Bookings '07

[DMX Will]

Ok, so bookings this side of christmas are nice and healthy, but the otherside of christmas is far from it.

We've been giging a few years, but now its becoming important to get bookings more often as we are relying on them more for a source of income. I can't remember how bookings went last year, or what we did or didn't do.

Basically, I'm asking how do we up the bookings for 2007. Is it time to get an ad in the Yellow pages?

We tried the Friday Ad route, that seemed to fail miserably, or should I re-try in the new year to get us some more bussiness?

We've also only had limited bussiness from online directories like the MDD, and none from the MDD itself, not sure why that is, as we are one of few discos in our specific town/area.

Any help much appreciated :)

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

I would concentrate on optimising your website Will. I did and it's done wonders for my business.

Try a small ad in the YP and see what happens.

[Dragonfly]

ive got 11 booked for next year so far .. not brilliant and not as good as last year but i have put prices up.

was told on fri goin rate in derby is 275 - 325 for nye just off topic so looks like ill be spending it with the family for the first time. which is no skin off my nose .

[DMX Will]

I would concentrate on optimising your website Will. I did and it's done wonders for my business.

How do you mean?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

How do you mean?

Optomise your site so that you get to the first page or so on the search engines.

More enquiries will mean more bookings.

[Danno13]

Also, get listed on plenty of directories and wedding sites. Personally, i've got a far better return from a listing on UK Disco, don't want to bring up that argument again, but definitley worth being on there as well as MDD.

[TonyB]

Is http://www.virtualsights.co.uk/ your only website? I've just looked at it and my first thought was that you don't do mobile disco's. I read the opening paragraph "Virtual Sights specialise in DMX lighting for discos, clubs, theatre and bands across Sussex" and if I was looking for a mobile disco, would of moved on to find someone else.

Either a separate website dedicated to mobile disco or highlighting it on your opening page might be a good idea.

[pagan_flame]

At your Xmas gigs, make sure you have a card or two on EVERY table people are sitting at...

[Have a disco]

have 2 so far but thats not too bad as they are weddings etc etc and I work off word of mouth have my disco sitting at local con club at moment with my uv flyer advertising they're heart out all night yep someone is hiring my stuff and am getting nowt but praise forthe set up, it will have a knock on effect knowing this town will post pics soon of latest show view it aint finished yet neither, pagan is right leave request slips postcards on tables at every function you do you'll be supprised at the amount pocketed even go as far as referal slips/cards as they leave make sure your disco info is inloads of places like social clubs notice boards or any venue notice boards if they allow you, try a trick I tried laminate and stategically staple a few A4 posters on telegraph poles for drivers to see as they approach junctions or get some for sale sized boards paint them up with your info (most get dumped and forgot when a house has been sold and put them on lenghts of wood for roadside roundabouts under the chevrons you'll soon think of plenty of free advertising spots once you have started

[Corabar Entertainment]

try a trick I tried laminate and stategically staple a few A4 posters on telegraph poles for drivers to see as they approach junctions or get some for sale sized boards paint them up with your info (most get dumped and forgot when a house has been sold and put them on lenghts of wood for roadside roundabouts under the chevrons you'll soon think of plenty of free advertising spots once you have startedWouldn't advise those ideas - since they are technically illegal!

[DMX Will]

Wouldn't advise those ideas - since they are technically illegal!

Technically? It is! Fly posting is most illegal!

[DMX Will]

P.S Thanks for the ideas guys! Any more are welcome :)

[soundscapes]

id recommend getting on as many online wedding directories as you can, even if you have to pay to get on em. we get a lot from hitched and bride to be, infact ive already got bookings for 2008, however this only helps over the wedding season. this christmas is not looking rosy.

[colinm345]

Technically? It is! Fly posting is most illegal!



SPOT ON

Its a great idea but it is ILLEGAL PURE AND SIMPLE with some local authorities imposing something like a £75 fine should the offender(s) be caught

[Have a disco]

Not illegal to put lost cat or dog posters up on telegraph poles and it is also not local authority property so it is not illegal have spoken to someone whom is in the telecom industry regarding the poles there are no rules or regulations regarding them one of the few places left where you can still get away with it

Now roadside boards are on the boarder line, but on/attched to under roadside signs and lamposts are illegal as they are local government property

have seen many companies use footbridges for short term advertising banners which is also very borderline. May I suggest getting A5 posters or flyer cards for putting under window wipers preferably glossy ones as they shun water better

[colinm345]

Then may i suggest you have a look at this then and also the local councils pages

http://www.cleanersafergreener.gov.uk/en/1/tcflyposting.html

This also

http://www.cleanersafergreener.gov.uk/en/1/1129746525314.html

not trying to have a go at you as I think it is a great idea ,and I stand to be proven wrong

[Corabar Entertainment]

Colin - are you just trying to get your post count up? You keep posting several times in a row!!!!!! I've (again) merged your last 3 posts into 1

[colinm345]

No
i only found the second part a little later:)

[Have a disco]

Item your refering is local london rulings for flyposting things are a tad more relaxed here in the countryside

However, these fines can only be applied to those persons actually caught in the act of fly-posting, not to the company or any other beneficiary of the poster

(A) got to catch me first LOL
(B) Im not putting A3 posters up as such like fly posters do in there 1000's Im strategically placing an A4 laminated sheet it looks clean and tidy and rivals are always the first too remove them next to potential customers strangely enough

I also leave laminated postcards on libary newspaper tables for people to pick up or next to the computers for people to browse the site. I always leave a postcard at the coffee shop table Ive had coffee at??? there are so many subtle ways of advertising that cost next to nothing ready for the next year or 2 (he gets back on track LOL)

[colinm345]

They refer to most county councils

If you dont believe me type in your browser Is Flyposting Illegal then just look at the county council list,some even request that you take down the posters car regisration no so that they can be traced!!if I am wrong then great because I will start to do it in the next week or so:)

[Have a disco]

Just check suffolk county council nothing about fly posting

but then found this

(Fly-posting is the illegal display of advertisements and notices on the public highway or without permission of the Planning Authority. This includes display on street furniture, staked in roundabouts, and tied or stapled to trees.

