I’m starting to get a bit nervous. Not because I get shy around people I don’t know or clumsy around fragile works of art. Not because I don’t know what to wear or who is going to help that night. In the effort of full disclosure, I do get a bit claustrophobic…and by the way that truly is what is is, not Enochlophobia…when surrounded by people in a tight space. No, what I’m truly nervous about has to do with slaving over pans of Baklava until midnight before the show and running out of it at 7pm. I’m nervous that the Mediterranean Feta appetizers will look more like an empty plate by 7:10. I’m nervous there will be a lot of people at this show and I won’t make enough food. This is probably why we have a freezer full of leftovers from nearly every pan of enchiladas or cherry cobbler I have made. My mixing spoon is always bigger than the stomachs I’m feeding. Luckily, I know this, but it probably still wont stop me from 10-traying this event. Of course, now that I have written this, clouds will form over San Antonio and will will rain the entire night of the show, forcing everyone to stay home.
What does this have to do with Marketing? Everything, but I won’t get into that now. Let’s get straight to the plan.
The last time I promoted an “Event” rather than a book release or a website birth, was in 2002 for a signing. Lucky for us, we knew someone on the local paper, so we were able to get a nice article, and believe it or not (I can’t), in that relatively short time ago, people still read papers. We had a pretty good turn out for a little bookstore.
Do artists and bands still plaster bright orange copies of show promos on telephone polls around campuses? 
Hours spent with a stapler that jams up after about the eighth shot, and you don’t have a screwdriver, so you have to resort to cannibalize somebody’s well thought planning of a thumbtack and cover their dance lessons tear-off number that they probably put a lot of work into, at least lots of cutting….. That’s not really the way I want to spend this Saturday. So, good thing the millennials came along with their Face Book.
For the last week or so I have been plastering my bright orange e-poster like I have a magic stapler…and I guess I kind of do. Yesterday I mentioned to Gordon that I had invited about 10,000 people to the show. And, I had. Will 90% of them even see it? Probably not. But in that 10%, if 1% of them come, that’s ten more people. This is how I did it, we’ll see how it works:
Three weeks before the show: Get post-cards, set up website home-page for the show announcement with complete details and links back to the FB page, the FB event, the show space, the Etsy store and Google maps with directions. I also starting posting information about the show to the FB page…I know, I know, we only have 43 fans. Whatever. I also contacted a dozen art-focused newspaper reporters and e-zine editors. No response yet…but maybe they will come to the event.
Two weeks before the show: TO BE CONTINUED…………
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