Tips for Street Teaming a Show

[Ceeje]

Here are a few tips for Street Teaming shows. These have been gathered from various Street Teaming reports. I'll add more as they are suggested.

• Try to get as many entrances/exits covered as possible.
  
  
• Street Teaming can take place before the show, during the show, and after the show.
  
  
• Don't hand out at the door postcards, full-color flyers, posters, or other "collectable" items that people might get signed. People are getting these signed in the meet and greet instead of buying the CD.
  
  
• Do remind people as you're handing out flyers that they can buy the CD from the merch area and get it signed during the meet and greet.
  
  
• Do give out buttons, magnets, pens, etc. (things that can't be signed) as mementos. If you have these available to give out, they're great items that people will be so happy to get.
  
  
• If you want to give out postcards and/or full-color flyers, give them out at the merch area after people buy a CD.

[suzy]

Thanks for the tips!!

[velvet]

[quote author=ceeje board=tourtowns thread=1140822614 post=1140822614
[/li][li] If you want to give out postcards and/or full-color flyers, give them out at the merch area after people buy a CD. [/list][/quote]

Yes, absolutely, this was a great "thank you" in CT when people bought the CD.

One thing I noticed in CT was that a venue employee was walking around with a box of cd's trying to sell them to people in the m&g line. She was BORING! I would suggest (may have to get security permission) that if the person selling cd's is boring at your venue, walk with them and start passing out color flyers, cards, etc. when people buy the cd, say "thanks for buying the cd. The venue employees I talked to in CT knew nothing about the band since to them it's just a job, not a passion like it is with street teamers.

Please clear this idea with your street team leader first.

[Ceeje]

That's a great idea, velvet! Thanks for posting it.

If anyone else has some suggestions from their Street Teaming experience, please post it and share. ;D

[cimee]

velvet said:

[quote author=ceeje board=tourtowns thread=1140822614 post=1140822614

[/li][li] If you want to give out postcards and/or full-color flyers, give them out at the merch area after people buy a CD. [/list][/quote]

Yes, absolutely, this was a great "thank you" in CT when people bought the CD.

One thing I noticed in CT was that a venue employee was walking around with a box of cd's trying to sell them to people in the m&g line. She was BORING! I would suggest (may have to get security permission) that if the person selling cd's is boring at your venue, walk with them and start passing out color flyers, cards, etc. when people buy the cd, say "thanks for buying the cd. The venue employees I talked to in CT knew nothing about the band since to them it's just a job, not a passion like it is with street teamers.

Please clear this idea with your street team leader first.[/quote]

Velvet what a great idea!!! work the lines baby!!!!

[cfeelvr]

Thanks for the tips you guys. I'll be sure to use them at the next concert I attend. I'm also keeping a LH notebook for these things so I can review them with my Michigan Hammerheads in the future.

[radioclash]

Here's a few more that I gathered from other sources that may be helpful to you. It all depends on the venue where you are Street Teaming.

*If you go before the doors open, start at the back of the line and work your way forward. This way, if the people at the venue ask you to stop, you have already hit up most everyone in
line. Usually though, they won't. Sometimes the most success is after the show when everyone is exiting the building. Even if you
just stand there with your hand out with the items, people are generally interested in hearing new bands and they know what you are there for. Just hold the stuff out and people will take it.

* It’s best to stand at the entrance/exit at the END of the show, to hit the maximum amount of people as they’re leaving. Hand-to-hand distribution of flyers is much more effective than leaving them on countertops … this can include pre-show in the lots, during set break, in the campgrounds of a festival, etc. If possible, please distribute the majority of your handbills using this method.

* The merchandise table is always a good place to drop off handbills for other like minded shows you're promoting. People are already drawn there for the merchandise, so it's a good time to get promotional stuff in front of them. After that you've gotta hit the bathrooms at the venues. I know that sounds weird, but I always go there before the show begins and post a few promos up on the wall. It's a captive audience, ya know, so why not give 'em somethinng to read...like a promo for an upcoming show.

[kimberly87]

Thanks Radioclash for the new tips. I have learned from working a couple of shows that YOU ARE CERTAINLY CORRECT. Definately POST-SHOW is best, people are in such a great/hyped up mood when they are leaving.

Waiting , Waiting on new tour dates...would love to hand out the new tour schedule.

I know what I've read about the "promo" CDs, but would like to get some feedback on it. I think it is the best way to get their name out there because people are actually getting to hear a small piece of their music...it leaves them wanting more. I have promo CDs w/ 2 songs on them, and found people much more responsive to this.

Any tips on this?

[radioclash]

kimberly87 said:

Thanks Radioclash for the new tips. I have learned from working a couple of shows that YOU ARE CERTAINLY CORRECT. Definately POST-SHOW is best, people are in such a great/hyped up mood when they are leaving.

Waiting , Waiting on new tour dates...would love to hand out the new tour schedule.

I know what I've read about the "promo" CDs, but would like to get some feedback on it. I think it is the best way to get their name out there because people are actually getting to hear a small piece of their music...it leaves them wanting more. I have promo CDs w/ 2 songs on them, and found people much more responsive to this.

Any tips on this?

The one thing that I loved NOT seeing at the Atlanta show was Lovehammers flyers laying around. I walked all around the hallways and did not see one! That is really rare. I did see some David Gray ones that were tossed aside....

So true about the tour dates. I think we're all on pins and needles and ready to make new flyers and start a huge campaign.

