GUEST POST/ INDUSTRY EXPERT :RASHA SHAKER'S TICKETING TIPS FOR VIRTUAL CONCERTS

Let’s be frank; the pandemic has permanently altered the live entertainment industry. As people are wary of leaving their homes, entertainers and the venues that host them are suffering economically. According to a survey, 90% of independent venues may shutter their doors. With the burden of uncertainty looming over artists and venue owners’ heads, the question is how can you make a living? The solution is turning your living room into a stage. 

I suspect that virtual events will not be going anywhere after the pandemic is over. With the advancement of technology, anyone can set up a show in the palm of their hand. Seems simple enough, but the question you may be asking yourself is how do you sell tickets to a virtual show?

​There are so many platforms and programs that can help you do just that, but my focus will be set on two: Eventbrite and Zoom. 

• Using Eventbrite in the past to promote events, I find that the platform is the easiest way to set up your show and sell tickets. Eventbrite even has integrations with Facebook, making it even easier for your followers on the platform to buy their tickets without even leaving the page.
• As more people turn to virtual events, Eventbrite has created a resource where you can learn everything you can about setting up your show. To create a virtual show, create a new event as you would for any show, and for the location, click “Online Event”. ​​

• Go through and fill in the details about your show. Once you get to the Online Events page, that is where you can plug in the link where your audience will be able to watch the show. If you haven’t already, create a Zoom account. If your show will exceed 40 minutes, upgrade your account.
• Create your “meeting room” and plug that link into Eventbrite. After that, set up your capacity (for the sake of bandwidth, I wouldn’t do more than 100 viewers at a time) and your ticket price. For an extensive guide on how to set up the logistical aspect of your show, click here. 
• Once you publish your show, it’s time to promote it! Do as you would for any show - post about it on social media, tell your friends and maybe invest some money into advertising.

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On my blog I cover briefly how to do so on Facebook and Google. Eventbrite has some built in marketing tools that are great for reminding your fans when the show will take place. Make sure that after the show you export your ticket buyer sheet to grow your mailing list.  So there you have it! Now go ahead and break a digital leg. 

NOTE : As you may have noticed, I will be hosting my first webinar: Band to Brand: A DIY Marketing Workshop. In this workshop, I will be teaching aspiring artists and entertainers the foundations of marketing your brand. I’ll be going over goal setting, strategy 101, content creation and a brief outline on advertising. Availability is limited, so make sure to register before it fills up! 

Written by Rasha Shaker 

With extensive background marketing artists and brands in the entertainment industry Rasha Shaker aims  to offer her  expertise to those looking to up their marketing game. She will be launching a weekly newsletter that will feature topics such as advertising, marketing strategy, tour marketing, and much more! If you're interested in learning the best ways to market your music head over to Rasha's blog  and sign up for the newsletter.