If you want to book a comedian for your public event, you’re going to have to advertise it.
Not everyone understands this.
I had the unfortunate opportunity to work for a nice venue that had absolutely no clue what they were doing, this despite the fact I’d given them some specific, helpful instructions.
Here’s the email I sent them: “Given the way social media algorithms work, two posts a day, one in the morning, one in the late afternoon or early evening, is the best way to get as many eyeballs on the promo I sent.
(You can even post the same thing twice in one day, because different people will usually see it.)
On Facebook, I currently have a video being shared like mad. It’s at over 200,000 views, and doing really well with women.
Coincidentally, women drive comedy, so this is a good thing.
You’ll find the post at this link: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/12F5zBrGEqR/
On Instagram, this reel has over 1,000,000 views: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7rQFjguVSN/
If you go to each post on your Facebook & Instagram accounts and hit share, with some text that tells people I’ll be there, it should help generate interest.
Looking forward to seeing you; hit me up with any questions.”
Here’s what I was told: “We created an event, and shared it on a few local pages.”
Take a moment to absorb all that.
I told them they needed to post constantly the week of the show, and they said they created an event and shared it a few places.
Guess how many people bought tickets to the show that night.
Two.
One couple; husband and wife.
They created an event, and then let it turn into a drop in the ocean that is social media.
Here’s the deal: social media is your frienemy.
Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and to a much lesser degree, Twitter, can all get your ad in front of eyeballs.
But there’s a hook.
Take your social media profile—any platform will do. You have 10,000 followers. Good job! People are interested in what you have to offer!
So, you create a post that tells them, “Hey, we’re offering something new, something different. A comedy show!”
You have an eye-catching image, informative, well-written text, and it’s succent and to the point.
You drop your post and…
Of your 10,000 followers, maybe 200 people see it.
Every social media platform automatically (and actively) withholds every post you create.
Don’t believe me?
What’s the first thing you see when you hit “post?”
A button that says: “Boost post.”
The first thing every social media platform asks you to do is to give them money. Because it’s not enough they’ve made billions selling your data, they want you to pay them, too.
(Apparently they’re all quite fond of Gordon Gecko: “Greed is good.”)
Sometimes, the button will give you an option or two, “By boosting this post, it’ll be seen by up to 2,000 people!”
Which is good and all, but if you have 10,000 followers, shouldn’t it automatically go into all their feeds?
They’re the people who signed up; the people who actively said, “I’m interested in this user’s information. Please show it to me.”
Even worse, I’ve seen, “By boosting this post, it’ll be seen by up to 2,000 of your followers!”
Which means you’re paying to be seen by the people who want to see you; you’re not growing your base.
And shouldn’t advertising be about expansion, not reaching the people you’ve already hooked?
So, going back to what I put in my email to that event space, you should be posting twice a day. Once in the morning, then again in the afternoon or evening.
Doing that should expose it to different eyeballs.
Even better, if you change up your hashtags—which, though not amazingly effective, are still the workhorses of social media—you’ll be exposed to even more people.
On your morning post, you could use #liveentertainment #comedy #thisweek
On your evening post, you then offer #standupcomedy #saturdaynight #laugh
And so on and so forth.
Variety is the spice of life, and all.
But, say you’re interested in boosting your post.
The neat thing about social media is the ability to do incredibly focused targeting.
Each platform walks you through the step-by-step process to get your post on screens.
You can target by age, income, and most importantly, interests.
You will actively target anyone who likes comedy, or live entertainment, while simultaneously avoiding shut-in introverts in their eighties who only watch crocheting videos on YouTube.
Here’s where we can run the numbers; do the math.
Say you run an ad for five days, the week of the show—Monday through Friday.
You set a daily limit of $5, meaning all you’ll spend in total is $25.
(Not bad, right? Better than the several-million dollars a Superbowl ad costs.)
OK, imagine your post is seen by 2,000 people a day: 10,000 people total.
(20,000 eyeballs, give or take. There could be a cyclops or two in your audience. I don’t know, and I don’t judge.)
Of those 10,000 people, say 20 buy tickets to your event.
If you’re charging $20—which is about the average of most comedy show tickets I’ve been seeing lately—that gives you an extra $400, or $375 net after cost.
(Oh, and you get 20 more people laughing, buying drinks, appetizers, and whatever else your venue offers.)
HEY, ARE YOU STILL READING? WELL, I’VE GOT A SECRET FOR YOU…
I’ve been doing some research, and apparently if you drop a TON of blogs at the same time, about the same topic, it’s gonna boost your webpage.
So that’s what I’m doing here.
I’m churning out a massive word salad in the hopes of gaining a few Google hits.
But, here’s the thing: I’ve been a comedian for quite a while now.
I’ve performed at A-list comedy clubs, dingy one-night bars, for American troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan…
I’ve performed for more corporate events than you can shake a stick at, and for high school after proms.
I’ve released eight albums, one of which made it into the iTunes top 20 on their comedy chart, gained over 280,000 followers across social media, over 100,000,000 views on YouTube, and have written four books.
I’ve got a Disney Clean act (about 20 minutes), a PG act (45 minutes to an hour), PG-13, (hour and 15 minutes) and then a no-holds barred act that can go for two hours.
What do I pitch to most corporate clients?
The 30-minute act.
And guess what?
I take less money for that one.
Yup, you read that right: I push my least expensive package.
Why?
Because corporate events are about socialization.
