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paleto3
Posts: 148
Joined: Nov. 7 2008
From: San Diego, CA
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 Advertising
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For some of you this may not seem like a relevant topic, but for those of you who gig, I wrote something last night to be uploaded to a wedding oriented website where I have paid for advertising.
What do you think of what I have written? Any constructive criticism?
See below:
Do you want your wedding to create wonderful, lasting, life long memories for your guests? Would you like your families and friends to say of your wedding that it was the best one they ever attended? One critical element that will make your wedding phenomenal is to hire live musicians who really know, really dominate, a specific style of music. Some musicians play a wide variety of styles, but who can be the best at them all? I know I cannot. Rather than attempt and fail at the impossible, our approach is to focus one one thing only and do it the best. Our specialty is modern flamenco, and what we bring to events is a rich, beautiful, elegant, highly developed cultural art form that will be remembered. Your guests will be stunned and feeling as if they never knew music could make them feel again, as if they were brought out of a that haze we all feel from our routine lives.
The music we play was written by today's geniuses of flamenco guitar and it is infused with hints of jazz, Latin and even middle-eastern music and it is easily one of the richest musical genres any culture has produced, ever. I have been studying and growing as a flamenco guitarist for the last 20 years and I have attracted some very talented, professional musicians to work with me. We have worked in some spots for improvisation in some tunes, and others are highly rehearsed because of their musical brilliance, and both will make your day more special than you ever imagined. Unlike pre-recorded music, we can put our hearts and our souls into it right there with your guests.
We do not get involved with addressing your guests over a microphone and PA system, we do not take over your event like some DJs or MCs can do. We know our role in your wedding, and we see that role as providing some music that will touch or connect with nearly every one of your guests in some way or another through the music we play. We do not play music that is cliché nor do we wear tuxedos. We play music you never knew existed but that is better than you ever dreamed of and we dress appropriately for our role.
If this is what you hoped to find for your wedding, please contact me.
We are an excellent option for most any part of your wedding.
We have duo, trio, quartet and flamenco dance options.
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jul. 31 2012 20:12:52
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Florian
Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia
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RE: Advertising (in reply to paleto3)
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First .........as the page opens embed a player to play something atmospheric, slow, romantic that will captivate them as they are reading... and are imagining their wedding..allready
Second......they wont get through that much reading they probably already visited another 50 pages before you...dont clatter the page with a thousand words...its as if you are trying too hard....( without saying it this is the tone you want ...you are the best in the business and everyone knows it...the only reason they dont is cause its their first wedding, everybody wants to get you..they would be lucky if they could get your services cause you always get booked very early in advance.......dont need to sell yourself too hard by writing a full page...only someone everyone dosent all ready know hes the best needs to try to convince you to hire him) ....sell yourself in the first 7 or 8 lines then have some satisfied past customers quotations for the rest of the page...etc ..eg> Mark and Laura Smith Chicago " Positive quote" and a photo of them to make it real....(try calling some of your past customers or ask some friends)
so less words bigger size text, mention somewhere that to avoid disappointment to book you very early in advance as your schedule fills up quickly...it puts them on the edge at the chance of losing you...they didn't even know they wanted you, now they are all ready scared of losing you...so they gonna make contact or a decision pretty soon
Third.... make it positive , its not your job to mention what others do wrong (only bitter people who have time to look at what other people are doing do that...you are too busy being the best in the business)...focus on your good points.....nothing negative about you or anyone......dont mention things you wont do or wont wear or wont play..
quote:
Some musicians play a wide variety of styles, but who can be the best at them all? I know I cannot. Rather than attempt and fail at the impossible, our approach is to focus one one thing only and do it the best.
you are selling...dont focus on negativity by pointing out other peoples shortcomings ..or willingly offer information about things you cant do and your limitations...they not looking for modesty they looking for piece of mind...
quote:
I have been studying and growing as a flamenco guitarist for the last 20 years and I have attracted some very talented, professional musicians to work with me.
