Why T-Shirts Can Do More For Your Band Than A Giant Billboard.
Hi everyone,
Groups constantly ask me what I think are the best ways to promote their group. The truth is I don’t believe that it’s possible to successfully promote an unknown local band. I believe the only way to grow a local group’s following is for the group to network, which is why I believe T-shirts are so important for local groups.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the Gorilla Newsletter.
Cheers,
John Michalak
Author of “Rock Your City
Vice President of Gorilla Music
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Why T-Shirts Can Do More For Your Band Than A Giant Billboard.
By John Michalak
A billboard is great promotional tool for anyone selling a product that is widely known in the marketplace. For an unknown artist, a billboard on some crowded highway would be completely ineffective in helping them connect with a new audience.
Lots of cars will drive by and see the billboard, but it would be forgotten quickly. It might build a mild level of name recognition, but it won’t generate any record sales or sell any tickets to their shows.
How could it possibly help? Of course it can’t. The people who drive by would have no idea what that group’s music sounded like, and they probably wouldn’t even realize what it was advertising. How could they? Music is subjective, intangible and difficult to describe in words, even with a picture and a snappy tag line.
When a billboard is used to promote an artist or an upcoming tour, it is for a group that everyone probably knows, so the billboard doesn’t need to describe that group’s music because consumers are already familiar with it. All that a billboard does is make everyone aware of a known artist’s upcoming tour or new record release.
A billboard cannot do the same for a group that no one has ever heard of before. A billboard will fail in promoting your band, just as an ad in the paper would fail, or any other advertising campaign that uses pictures or words to promote a product. Any advertising campaign that does not have the ability to showcase a group’s music repeatedly will be ineffective.
A T-shirt is a completely different story altogether. It’s like a mini billboard, except it can talk. Well, it can’t technically talk, but the person wearing it can! And, if they made the effort to buy your band’s shirt and wear it, then they are also likely to speak highly of your group.
If, through some technological miracle, a billboard had the ability to tell every passerby what your band was about and that your band was awesome, then that billboard would be a huge promotional tool.
People are curious by nature. I would be willing to bet that most people checking out a billboard with an unfamiliar band on it would ask, “What the heck is that about?” Well, that’s exactly what happens when your fans start buying your T-shirts and wearing them around town. They become walking, talking, word-spreading billboards.
The more talking billboards your group has that can tell people about your band, the better. And not only do T-shirts create word of mouth for your band, they also can create revenue for your band, establish name recognition, and plenty more. In my first successful local group, we sold over 100 T-shirts before we ever played a show. If you haven’t sold at least 100 T-shirts by now, then get on it right away.
Good Luck and Best Wishes!
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If you are looking for Management for your group or band, then we can help you. Gorilla Music is now managing bands. Come to our site and see what we are doing for local bands all across the country.
Check out our other Gorilla Music Newsletters to see more articles like this one.