New Marketing Inititive For Getting Bookings In 2011

[Dukesy 0]

??

[deejaymitch 0]

What am I missing?

[Dukesy 0]

I guess, given the silence, that the original question has got you all just as confused as me

 

I made the post in the hope that somebody could fill in at least part of the answer, or offer some pearls of wisdom or ground breaking new idea, in relation to how to get more bookings in 2011, and potentially make it more successful than 2010 was, 'cos I don't have all of the answers.

 

Obviously i'm not alone

[MintyDave 0]

Despite the current economic climate we are still dedicated to providing a competitively priced high quality service...blah blah...or words to that effect

 

I have heard of a few firms going under/packing up round here from a few clients in the run up to christmas, leaving them in the lurch. although this is very sad for those involved, it benefits those who can ride the storm. Hard words yes, but its true.

 

There has been talk of a few less than legit dj's quitting too as they now realise that not everybody can be a DJ. some have had very little financial outlay so are losing nothing really

 

I think offering assurances that we are here to stay and that we are in a secure financial position will put peoples mind at ease. Just a thought - there has to be some legal obligation to protect deposits/advance payments and maybe that should be brought up. I know i keep this money seperate just in case but need to look into the legalities.

 

I am waiting on a confirmation from a couple who paid a £500 deposit to a venue for a wedding in Feb which is now boarded up we found this out when we tried to arrange a consultation at the venue just before christmas. god knows where they stand, the venue was leased out and the tenant has dissapeared owing rent etc.

[spinner 0]

I guess, given the silence, that the original question has got you all just as confused as me

 

I made the post in the hope that somebody could fill in at least part of the answer, or offer some pearls of wisdom or ground breaking new idea, in relation to how to get more bookings in 2011, and potentially make it more successful than 2010 was, 'cos I don't have all of the answers.

 

Obviously i'm not alone

 

 

The biggest problem would appear to be a simple one - a reduction in demand.

 

2010 for me was 40% down on 2009 whereas 2009 was virtually the same as 2008.

 

At the end of 2008 most of the prime dates for 2009 were booked.

 

At the end of 2009 it was looking patchy for 2010.

 

At the end of 2010 it was looking even more patchy for 2011 and I have less forward bookings than I had at the same time last year. Whereas clients were booking 2 years in advance now it's a lot less (had an enquiry today for April with no venue decided!!).

 

Website visits in 2010 were down on 2009 and those in 2009 were down on 2008.

 

In addition my conversion rate was down - probably due to price as potential clients' disposable incomes are squeezed increasingly.

 

Apart from getting a good web position, getting listed in online directories (paid and/or unpaid), canvassing venues, getting on the books of a good agent and attending wedding fayres and having good marketing material I can't think of any other methods of promotion.

 

Some promoters of wedding fayres offer a service where they provide names and addresses of all attendees expressing interest in entertainment. They can then be mailed. The trouble with this is it's only slightly removed from cold calling since they were not enquiring about your service specifically.

 

You can only sell to people with a want or need for your service. If there are less people of that type looking, you will have less chance of them making contact and can only redouble your efforts to reach as many as possible.

Edited January 2, 2011 by spinner

[Dukesy 0]

Despite the current economic climate we are still dedicated to providing a competitively priced high quality service

 

I hope that this is pretty much true of everybody here, but the fact remains that if you are the type of service which isn't a necessity and is perhaps considered a luxury then your type of business is the first to suffer when people tighten their belts. This is the type of business that we are involved with.

 

After all, we are not Tesco selling food, or British Gas selling the means for people to heat their homes during the winter, neither are we the local shell dispensing fuel to enable people to drive their cars to work. In short, we are a service, which people can, and will do without when times get hard, and those times are here and set to continue.

 

In short it doesn't matter how competitive you are, you could be charging just £40, but thats £40 that somebody could put aside for a months worth of gas, or towards their weekly shopping bill.

 

Heat your home, feed your family, pay the mortgage or book a DJ for your 40th - hmm though decision. Sadly in reality thats the one that most of the Joe public are forced to make at the moment.