..dont put the word "studying" in there ....cause a student studies and u dont want that word appearing anywhere, you are a professional .....selling its no place for humbleness
u can still use this sentence i like the 20 years experience in flamenco guitar and very talented, professional musicians.....but i think you can word it different.....
quote:
We do not get involved with addressing your guests over a microphone and PA system, we do not take over your event like some DJs or MCs can do.
that's great but dont need to say it, again the negativity factor about DJs and Mcs...what if they want you to address guests ? you are limiting your target audience...by assuming to know everyone's needs ...unless i was 1000% certain that is what everyone wants i wouldn't gamble
quote:
We do not play music that is cliché nor do we wear tuxedos.
again...they might want you to wear tuxedos (it might be that kind of wedding), dont limit yourself...and your idea of "cliche" might be their idea of a romantic song...so dont mention that, they might have had a special song request of a cheesy song (godfather theme song or whatever) and they are now too embarrassed to ask you to do....you wanna appear flexible..and open...that is their special day and you are there for them...(even if you dont wanna learn any songs...no need to print it)
and also apart from the music ..." No cliche " when trying to sell yourself for a wedding just dosent go...the whole wedding is build around cliches ...cheassy ...has been done a million times ideas...even trying to have an original wedding is a cliche ...cause even that's been attempted a million times..in fact ..that's the biggest cliche of all...cause everyone aims for originality.....the only thing that its left to do to be kind of original is to not try too hard to be original...
this is just some notes and suggestions i wanted to make, I hope they are of some use to you......only take what makes sense to you..
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Jul. 31 2012 20:25:58
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Florian
Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia
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RE: Advertising (in reply to paleto3)
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quote:
If they want us with tuxedos then we are the wrong group for them :-) I do not wear a tux, ever. Especially for performing. Worst case I would wear a jacket, but the buttons make loud noises and scratch the guitar.
fair enough ...if they needed that they would have to ask you so can discuss that with them, you can say u can do smart casual etc...the odds of them asking for tuxedos are small...but saying you wont do something or wear something straight off the bat when its not asked of you .. makes you seem inflexible..
goes against the whole " Its your special day and I wanna do everything I can to make it that much more special " vibe..
Think about it..most of the time is women that organize all this details...they live for this stuff, its a girls biggest day of her life that's shes dreamed about all her life...the last thing they are interested in hearing is what you will and wont do...even tho there might be some things naturally..
and yes with the player...have a volume and a stop button by all means...but there might be those who do wanna hear it ...i mean this is not a annoying website where u looking for a shirt and music starts playing at high volume...music is why they are there..they searched for it..that's what they are shopping for..puts the finishing touches to your text..and again nothing too in your face..something, light, slow, melodic, romantic..
quote:
I would skim over everything looking for an example of your work on YouTube or something .
only if you have a great example with crystal clear beautiful sound...classy settings (not some cheap wedding where you are shoved in a corner) and filmed with a better camera...you tube tends to undersell it...
unless you have something filmed properly...and it sounds great cause the sound was taken straight from the mixing desk I would go with an audio that sounds amazing...its very unassuming. (no cheap camera sound)...and you are all dressed classy (wearing a suit jacket or a nice full sleeved shirt at least... at a wedding is a pretty big thing...its a wedding, they spend 3 hours arranging the flowers and color coordinating.....everything visual is important to them...even if you have a plain nice black suit jacket you only use for those occasions with the buttons taken off)..
another option u can put together a montage of weddings videos and photos...(with some text in between of some of your selling points) but the sound is something recorded perfectly in a studio or at home but through good mics and sound card..and mixed nicely..and warm reverb.....but again, none or not too many wearing t shirt
Anyway I am here for you if you need help or suggestions with anything....all this is very important..i ve had to do a lot of my own advertising for shows for years and picked up a few things..and looked at how publicists do it and tried to learn from it etc..
and again...I dont wanna claim to be the only one that is right...this are just suggestions..goes with what makes most sense to you and you are comfortable with..
