel]

You'd have to consider how it is that people would discover your website.
The word of mouth thing is slow, it's true, until you've got enough mouths talking.
Having posters and fliers at gigs is a good idea. Maybe even having a few really small gigs, that you can record and post ala BBC sessions kind of thing would increase interest by getting people to promote their gig at your studio - and then afterwards by promoting your studio through the leftover recording.
Finding some local zines, free press etc and ask them what their ad rates are. Run ads about the gigs, jams etc for a month, see if traffic increases over the next 3 months. If it does, consider advertising again. If not, rethink things.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I like the post your website for critique idea! We just launched ours a few days ago as well. I'll have a shot at yours and then post my own.



"we thrive to make the most out of your music without dealing with how many takes we have to record."

Thrive = Strive. And get rid of the "without dealing with how many takes we have to record." It makes it seem like you are advertising to noobs and once you get those people into the studio you will literally eat your words later for it. Just kill the sentence after music.



"Note that mixing does not obligates your physical presence and can be done remotely."

I hope you are charging mixing on a project basis and not studio time after saying that, or else your clients will walk all over you and coach you from home, after tracking you'll never see them again.



Everything else looks pretty tight. Here's mine: www.FrozenSunAudio.com

 

[AudioGeekZine]

I'm a great mixer when I have great material to work with. Unfortunately I'm not attracting enough of it for word of mouth to actually work. I end up working mostly with solo artists / bedroom songwriters and don't really get anywhere.

Here's mine: www.FrozenSunAudio.com

That background image takes ages to load, reduce the size and quality if you really must have it.


Mine is http://epicsounds.ca
It's 1 page but I think it covers absolutely everything.

 

[amarshism]

I don't advertise, I have a Facebook page and that's it.

 

[JakeAC5253]

That background image takes ages to load, reduce the size and quality if you really must have it.

Thanks, someone else mentioned that as well. I made two LQ versions of the background picture and uploaded the higher of the two. Any better now? Or should I go with the lower one still? I've also optimized all the other pictures on the site as well.

 

[Arsenu,]

I like the post your website for critique idea! We just launched ours a few days ago as well. I'll have a shot at yours and then post my own.



"we thrive to make the most out of your music without dealing with how many takes we have to record."

Thrive = Strive. And get rid of the "without dealing with how many takes we have to record." It makes it seem like you are advertising to noobs and once you get those people into the studio you will literally eat your words later for it. Just kill the sentence after music.



"Note that mixing does not obligates your physical presence and can be done remotely."

I hope you are charging mixing on a project basis and not studio time after saying that, or else your clients will walk all over you and coach you from home, after tracking you'll never see them again.



Everything else looks pretty tight. Here's mine: www.FrozenSunAudio.com

Thanks for the input man! will do as soon as i get proper internet back.
+1 about picture resolution, i have a 64k connection atm and it took me days to load it, other than that i was wondering why are you advertising yourself mostly for re-amping and impulses wheres most AEs offer tracking, mixing and mastering services. do you differ on purpose?

 

[Arsenu,]

I'm a great mixer when I have great material to work with. Unfortunately I'm not attracting enough of it for word of mouth to actually work. I end up working mostly with solo artists / bedroom songwriters and don't really get anywhere.



That background image takes ages to load, reduce the size and quality if you really must have it.


Mine is http://epicsounds.ca
It's 1 page but I think it covers absolutely everything.

sorry for the ambivalent critique, but iv'e never seen a site with such a content/appearance ratio such as yours.
by a glance your site looks like it was designed in the 90's and anyone can just take you for an amateur for that reason.
but than if you hear the music and go through the content of the site, it appears that you might be one of the most experienced user on this forum!
you fucking made AudioGeekZine, i had no clue!

anyway, your name probably goes in front of you already, and i don't know if it's the site is poorly designed on purpose, but i'd consider a make-over.

 

[Arsenu,]

I don't advertise, I have a Facebook page and that's it.

well, don't know how you got to where you did, but being familiar with your work i'd guess you just stuck to word of mouth, and having seen your posts here for a while, you're probably already harvesting the fruit of your work.

 

[JeffTD]

I don't advertise, I have a Facebook page and that's it.

helps to be an uberbroots dcore muso.