CD Samplers - When I was reading things all over the web there was so many positive things said about samplers. I agree that they're much more effective than anything else.

Not many people refuse giving a band a chance when it's that easy.

The last thing I heard from Lovehammers (a few months ago) was that they did not want samplers handed out. Not sure what the status is at the moment.

[kimberly87]

I will ask Dino what he thinks about this...I certainly don't want to do something that the guys do not approve of...ya know.

I don't need to get hammered by a LH in a bad way...only good ways please...

[radioclash]

kimberly87 said:

I will ask Dino what he thinks about this...I certainly don't want to do something that the guys do not approve of...ya know.

I don't need to get hammered by a LH in a bad way...only good ways please...

;D lol - sounds good. Let me know what you hear back. I am very interested.

I'll edit my previous post until we get the official word.

[kimberly87]

radioclash said:

kimberly87 said:

I will ask Dino what he thinks about this...I certainly don't want to do something that the guys do not approve of...ya know.

I don't need to get hammered by a LH in a bad way...only good ways please...

;D lol - sounds good. Let me know what you hear back. I am very interested.

I'll edit my previous post until we get the official word.

OK....so I got my response from Dino today... here is his response when I asked if they had a problem w/ us passing out "promo/sample" cd's when Street teaming. If were againt this or thought it was OK........

Dino says: "I would suggest taking clips from a few songs - the hooks. then again, what do I know!?!"............


Yes...thanks Dino for the clarification...ha ha ha. I think he may still be groggy from the meds. ha ha ha.

I actually thought about this...not putting the ENTIRE song on the cd, just pieces of a couple of them. I have received promo CDs like that before. How would you do that when downloading from your music Library though...Does anyone know?

[radioclash]

Thanks for checking that out. I can't believe he's already back on the computer.

I have a fairly easy to use audio file editor that came with my CD burner. Would you have anything like that?

I think I could make some clips and upload them for you all to use. (I'll check and see).

In the meantime what songs do you all think would be the best to use?

ETA - I gave the CD a run through and came up with this combination for the sampler:
Trees
Straight as an Arrow
Rain on the Brain
The Riddle
Casualty
Eyes Can't See
(clips ranging around 40 seconds to 1 minute 5 seconds. )

Not sure if this is enough or too much

[Ceeje]

There are also programs that you can download to edit music. I downloaded one a while back but never tried it out! I think the CD sampler is a good idea.

[kimberly87]

I don't think I have an audio file editor. My laptop is only like 5 months old but I don't have a separate cd burner, and don't see any cd's in my package for that. If someone could make one and download it or send me just one copy and maybe I could just download it to my computer....I have to say I am not that computer savvy yet. (Like you can't tell right.)

Anyway...I think maybe 4 or 5 songs would be good. I think ANY of the songs would work. My pics would be:

The Tunnel
Trees
Straight as an Arrow
Eyes Can't See
Rain on the Brain / or Casualty

yes...if we are gonna put this many songs on it, I think they definitely need to stay short...We just want to give them a taste, ya know. Most samplers I have gotten in the past keep the songs at about a minute I think, but I guess whatever works for each song. I just don't want to put "TOO" much, just enough to get them interested and HOOKED!


I hope we can get this done because I really want to start concentrating on passing out these samples instead of just a flyer. Ideally, I would like to have the sample cd w/ new tour dates inserted into the cover, THAT I think would be an awesome ST tool.

Please let me know what you think about the songs...For some reason I really want The Tunnel to be there..to me, it optimizes the LH. It was the song that drew me into them...I listen to ALOT of alternative music...and it really stood out to me. But...

Anyway...please let me know.

[radioclash]

Ack! A storm is coming through and I keep losing my connection and there's so much I want to write, but I'll just quickly say that I do have all the sample clips done for the songs I listed. They just need to be uploaded and that won't take long. Then you all can listen and make sure they're what you want.

I'll do The Tunnel, too.

And it is torture listening to the clips. They definitely leave you wanting more.

And ITA with wanting a list of tour dates as an insert. That would be perfect!

[kimberly87]

You are so quick...I love it.

Now that is what I like...results. you are GENIUS!

[jomarti]

Hey about the sample CD's. I basically used the same clips from the LH.com website. They were all about 30 seconds, so I put a clip of every song on the CD. I'm only putting on what you can listen to on their website. My son provided me with the software and a quick 10 minute lesson. If I can do it anyone can! lol

If you're passing out CD's, I would only suggest passing them out after the concert. Guys ususally don't have anywhere to put them and many women won't either. People will probably not hang on to them during a concert. I wouldn't if I didn't know the band. Plus, before the show people are all excited to go to THEIR concert, now that it's over I think they're more willing to listen to info about new music.

[radioclash]

That's a great tip. Thanks, jomarti!

Now I'm also thinking that maybe we should stick with the clips up at LH.com They have a nice fade in and fade out.

I uploaded two of the sampler clips that I made, so that you can compare. These are small files so won't take long to download.

Straight As An Arrow
www.megaupload.com/?d=WNI0WD2W

Trees
www.megaupload.com/?d=2OG99316

If you all want to listen and compare these to what is up on lovehammers.com and let me know which you prefer.

Keep in mind that there would be at least 5 second buffers between clips when the CDs get burned.

[hammerheadhubby]

Just downloaded both those clips RC... think they will work great for samplers type cd's....