You have dinner, a few drinks, maybe a giveaway or awards presentation, and then comedy becomes a nice cherry atop the sundae that is your event.
I’ve no problem performing for an hour, but I’ve found that 30-minutes is fairly Goldilocks: not too long, not too short, just right.
Yes, I’m shooting myself in the foot financially by offering less time for less money, but making you the happiest client you can be is my main goal.
What do I pitch most bars?
About an hour.
If corporate events are about visiting, bar events are about keeping the customer focused, and happy.
And, yes, drinking.
Because alcohol makes people happy (not really. It’s a depressant that elevates the happy if you’re already in a happy mood), and alcohol sales help the bottom line.
(Sometimes, they are the bottom line. Alcohol keeps businesses in the black, and that’s a good thing. Unless you’re a daycare.)
Anyway, because algorithms like 2,200-word essays (blogs), I’m gonna keep writing, but from here on out there’s a lot (and I mean a lot) of redundancy.
For some reason, Google thinks longer is better.
I looked up some example blogs, and wow…
They’re awful.
Like, as bad as the one you’re (probably not) reading right now, but without the personality.
AI probably wrote those other blogs. Meanwhile, I’m watching Archer and trying to milk a few hundred words out of a tired premise.
Maybe Google is reacting to TikTok, and the whole ‘Short Attention Span Theater’ spell the world is under.
Since the world is going in one direction, Google is going in the other direction.
If you’d like to pull the trigger and book me, or shoot me a message and ask a few questions, just open up your email and type in comedian.nathan.timmel (at symbol) gmail.com, and fire off your inquiry.
(Sorry, I can’t make it an active email/link, because those ever-present bots get to spamming, and no one likes an inbox filled with junk.)
Anyway, thanks for making it this far!
Now, let’s look back at the email I sent to the venue run by less-than-competent people.
I posted links to a couple clips that were doing OK on social media.
The best way to sell a performance, is the performance itself.
But, and somewhat sadly, more than that, are numbers themselves.
People are, unfortunately, sheep.
They like to be told what they like.
If a video has 20 views, it doesn’t matter how original or funny it is, because there’s a stigma: “Why isn’t this more popular?”
Before social media, people used to love discovering a new band, or comedian. They felt in on a secret, like they’d found something special.
Now?
Now, people like being assured that what they’re looking at is good, because it’s popular.
In converse relation to what I just wrote, you can have an uninspiring, unoriginal, less-than-funny clip with 1,000,000 views, and it will garner more views, simply because, as said, people are sheep.
So, if you’re lucky enough to have a performer coming in with a viral video or two, that’s your best promo right there.
That said, you have to be careful.
You need the combination of viral, and good, and that’s tricky.
There are 1,000 TikTokers out there right now selling gobs of tickets because of viral videos.
Unfortunately, they have absolutely nothing to offer by way of a live show.
Which means that while you get customers aplenty, they have a horrible time, and go home unhappy.
This kills your future plans of having another comedy show.
You need to think long-term, which means you need to do your research. And by research, I mean homework.
You need to vet your comedians.
While I know I literally just said to look at numbers, you need to make sure abilities match those numbers. You need to check for references.
Ask a few simple questions: does the comedian have a professional website? Are there testimonials listed; people willing to go on the record, saying, “This person is professional, reliable, and funny.”
Do they have videos, and do those videos contain laughter?
I know that last part might sound odd, but you would be absolutely gob smacked stunned by how many comedians will post videos where they are bombing. It’s almost like Pepsi running an ad that says, “Our product tastes like malted battery acid.”
(Bonus points if you got the reference I just made.)
I said earlier that Google likes blogs that are longer. Well, that in mind, here’s what happens when you ask ChatGPT: “Describe nathan timmel’s comedy.”
“Nathan Timmel’s comedy is known for its thoughtful blend of sharp wit, observational humor, and relatable storytelling. His material often delves into everyday life, relationships, parenting, and current events, striking a balance between clever insights and lighthearted charm.
Key Features of His Style:
- Honesty and Vulnerability: Timmel doesn’t shy away from sharing personal experiences or self-deprecating humor, making his comedy feel authentic and grounded.
- Observational Humor: He has a knack for finding the humor in ordinary situations, often highlighting the absurdities of life in a way that resonates with audiences.
- Political and Social Commentary: While not overly confrontational, Timmel occasionally incorporates political or social themes, offering fresh perspectives with a humorous twist.
- Engaging Delivery: His warm stage presence and conversational tone create an inviting atmosphere, allowing him to connect with audiences easily.
Whether performing stand-up or crafting his written works, Nathan Timmel combines humor with a reflective edge, making his comedy both entertaining and thought-provoking.”
Not bad, eh?
And with that, I’m just about to Google’s target word minimum. Just need a couple more paragraphs to provide closure. And what better way to do that than to bookend this piece than by finishing the story I started at the very beginning?
By that, I mean, you might be wondering what happened with the two-tickets-sold show.
The couple had a great time.
Yeah, I did my act.
If two people go to the movies, the movie still plays, right?
They came out to see the show, and since they were the only two people who deemed comedy worthy of their time, money, and attention, then I felt compelled to give them exactly what they wanted.
Is performing for two people ideal?
Nope.
But, I’d rather perform for two people who came out specifically to see comedy, than 200 who couldn’t think of anything better to do, and threw a dart at the wall and hit, “comedy.”
Photo by Monica Silvestre: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-at-theater-713149/
Read another blog in this series: Part 10