Where in the world am I today?: North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Bit late getting to this topic on two fronts… One – I should/could/might have mentioned it months ago as it’s a pretty obvious and essential part of anyone’s promotional presence these days. Two I was late actually getting to the publishing of this post because I got swept up in the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and was a bit tardy actually uploading it… Luckily thanks to the wonders of modern compu-tronics I was able to back-date it by a day and make it look like I actually did post it on Monday as a marketing tip…sweet!
In this day and age of internet savvy consumers, having some sort of digital presence on the web has become virtually mandatory. Even if this simply means a video posted to YouTube or some sort of presence on one of the social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, having some sort of way that people can track you down and connect with you electronically about possible employment has taken the forefront in most people’s marketing campaigns.
Things to include/not include when designing your website –
1. Make it easy to navigate – When people arrive at your site they want to be able to access the information that they’re looking for in as few clicks as possible. Don’t drag them on a wild goose chase trying to find the information simply to get them to look through more of your site. The navigation system for the information that you present should be clear and consistent on all of the pages of your site
2. Don’t overload pages with too much text – The use of empty space or ‘white space’ on a page actually helps the eye read, so a full page of text can come off looking a little bit daunting. It’s likely better to present less information and increase the number of pages so that the point that your trying to make are presented in an easier to consume presentation.
3. Include download-able resources – An on-line press kit in pdf format, high resolution images that can be put into event programs, graphics, logos, or stylized text specific to you, all of these things can make you a breeze to work with for someone who’s hired you.
4. Contact Information – Potential clients often want to be able to contact you and send you an email or call you once they’ve had a look around your site. Making this information easy to find is a must. If they have to search too much to find out how to contact you it can mean the difference between getting the job and getting passed over.
5. Availability – Now this is a tricky one… I’m of the opinion that including my tour calendar on-line is a good thing because it allows potential clients the opportunity to check my availability and see if I’m even available for a job or whether I’m already booked for the date their looking at. I know many performers who disagree and say that listing your availability may actually mean that someone comes to your site, see’s that you’re not available and then passes you over before you even get a chance to establish a potential relationship that may have benefits in the future. This is a valid argument, but I’ve also found that including my schedule on-line has meant that Fans of the show can track where I’m going to be and when which has meant that people make more of an effort to come out and see me if they know I’m going to be in their area. Like I said…this one’s tricky and it’s a matter of personal preference.
6. Video – back in 2004 when I started working without he PNE to develop their street performer’s program I dealt strictly with videos that had been sent in either on DVD or on tape (yes people used to send out actual video tapes…). These days, I walk into a meeting, have a list of video links and we watch possible candidates via the videos they’ve got posted on-line. Often when I’m making a list of possible acts to consider I’ll email a list that includes the following:
Act Name: The Checkerboard Guy (David Aiken)
Website: http://www.checkerhead.com
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1YjxtliNNE
Based on this information a decision the creative director from the PNE can quickly access information about the performers I’m suggesting and make a preliminary decision about who he’s interested in and who he’s not, so having these elements in place is critical, at least for the way that I present folks for events that I’m working with.
Now it should also be noted that having different videos for different markets is also incredibly important. Potential clients need to see you working in a setting that as closely as possible resembles the venue that you’ll be working in for them. This can lead to the creation of a vast number of different video presentations if you work in a variety of different markets, but it this is your biggest challenge, then it means you’ve got a great career that can likely support the creation of multiple videos anyway. Congratulations!
The bottom line on all of this is that having your own little corner of cyberspace where people can find you and access information about you is likely THE most important piece of the marketing puzzle that exist in the current age.