 

I read all of the time on forums like Money Saving Expert, about people making sacrifices and cancelling plans to have family holidays for perhaps the 2nd or 3rd year running, I read that they perhaps fear for their jobs and so are watching their outgoings and putting aside every spare penny they have whilst they are still in employment, just in case they do find themselves suddenly unemployed. This type of material appearing en masse from what are essentially our prospective clients (ie the general public) doesn't suggest that they'll be planning and splashing out on a party, or needing a DJ anytime soon :fear:

 

Its not just us either. I spoke to a friend who is a self employed Driving instructor. First of all, his business was hit hard by the snow, roads were closed for nearly a week and conditions after that were not suitable to take rookie drivers out onto the road, now he's entering an unexpected quiet time. More worryingly people are not booking him in block bookings anymore, they are on PAYG basis, perhaps missing a lesson here or there. This time last year, he had several people booking blocks of lessons, for months in advance.

 

I've also read in the 'how was it for you' area, about some NYE events where the Dj's attending report that the atmosphere was perhaps not as laid back as they'd liked, the people didn't seem that interested in celebrating the New year and the general party atmosphere of pervious years was lacking. This isn't just one or two, this is several almost identical reports. People are worried, they have a cloud hanging over their head and debts to deal with, of course they are not letting their hair down so willingly. Yes, people have reported bad NYE gigs in previous years, but I honestly can't recall seeing so many in the same year.

 

Whilst I agree that some areas and markets may still be healthy, in general the signs aren't good are they.

 

At the end of 2010 it was looking even more patchy for 2011 and I have less forward bookings than I had at the same time last year.

 

Ditto

[Robster 0]

I am going to target and be more active in a different type of gig than i am currently specialised in

I generally am known as a pub karaoke host but after years of getting better at functions and weddings , i am now confident to start promoting myself in areas i have not before. I have more bookings than last year already for private functions .

 

My web site will get a revamp , i am working on new consultation packs and i am going to get pro pictures done of my rig and improve my gear too. i am also thinking of having a small bill board near our local Indian restaurant made up with my business name and number.

 

so for me i am very up beat and positive , i would also like a new vehicle and with hard graft and a bit of luck hopefully next year i will have one.

 

i find positive mental attitude and the fact i was at the bottom and am slowly climbing up the dj ladder as something to inspire me, some of you guys already operate at the high end and are top operators so where do you go when you have reached those heights...i dont know.. but i am finding the journey to that point interesting and still fun.

 

Happy 2011

 

[Dukesy 0]

I generally am known as a pub karaoke host but after years of getting better at functions and weddings

 

How is the pub type market at the moment?. Is Karaoke suffering as much as private functions are in some areas?.

 

I think in my own experience, that Weddings have been the hardest hit over the last 12 - 16 months

 

i find positive mental attitude and the fact i was at the bottom and am slowly climbing up the dj ladder as something to inspire me, some of you guys already operate at the high end and are top operators so where do you go when you have reached those heights...i dont know.. but i am finding the journey to that point interesting and still fun

 

I don't think there should be any kind of class system in this industry - it is divided enough as it is. Whatever market you pitch too, and whatever you charge and the type of clients you entertain, its still hard work, requires skill and dedication and we all have difficult gigs to deal with, not to mention difficult / fickle clients and audiences.

 

Whatever we choose to charge, at the end of the day we've earned our money through hard work and our own efforts, on that basis there really shouldn't be a bottom or a high end as such. Just the desire to build further on whatever you've already got.

[Robster 0]

 

How is the pub type market at the moment?. Is Karaoke suffering as much as private functions are in some areas?.

 

Well for me its been good , maybe I hit my stride , have been on good form but touch wood i am doing lots of pub work and been asked to do more than i physically can. Its hard to write this next bit without sounding a big head or cocky but its not meant that way. I have got in what i consider good cover for gigs from three different DJ's who all have slightly different styles one is a great talented mixer much better than i am and has a great CV a resident dj for two years in ibiza now he is a resident dj in a club and also hosts his own 90's nights where tickets sell out.i have another DJ who works four nights a week in the toughest pubs you can imagine very precise in his style, good gear always prepared and another older guy who knows his older styles of music and is very cheap and does it for the love of it. when ever i get these all very credible sought out dj's to the pubs i work at to cover they want me back, i feel i am an entertainer at pubs and maybe that is it , its not my gear or my mixing skills compared to these other very good guys, all these guys are willing to work for the low rates pubs can afford to pay. these guys are very good and i tend to use one guy myself for all my own private functions for example my wife's recent 40th , he was brilliant and i had no complaints at all . for pub work i tend to go that extra mile, print posters , promote the pub , do cash games , get to know what music everyone of the regulars likes. etc ..stuff i guessed everyone does but seems a lot dont. so pub land has been very kind and i know a few places i personally could get work but landlords are more fickle than i and i would be happy with any of the three mates i know ...but its that personality thing that sometimes people have that they either love/like you or hate you, i seem to be very lucky that most pub landlords seem to like me, I've tried to analyse what it is as i am no better or worse than my mates and i do think luck plays a big part too.I know for others it has been slow and in decline but all my three mates have new work and now have some residencies themselves