The Highways Act 1980, section 132 allows for the prosecution of anyone caught fixing the posters. The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 allows for the prosecution of the person fixing the poster, the persons benefiting from the advertisement and owner of the land on which it is displayed. The maximum fine on conviction is £1000)

still nothing about telegraph poles not being used as they are not street furniture?? they are the property of the telecoms industry and they still have to catch me. I had no prior knowledge of someone stapling it to the placing

Things are very relaxed around here no jobsworths that can be bothered with chasing people around here to date

[colinm345]

I have just checked ,and there is

As far as I am concerned I GIVE UP :bang:

[Corabar Entertainment]

I'd give up too, if I were you Colin: once Badger's made his mind up about something, there is nothing on this earthe that will change his mind!!!!! :eek:

[Dragonfly]

to be honest i think it depends on what sort of work you are looking for? i would say the gigs you would get from your pinning posters to lamp posts campaign would be slightly different from the gigs you would get from a planned day at a wedding fair? yes more expensive but more chance of success and less chance of getting stabbed at a gig id say?

[Corabar Steve]

& technicaly telegraph poles ARE Street Furniture, regardless of who they belong to.

[Dragonfly]

street furniture thats made me smile.

[soundtracker]

to be honest i think it depends on what sort of work you are looking for? i would say the gigs you would get from your pinning posters to lamp posts campaign would be slightly different from the gigs you would get from a planned day at a wedding fair? yes more expensive but more chance of success and less chance of getting stabbed at a gig id say?

Totally agree Dragonfly - its like those adverts you see to increase your income by working from home - reeks of desperation!

[Have a disco]

Im not saying either of you are not right but the practise has been going on for decades without any problems, most are gone/faded within a few weeks/months dependant on quality of job done,

When was the last time you heard of anyone getting done (taken to court) by putting up lost dog or cat poster on every telegraph pole in there local area, same applies to a businesses "I have not heard of any todate" it is a trial and error thing. I said strategically place telegraph poles most are of no use. when someone stops at a junction they look around the area waiting for the lights to change and traffic to clear etc etc many a thing I have noticed via a placard or advertising board placed at these type of obstacles

[Dragonfly]

surely lost dog/cat posters arent advertising a business and not for personal financial gain? may or may not make a difference?

[Have a disco]

Have found wedding fayres clicky and blooming impossible to get into around here, due to regular disco's hogging all the spots continuously booking 2 or 3 fairs in advance most only want a maximum of 2 disco's at these events they are also blooming expensive way of getting business

Will say telegraph poles are a short term solution to an old problem. I also put up a business card in places like tesco's & sainsburys notice boards. There are so many ways, I have found news agent boards a complete waste of time had town covered for last year without any responses am slowly going through all mediums of advertising to get business never discount anything til you have tried them even if for a short term thing

[colinm345]

I'd give up too, if I were you Colin: once Badger's made his mind up about something, there is nothing on this earthe that will change his mind!!!!! :eek:

:) :) :D :D :D :D

[A1DL]

Badger

the one thing that seems to have been missed here is the small size of your potential customer base.

Thinking of the activities I have seen advertised on posters strapped to lamposts etc,

"do you want to earn £xxx working part time from home?"

"car boot sale on Sunday at xxxxxx"

"massive furniture warehouse liquidation stock auction....."


Out of every 100 people who see those posters, there's a fairly high percentage of people who may be interested in what's being offered. Everyone wants more money, most people like a car boot sale and the idea of getting something new for cheap turns most of us on.

But out of that same 100 people, how many of them want a disco now or in the near future? And how many of that very small subset would buy from a lamp-post ad?

Get my drift ;)

HTH

Tony

[Corabar Steve]

Have found wedding fayres clicky and blooming impossible to get into around here, due to regular disco's hogging all the spots continuously booking 2 or 3 fairs in advance most only want a maximum of 2 disco's at these events they are also blooming expensive way of getting business

Will say telegraph poles are a short term solution to an old problem. I also put up a business card in places like tesco's & sainsburys notice boards. There are so many ways, I have found news agent boards a complete waste of time had town covered for last year without any responses am slowly going through all mediums of advertising to get business never discount anything til you have tried them even if for a short term thing
& you wonder why you aren't getting much work in?

[colinm345]

Good point Tony,but no one knows how successful he has been because he has not informed us yet:)

[Have a disco]

In a 2 month telephone campagn I have gained 5 bookings 2 for next year I canrt complain considering Im on 61 internet free directories and will be in my kids school calender when it goes on sale have been in local paper supliment for autumn wedding suppliers and now have upgraded my yellow pages ad so its slightly more promenent. Im in the process of buying A5 flyers and referal cards and I regularly leave postcards and request slips at all discos done Im also with disco.uk.net, another agency and being passed bookings from discos unable to handle there bookings, and doing DJ work on nights Im not discoing for eventuk. business is slowly picking up. But have so much more to do am going to be vying for pub contract as soon as it has changed hands

Until I get a full time day job Im stuck with making a success of this Job. The general market has died on its feet in haverhill thanks to influx of foriegn legion from poland rushia and portugal which has added a strangely continental feel to haverhill LOL in last year and Im even resorting to helping a mate do windows again

[colinm345]

Well fair play to you ,you appear to be experimenting:)