Quiet times?

[fullcontact68]

For some reason it seems very quiet around here at the moment, very few leads around.

I spoke to a few local DJ's who are finding the same. Anyone else experiencing this?

Last year I was far busier at this time of the year than I an now.

One company which I am still getting loads of leads from is Bark, I have done a couple of jobs from them last year, but there pricing structure means I spend more that I receive, (Paying £6/8/10 +vat to send a message is rather steep for me). I stopped using them at the end of last year.

Perhaps it's time to spread my wings and venture further out. Currently, unless its a good gig, I don't usually drive for more than 30 minutes.

[Pe7e]

Same here, it's been much quieter than last year, I think/hope it's just down to the cold wet weather and Christmas spending excesses, I expect it will pick up soon. If I'd known it was going to be so quiet I'd have gone away to somewhere warm for an extended holiday.

[rth_discos]

As a marketing expert, I trial pretty much everything!

Bark isn't bad - many DJs aren't using it because of the cost per lead, so you can often be the only one pitching.

But my gripe with Bark is there's not "vetting" of the lead - it could just be someone that's curious and you've paid to contact them.

Equally, any system that uses lead generation, eg Bark and NeedADisco tend to attract people who "just need a DJ", hence why they are inviting random DJs to contact them. So for the most part, they are price sensitive. I say for the most part, because I have had good paying gigs from both platforms.

However, the number one way to get gigs is through your own website, and a proper marketing system put in place. Speak to a professional and you'll soon discover why you've been missing out on so much, because you've not positioned yourself correctly online and not got in front of the right people.

When online marketing is done correctly, you create a "tap" of enquiries that you turn on and off whenever you need more bookings.

[fullcontact68]

Bark isn't bad - many DJs aren't using it because of the cost per lead, so you can often be the only one pitching.

But my gripe with Bark is there's not "vetting" of the lead - it could just be someone that's curious and you've paid to contact them.

I would hope they do start working on the legitimately side of leads. I do get a feeling that quite a few of them are fake.

Would work better for me if it was a subscription like NAD.

I only do this part time, so not too concerned about investing in online marketing experts at the moment.
2 or 3 gigs a month on average is fine for me.

[rth_discos]

For Bark to do more vetting would likely mean a more expensive lead.

Don't forget, NAD can often have 20 DJs competing for each lead, so each has its own pros and cons.

When you're marketing correctly and charging the right prices, 4 gigs a month is a full time income...

[Pe7e]

However, the number one way to get gigs is through your own website, and a proper marketing system put in place.

Are you advocating spending on professional SEO or funding a campaign on Google AD words, Facebook, Twitter or similar?

[rth_discos]

Are you advocating spending on professional SEO or funding a campaign on Google AD words, Facebook, Twitter or similar?

My recommendation is both.

SEO is a long term game - you won't get immediate results. And it's not guaranteed. But long term, if it works, can generate you traffic. You will need some form of SEO to ensure that at the very least you come up top for your own company name if you don't already. However, DJs are notoriously bad at SEO, and even worse at building websites (too many build their own), so it's a pretty un-competitive industry to rank in (compared to other industries).

Facebook Ads and Google Ads are different beasts (and will bring you different types of traffic). However, you get an immediate flow of relevant traffic. The key is to have it set up by someone who knows what they are doing and will continually tweak it to optimise it. If you get it wrong it can be very costly.

The big difference between Google Ads/Facebook Ads and SEO is that Google Ads/Facebook Ads stop the moment you turn off the money. Whereas SEO as an investment can last a very long time - even if you stop the investment.

Beyond that, you need to ensure your website is converting before you drive traffic to it - otherwise you still won't convert that traffic.

There's lots of elements around it, but when you get it right, you have a very powerful - almost automated - marketing machine.

[TONYTIGER]

I dont know but down here on the South coast it has been very busy,no Saturdays free this year and most of Fridays have gone as well,seem to be turning away quiet a few every day,most come from my website and a few from NAD but dont advertise any were else.

[Retrodisco]

I've had a better start to the year than last year. New website probably made the difference.

[musicology]

I've had a quiet February but January was busy and so is this month and April is looking strong too so it's evened out ok.