 

I think in my own experience, that Weddings have been the hardest hit over the last 12 - 16 months

 

I never really pushed the wedding market as i wanted to learn slowly and I tested the water when i first started with friends and family but now several years and lots of weddings later i have the confidence to take on bigger and bigger weddings and all that entails , i will do more weddings this year than last and have more bookings for weddings already but that's easy to say from the deliberately low numbers I started with, i often chose to be unavailable or was working at a pub where i couldn't get time off so i was busy... i can now say yes as i have cleared Saturdays to be available and this year i am going to make a concerted effort in this area

 

 

 

I don't think there should be any kind of class system in this industry - it is divided enough as it is. Whatever market you pitch too, and whatever you charge and the type of clients you entertain, its still hard work, requires skill and dedication and we all have difficult gigs to deal with, not to mention difficult / fickle clients and audiences.

 

very true in an ideal world everyone should feel that way but i have been to meet ups where other dj's tell you , you work in :cense: holes are doing everything wrong and it is very clear they see you as a different "Class" of dj . i have found i can quite happily move between the different markets so i can offer a certain set up style of performance for a pub and then the next night get out my good stuff put on a tux and host a lovely function in a different presentation style at a beautiful venue the next , then the next night host a corporate event with well off but often difficult customers . I try to treat every job / gig as individual and tailor my style my gear and the charges appropriately to the customer requirements. it seems this flexible attitude is frowned upon by many who seem to say I wouldn't bother with pub work or I hate karaoke ..but for me it works , not saying i have all the answers ..i don't any sector of the market is as you say hard work I also feel a lot of dj's look at the low fees of pub work and don't have pride in doing a good job as they are not getting paid what they consider enough so they give just the bare minimum now i can understand that in terms of equipment used but not in your own performance if im there for four hours i will work as hard as i can to entertain i never think well im not getting paid enough , i'll just play a few records but it seems from my landlord feedback many dj's do feel that way , turn up and dj by numbers.

 

clients and audiences are fickle and i respect any dj as this job is not easy at all and i certainly respect the level of gigs some of you guys do and take on i know how much hard work goes on in preparation at some of those gigs weeks of planning , hours of setting up , years at plugging away at select venues its much easier to be on first name terms and Christmas card list with your local pub landlord than it is to be with the C&B staff at Eastnor Castle so i know and appreciate the hard work that goes in but my personal experience is that some DJ's do see pub dj's as bottom feeders..sad but true .

 

Whatever we choose to charge, at the end of the day we've earned our money through hard work and our own efforts, on that basis there really shouldn't be a bottom or a high end as such. Just the desire to build further on whatever you've already got.

 

Spot on and i can see a vision of what i want achieve and i am fairly confident i will get there (everything crossed). My point would be if a DJ hit there peak at the style they do and to the market sector they want to be in a couple of years ago then its hard to go anywhere but down in terms of numbers of gigs at those rates.. you would be doing more effort and treading water, what manufacturers do often is try a different products in a slightly different market or adapt an existing product or re launch an existing product or make cheaper or more expensive products in a product line up to appeal to a wider audience .

 

If you become a specialist type of service you better be damn sure there is enough of a market to support that specialist service or product.

from reading on forums it seems that weddings are on the decline for the specialised operators and i have a feeling there will be more and more specialist wedding DJ's being more flexible and diversifying and actively marketing other areas in the next few years and taking on gigs they would have dismissed only a couple of years ago . I feel a positive , flexible approach is a formula that will work for me

[MintyDave 0]

Bravo Rob :Thumbup:

 

You are certainly doing something right and not being too greedy. I have picked up a couple of venes this year after some level of complacency from other companies. I had been told in one instance that they started doing everything themselves then brought in cheap inexperienced dj's to cover, one of which never turned up for a wedding.

