[Dixielandjazz] Direct Mail Advertising

[Steve Barbone]

John Petters at jdpetters at btinternet.com wrote:

> I have used direct mailing for the past twenty odd years, since I ran my
> first jazz club. But this is directly to fans.
> 
> Hence I started the National Traditional Jazz & Swing Mailing List.
> 
> This requires effort. When arriving at a venue, mailing list forms are
> put on seats or included in show programmes. I have sold all my
> festivals this way and it is far more effective than newspaper or jazz
> press advertising.
> 
> One downside. With the age of the listees, I am now finding a lot of
> people are too old, too dead or too ill to travel so things will change.
> 
> I have had to reinvent myself about every 10 years, so another
> incarnation is due as the Traditional jazz scene in the UK is in
> decline. But the principle of the mailing list will remain. Now, with
> e-mail it is very cost effective.

I agree with John, re-invention is the key.

I mused to maintain a fan snail mail list just as you describe. Got to be
about 750 people locally. Then, I had the same experience as you. The older
fans died off, and/or just got too old to travel even short distances to our
gigs. 

So, I bit the bullet and stopped snail mailing the fans. Now I e-mail those
with computers. Most of our fans are younger now, have computers and are
computer literate. Plus. the older fans usually know someone who has access
to a computer and can therefore check our schedule. My e-mail fan list is
now up to about 700 and still growing. my e-mail venue list is about 300,
but my snail mail venue prospect list remains about 500.

Works well for us as we continue to get viable gigs (read profitable) and
continue to grow our fan base.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone