How to Promote a Jazz Club

The appearance of Benny Goodman and his big band at the Palomar in Los Angeles in August of 1935 is often referred to as the official start of the Swing era.

During the Big Band era, roughly between 1935 and 1945, jazz music eclipsed all other forms of music in popularity.

Today, jazz attracts a smaller, niche audience. Jazz lovers tends to be older and more serious in their appreciation of the music being played. Because there are few of the "party-now-'cause-you-can-sleep-when-you're-dead" party every night younger crowd, it can take some promotional strategy to steer the more mature set to your club.

Here are five promotional ideas that can help:

1. Create / Maintain a Current Media / Contact Database - O.K. this may not sound exciting, but an up-to-date database can help with everything from press releases to invitations to special events to stimulating a buzz about your club. Don't create this on a pad of paper or a notebook. Use a computer and something like Excel software, where group emails are possible. Databases are living, breathing entities that change and grow. Include print and online publications. Editors leave or are laid off with regularity. Capture names, titles, email addresses, phone numbers, snail-mail addresses. Include opinion leaders on this list. These might include the couple of customers who claim to know everyone, elected officials, owners of nearby businesses, and others.

2. Press Release Program - Each week to 10 days, send out press release that report on entertainment or newsworthy developments. The intent of the press release program is to create top-of-mind awareness of the club with the media as well as regular coverage potential.

3. Develop Thematic / Promotional Campaigns - These are designed to draw in customers through clever promotion. Possibilities might include:

o Sassy

• Sassy wears a short skirt to (your club).

• Sassy wears a black fedora to (your club).

• Sassy kisses a mysterious stranger at (your club).

o Where

• (your club) - Where Romance has a tryst with Intrigue

• (your club) - Where everyone feels at home.

• (your club) - Where [insert famous name of choice] would hang out.

4. Viral Marketing - Use word of mouth - perhaps spawned by the above thematic / promo campaigns - to generate customers. Could include graphically dynamic postcards and business card ads (see www.vistaprints.com for free or extremely low-cost cards), which are liberally distributed throughout the city.

5. Special Events - Could include:

o Annual Black t-Shirt Design Competition -- Sponsor competition for a t-shirt design for your club. Winning design appears on a limited run black t-shirts available at your club, on your website, and select venues.

o Annual Jazz Poetry Festival -- Sponsor an annual evening (two-day?) jazz poetry reading.

o Mini-Parties -- Encourage and offer mini-parties for minimum of six. The group receives reserved table seating and recognition from the band. Group organizer receives a complimentary drink and a club t-shirt.

The above are just some initial thoughts that need to be tempered by your input and ideas. The best plans are based on sound business objectives, which cover such areas as:

• How do you want your club positioned in your market?
• Who are your targeted audiences?
• What promotions are you currently doing and how effective have they been?
• Where do you see the club in a year? Five years?

Jazz clubs generally attract a dedicated core of customers that can help expand that base. Sometimes, it's just a matter of asking those key regulars for help.