BTW u get all this right u can jack up you prices by about $200 ...aimed at those looking for uncompromising class that want the best for their best day... not budget  ...they got money...they spend $2000 on a cake none likes the taste of cause it looks good, idiots pay $10000 for a Rolex when all it does is tell the time same as a $20 watch... often times weddings are about showing off, outdoing and make your friends jealous..its vanity and showing off at its best ...and because they paid a lot for it feel like are getting the best possible and something special ....there must be a reason why u charge so much and there must be a reason why u are booked so far in advance (so they would think)..
your angle uncompromising class  and your, text, photos , videos and audio will reinforce that...you are selling the dream of the absolute perfect and classy upscale wedding atmosphere, u provide the perfect backdrop no "fairytale" wedding should start without...more important than the cake, the DJ and the cars they show up in...not 5 humble musicians at the corner of your wedding room who know their place.. (one of them dosent like tuxedos or jackets cause the buttons make noise against guitar )
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 1 2012 7:54:22
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shaun
Posts: 176
Joined: May 11 2012
From: Edmonton, Canada
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RE: Advertising (in reply to paleto3)
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This is advertising. It needs to be short, sweet, direct, and to the point. You need to get their attention and get them interested. You're not going to make the deal based on advertising alone. If you are going to be in person at their wedding they are going to want to talk to you. Use the advertising to get their attention, get them interested in hiring you, and get them talking to you. Have a headline that makes people say "What's this?" like "Have A Wedding With Duende!" Don't be afraid to be cheesy. Remember, you want to create an atmosphere of fun, even in your advertising. Be sure to use the fact that you play modern flamenco. This is what makes you different and what sets you apart from everyone else in the business.
List the services you offer in point form. This makes some of the most important information easily accessible. On a different page you can go into the details for your performance options.
- Live music for your wedding.
- Performance group options as a duo, trio, or quartet.
- Flamenco dance performances.
Maintain an assertive tone throughout the advertisement. A passive tone doesn't make you sound confident in your work and can make somebody turn away pretty quickly. Don't ask questions. They have enough of those. Make statements. Don't directly compare yourself to the competition. It is best not to even mention them. Your potential clients know they are there and by comparing yourself to them you basically engage yourself in a pissing contest. It's not very appealing.
Use testimonials. It's one thing to say that you are good but it is a lot better when somebody else says it. Plus, somebody else will say the things that you are too humble to say yourself. Include photos and videos if they are available. If they are not make some.
Any discussions about what to wear and other involvement in the wedding happens when you are talking to your potential clients. Those are all details that don't promote what you are offering but will need to be discussed because a lot of times it is important to the bride and groom.
I hope my suggestions help. Good luck!
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 1 2012 17:23:54
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turnermoran
Posts: 391
Joined: Feb. 6 2010
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RE: Advertising (in reply to paleto3)
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needs brevity.
OK..more seriously (cos I think you got that from the responses before this).
Best 'joking-but-kinda serious' thing I heard on this subject:
a musician friend sensed what the potential client was really trying to get at - "how good are you really?".
And what he really wanted to say was, "I'm the best in your price range".
At it's root is this:
most people hiring musicians either listen to something/someone they can't afford, or can't tell the difference between the musicians they can afford and hire either the cheapest, or who ever *seems* to be the best. Which is often looks as much as sounds. Sad to say, but that's the world we live in.
Dont get me wrong: people still listen and make their judgment largely based on that. And I'm not saying you have to look like a model.
But usually, it's your website, and it's where you advertise. If you advertise at a cheesy people, you're going to look cheesy by association.
And your website should cost you money. If it's a free site, or someone did the whole thing for like, $200, odds are, it's going to look that way. And you'll attract clients looking to spend $100 for a solo guitarist for their wedding.
With a well done site, with professional pictures, professional video (if possible), and professionally recorded audio, you're going to be able to justify charging more. Without that, you may be a virtuoso, but if your audio is Garage band (recorded with the computer mic in your bedroom), and your site is a cheapie, you're gonna attract what you're putting out there and your genius will go unnoticed.
Oh - and clothes? If your shirt is "white" but is actually freyed, and the collar is a sweat stained yellow..people notice that.
In the end, if the above is a buzzkill, don't get into playing weddings. Playing weddings is all about knowing the gig. People are going to ask you all sorts of weird **** (can my sister sit in with you?, will you do a flamenco version of Ave Maria?, will you move your set up 3 times during the performance? do you know To Really Love a Woman?).
If you attach unreasonable expectations to weddings, you'll be miserable. It's work. But well paid work. Have a laid back attitude, but have attention to detail, and be on time and look good. That's about it. It's not high art. Save that for the club gigs where you make $75 a man. That's the trade-off.
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Aug. 2 2012 22:58:11
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