 

Maybe its specific markets, in particular high end weddings that are affecting providers. i have had by best year to date and still have 3 months left and a local venue is 90% full for 2011.

 

im off to look for some data and will report back if i find owt usefull.

[spinner 0]

 

I think in my own experience, that Weddings have been the hardest hit over the last 12 - 16 months

 

 

Agreed.

 

2008 was fine as was 2009. Planning for those weddings probably started in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

 

As the economic situation worsened it produced a number of reasons to either postpone weddings or reduce spending on them.

 

Redundancies, pay freezes, the rise in the general cost of living and the difficulties faced by first time housebuyers all filtered through to affect 2010 onwards. Some people who might have "pushed the boat out" so to speak, or pulled out all the stops for their receptions, will have decided to settle for less, thereby reducing market demand.

 

I know that a number of the mid and upmarket wedding venues in my area have experienced a drop in bookings.

 

 

[MintyDave 0]

Agreed.

 

2008 was fine as was 2009. Planning for those weddings probably started in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

 

As the economic situation worsened it produced a number of reasons to either postpone weddings or reduce spending on them.

 

Redundancies, pay freezes, the rise in the general cost of living and the difficulties faced by first time housebuyers all filtered through to affect 2010 onwards. Some people who might have "pushed the boat out" so to speak, or pulled out all the stops for their receptions, will have decided to settle for less, thereby reducing market demand.

 

I know that a number of the mid and upmarket wedding venues in my area have experienced a drop in bookings.

 

government stats show the following

 

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/images/charts/322.gif

 

considering the economic situation, the above figures and the number of service providers its quite obvious why things are thin on the ground for specific high end wedding service providers. I wish there was an answer but like all other trades somebody is going to suffer.

 

Karaoke has taken a big dip round here which contributed to about 25% of my business in 2008/2009. i'd say this year is less than 10%.

 

There is a national dip in the birth rate during the early 00's which is affecting secondary shool intake at the moment which will have a small effect on 16th's 18th's 21'st. again with the increase in providers that will mean a drop in trade for those targeting those specific functions.

 

so the question is do you sit at home more or go out doing lower paid work and target a wider range of functions. Hanging up the headphones is an option but general employment is a big issue too and nobody is guaranteed to walk into a full time permanent contracted post.

[Dukesy 0]

very true in an ideal world everyone should feel that way but i have been to meet ups where other dj's tell you , you work in **** holes are doing everything wrong and it is very clear they see you as a different "Class" of dj

 

Rob, I know exactly what you mean, and i've come across this attitude several times, however its just an opinion held by some DJ's, its not the holy grail. Besides, attacking and belittling others is often an open sign of insecurity in their own profession, in that they have to step on others in order to boost their own selfworth. Just like in any industry, some DJ's are decent down to earth people, others are back stabbing big headed drama queens who always want to be at the front of the stage in the lead role.

 

Some DJ's will say that unless you use a certain type of equipment, then you are crap. They will say that laptop DJ's are cowboys and a whole load of other whimsical nonsense than essentially means nothing beyond fattening their own personal ego's. Just because some other Dj's say it, doesn't mean its true or a majority society fact.

 

In some cases, these individuals may soon have to eat their words and be forced to turn their backs on the fiefdoms they have created for themselves if their own market dries up, they may have to diversify into some other field. I know a few people who are currently dabbling in Karaoke / Video market. Besides, surely its better to have some work and stay in business than have some elite attitude and market, then find that rug being pulled from under your feet and be the next DJ selling up. I agree with the point Dave asks above - some income is always going to be better than no income.

 

Besides, we are service providers to the public, its not about impressing other DJ's or endearing ourselves to them. Its more about the attitudes of clients and venues to us. However on this point I do currently wonder if ANY DJ is currently valued as much as they'd like to think they are?. Certainly from reading the New Years Eve thread, i've seen a lot of DJ's complain that they weren't thanked at the end of the gig, or the client didn't wish them a Happy New Year and one post where guests were openly abusive and rude to them, and these were not all pub DJ's!.

 

There is nothing wrong with bettering your business and branching out, provided its done for all of the right reasons and not just because some DJ's consider pub Dj's to be lower down the food chain.

