Taking It On The Road - Part 2

Promoting, preparing for, and enjoying your DIY tour

Oct 08, 2022

Pro touring tip - find friends who will help you schlep your gear after the show. Thanks, Cassie ;)

In part 1 of this 2-part discussion on DIY touring we covered discovering venues, pro pitching techniques to get you booked, and key things to factor in when planning your tour.

If you missed it, check it out here.

In part 2, we’ll look at DIY tour promotion, road-life tips, and how to have FUN on the road!

Plus a few simple things you can do on this tour to make sure the next one is fantastic too.

Promotion

Ahh yes, the ancient touring proverb… if a gig happens and no one knows about it, did it even really happen?

Umm yes, but it probably didn’t make any money or feel that great to play.

Promotion is key and - no matter what the venue, support band, or promoter tells you they’re planning for promo - it’s worth doing as much as you can too. Remember, no one cares as much as you do about your gig.

Option 1: Hire it out (not DIY)

The most obvious option here is to pay a publicist. You’ll have to provide them with assets like live videos, press photos, and a tour-specific bio, and they’ll probably charge somewhere between $3K and $10K depending on the scope of the project and length of the tour.

Option 2: Promoted posts (not DIY)

Using the geo-targeting feature on Facebook and Instagram, promoted posts will help you reach people in the towns you’re playing who might not have ever heard of you. Technically speaking, it’s fairly easy to do this feature in the settings of your promoted post. The key to success here is WHAT you include in the ad.

If you’re trying to draw new people in and inspire them to click on a ticket link, you need to construct the ad very differently from something you’d dangle in front of existing fans.

Tips:

Video is better than a photo: A short 15-30 second video clip of you playing live is going to immediately give people an impression of what your music is and what to expect at the gig. A photo doesn’t do either of those things and requires them to take a second step (click something) to hear you and decide if they like it. Make it as easy as possible for people by always using live video as the asset for the ad.

Caption for strangers: If you’re writing ad copy for your existing fans you might say “New show announcement! Join us for a night of new songs and to celebrate our latest album release”.

This is totally useless for strangers because they don’t know anything about you or care (yet!) about your songs, new or otherwise.

Instead, say something like “Knoxville-based Americana trio Punch plays The Five Spot on July 20th. Described as “Americana sprinkled with a healthy pinch of anarchy” by No Depression, this is a must-see show for lovers of lyrics with the power to inspire change”.

Without even listening to the video, the ad-viewer knows where the band is from, what event is happening, and the kind of music they’re likely to hear.

Ads are for strangers, not fans.

Option 3: Pitch local media

Step one here is to research newspapers, blogs, magazines, and radio stations in each of the towns/cities you’ll be playing. You can ask people in the area, see if the venue can suggest anything, or try the rabbit-hole google search method by searching “[town name] blog” or [city] newspaper”.

Step two is finding contact info for the arts/music journalist or editors of the publications or stations. If it’s a newspaper you’ll be able to find the journalist who wrote the music pieces and then reach out to them via the contact page. If you’re struggling to hear back from a general contact form, sometimes finding the journalist on Twitter will work to make direct contact.

Step three is a compelling pitch, and the key here is to personalize it for that specific location. A local music journalist or publication isn’t going to promote your event just because you’re coming through town to play it, but they might be interested if you highlight a personal connection to the area, or if you have a support act on the bill who is local. This brings us to….

Option 4: Get local support

Having a local support band is mostly about trying to reach a different crowd and get more people in the door. A good support band will understand this, and do their best to promote the show, but you might need to give them a nudge. When you ask a band to open, make it clear you want them to be proactive with promotion and collaborate with them on social media posts, pitches to media, and ideas for marketing the show to get as much local awareness as possible.

Option 5: Other bands/artists

Maybe you know other local artists who aren’t on the bill with you but could be charmed to help promote your show. You could record a cover of one of their songs and tag them as a collaborator on Instagram (with their permission) to reach their local fans. The music community is filled with generous people who know how hard the DIY promo life is. Be generous with people and they’re likely to reciprocate when you need it too.

Option 6: Family/friends

Don’t underestimate the power of your non-music network to help get bums on seats. Use social media to spread the word and ask people to share the info with people they know in the region. Call your mum, text your cousins, and reach out to school friends to ask them to help you circulate your show details.. the personal touch can go a long way in getting people to help you promote organically.

Preparing To Roll

So now the tour is booked and promoted and you’re getting ready to roll, let’s talk tour-life hacks!

Spares - Bring a spare for everything that could stop the show. Instruments, DI’s, pedals, strings, and cables. The last thing you want is for everything to unravel and all your hard planning work to be wasted because you chose to bring another pair of shoes instead of a backup pickup for your bass (and yes I learned this the hard way!).

Packing cells - When you’re living out of suitcase, packing cells make all the difference in keeping things organized. I have one for show clothes, one for workout clothes, one for day clothes, and little ones for underwear, cables, and knickknacks.

Oats - Whether you’re staying with friends or in a hotel, my morning priority is either sleep or exercise, not venturing out for a bagel. Quick oats, a plastic bowl and spoon, and the hot water from the bathroom tap make for a cheap, hearty, and healthy breakfast.

Coffee - If you’re a coffee snob you probably don’t want to rely on lobby or gas station coffee for your morning fix and - lucky for you - it’s super easy to have really good tour coffee with just a few small items. Cy and I have long been touring with a Swiss Gold, which is basically just a 1-cup pour-over filter system. Bring ground coffee beans or include a hand grinder and all you need is a cup and boiling water for a really great morning cuppa.

Get sleepy - In part 1 I mentioned bringing your own pillow to help create a sense of home on tour. Also essential are an eye mask and earplugs for plane or car naps, bad curtains, or sharing a room with a snorer.

Keep it easy - I used to be all about hair curlers and heels but many years on the road have taught me the value of keeping things super low maintenance. My best tip is to have one pair of “show shoes” and a couple of nice shirts or tops that you can pair with the jeans you wore in the van all day for a quick transformation from weary traveler to rock star. Leave the gowns and up-dos for the hometown shows!

Enjoy The Ride

Touring often means only being in each place for a fleeting moment, but try to get out and see as much as you can. Visit thrift stores and landmarks. Check out museums and art galleries. Remember to have fun while you’re out on the road - traveling for a living is a rare privilege!

Post-Tour

Get home, wash everything in your suitcase, water your plants, hug your cat, and then…

Thank yous - There were undoubtedly a LOT of people who helped make the tour happen and a quick thank you email or text to your hosts, venue owners, music journalists, support bands, and any sponsors will make it a whole lot more likely they’ll want to help you again next time.

Make notes - It's so easy to forget the details of the shows so take notes about what worked and what didn’t. PA system inadequate - write it down. Drive time quicker than you thought - make a note. The next time you tour you want to improve on what you’ve done, so help future you out by keeping a good record of what you learned.

Keep metrics - Knowing the numbers from each show will help you sell it next time and also get better at budgeting. Try to keep track of attendance, pre-sales, door sales, comps, overall income, merch sales, and any unexpected costs you incurred.

The more information you have the better you can plan for the next tour!

I hope this 2-part touring post gives you some helpful tips for planning a kickass tour, drawing some great crowds, and having a blast while you’re at it!

I’d love to hear any lightbulb moments you had or the tip you found the most useful - leave a comment and let me know :)

Unfiltered by Vanessa McGowan

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