 

2008 was fine as was 2009. Planning for those weddings probably started in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

 

This is what concerns me. At this stage, wedding clients of the future should be planning their Weddings for 2012 and 2013, however with the current economic situation, are they doing?. If not, then this recession for the Wedding Industry and lack of bookings for Wedding Dj's in some areas could continue well into the next few years. Even *if* the economy picks up later this year, and couples start planning their Weddings, it may be actually one or two years before their planned Wedding date and we start actually earning from them again!.

 

I only hope that when things do improve, that couples plan to hold their weddings 6 - 12 months ahead, rather than 1 - 2 years, although I can't see this change happening myself :scared: .

[spinner 0]

so the question is do you sit at home more or go out doing lower paid work and target a wider range of functions.

 

 

Lowering prices can lead, all too easily, to an inability to get them back up again.

 

If a drop in workload is inevitable then better, in my opinion, to do less work without lowering prices and do something else unrelated to DJ work.

 

 

 

 

I only hope that when things do improve, that couples plan to hold their weddings 6 - 12 months ahead, rather than 1 - 2 years, although I can't see this change happening myself :scared: .

 

That seems to be happening now.

 

I saw a couple a few days ago and took a booking for July and had an enquiry a couple of days ago for April.

[MintyDave 0]

Lowering prices can lead, all too easily, to an inability to get them back up again.

Too true but surely different events would not be too much of an issue. some people expect to pay less in a club function room for a birthday party in comparison to luxury hotel weddings. I know if my trade dips then i can go back to the budget pub karaoke gigs without people expecting a wedding service from me for the same fee.

 

Obviously i dont know your specific circumstances, whether you mainly work saturdays or are in a location that facilitates for weekday work. I know that i may work 4 nights in one week for less than some people can get for one wedding but thats our local market and thats my expectation.

 

If a drop in workload is inevitable then better, in my opinion, to do less work without lowering prices and do something else unrelated to DJ work.

That seems to be happening now.

 

I work 15 hours a week in education and so far that has no affect on my dj'ing at all, i could go to about 30hrs and still have enough free time with only possibly early evening mid week school disco's being affected.

 

 

 

 

[spinner 0]

Too true but surely different events would not be too much of an issue. some people expect to pay less in a club function room for a birthday party in comparison to luxury hotel weddings. I know if my trade dips then i can go back to the budget pub karaoke gigs without people expecting a wedding service from me for the same fee.

 

 

 

Absolutely right.

 

Nothing wrong with that but I'm not interested in lower paid work of a different type, not least because I can diversify to other, unrelated professional work.

Edited January 3, 2011 by spinner

[spinner 0]

I only hope that when things do improve, that couples plan to hold their weddings 6 - 12 months ahead, rather than 1 - 2 years, although I can't see this change happening myself :scared: .

 

 

I had examples of both today - a booking for a wedding in 6 months time and an enquiry for next year!

[spinner 0]

I only hope that when things do improve, that couples plan to hold their weddings 6 - 12 months ahead, rather than 1 - 2 years, although I can't see this change happening myself :scared: .

 

 

 

Whereas at this time in 2009 and 2008 nearly all the prime wedding months were full (and then some) mostly with bookings made 9-12 months previously, this year is looking dire.

 

Assuming the possibility that couples may leave it until only a month or two before the event (which, in itself, suggests a lower quality of potential booking) then things may turn out OK.

 

As it is bookings held for 2011 are 60% down on 2010 which, in turn (at the end), was 40% down on 2009 and the first time I was not booked for New Year's Eve..

 

My promotional spend has gone up but enquiry rates are much lower.

 

I'm beginning to think that I should regard 2011 as a write-off!

 

[1878blues 0]

1971 was clearly a great time to be a mobile dj ha

[Dukesy 0]

I agree with the prediction that 2011 is looking like a non event in the form of a good flow of work. Yes, i've got my regular events and a few corporate events in the South, but the Wedding industry is stagnant this year, in fact forward bookings are even fewer than last year.

 

I cling on to the hope that people are just leaving it later to arrange their Weddings and things will pick up during the spring and summer, but as the weeks roll by I get less and less convinced.

 

2011, is going to be a real tough year, and I think that those who thought that when 2010 rolled over to 2011 things would get better are going to be bitterly disappointed.