It is one great feeling. Being behind the decks with hundreds of party goers grooving to what you are spinnin. To this day, I do not have words for what it felt like to spin in front of 1,000. Although it was not a huge crowd, the rush it gave me was better than any other I have had before.
I will tell you one thing... It was not easy getting there either. I learned the hard way while other no namers in the Northwest Side of Chicago moved their way to the top. By modeling what they did promotion wise, I noticed that if I followed their dj marketing tips, I could too get the opportunity to expose myself to such mass crowds.
Being a mobile or club DJ has its benefits but how are you supposed to get yourself out there? How are you supposed to get booked for gigs? Club owners, entertainment companies, and customers are not going to knock on your door and ask you to play. Being an experienced club and mobile DJ, I have compiled a list of tips that I wish I would have known when I started in the scene. Remember... You could be the best dj ever, but if you cannot draw a crowd, promoters will more than likely look past you.
1. Establish your self through different media outlets. Including print, online, and through mixtapes.
Print: Anyone in the world of business knows that how you, or your business, looks in print screams volumes about you. You are going to need to at a minimum get 500 high quality business cards printed out. When I say high quality, I mean that you should be getting 12pt card stock, double sided, gloss, and UV coated cards. Also, since you are going to be spending a bit of money on the actual physical quality of the card, you are going to want to have a fresh and creative design.
This is what your card should not look like:
This is what your card should look like:
You can already feel the difference in professionalism. You better believe that once you are out and a promoter or clubgoer finds out you are a dj, they are going to ask you for a card. Always keep a small stack of cards on you. It could mean the difference between getting booked for an event or not.
Social Media: Myspace might be dying slowly but it is an excellent place to post your booking information. Also, you definitely want to have a professional website done so that you can host your mixes, photos, press, and events. This will separate you from the rest. Facebook, facebook, facebook! Make a separate page for your DJ alias. Make a group of fans where you can regularly post your upcoming gigs or mix tape releases. This stuff may be common knowledge, but spending thirty minutes a day sorting out your social media could make a huge difference between getting known, or being a nobody. Soundcloud is an excellent place to host your mixes. I really enjoy it because after hosting, you can simply paste a media player wherever you like and others can hear it. It also looks really sleek.
Mix Tapes: This is where many up-and-coming djs fail to succeed at. You must always have a copy of a LIVE mix on a dvd, or available for download. Promoters do not want to hear a mix that you made in Sony Acid. If you cannot beatmatch then you should not be promoting yourself anyways. Develop some skills and be unique. OH! and if you cannot scratch well, do not scratch at all.
Your mix tape should be approximately 30-45 minutes in length. It is important to have professional dj drops done. It may sound harsh, but this shows that you know how to effectively market yourself, and you know the importance of branding your image.
2. Know your Market
If you are looking to become a club dj, then you better know your scene. You better know their fashion style, what they like to drink, and their favorite artists, because those are all going to help you. As soon as you know where they like to shop, their general location, etc., then you can canvas those areas with your flyers and promotional material. Never distribute flyers or promotional materials inside of a club unless you have gotten permission of the manager or promotional company running the event.
3. Know who the big shots are
Spend time scouting out the scene. Do research online and find out who is throwing the events. Become friends with them. It works. It will give you an upper arm on the rest of those trying to promote themselves. Find out who the head of promotional companies, booking agencies, and managers of the clubs are. Simply bumping into one of them and buying them a drink never hurts.
4. Start a Marketing Newsletter for yourself
Even though myspace and facebook are dominating in social networking, the biggest dj names that I know all have a gigantic newsletter email list. There are plenty of companies out there that provide this service. Sending someone a message through myspace or facebook can quickly get flagged as spam but when you have them opted into your email list, they begin to trust you. This is your opportunity to update them on your new mixes you have out and where you will be spinning next. Club managers and promoters like knowing you have a big email list. This shows you have taken the right steps to market yourself as a dj.
5. Hang out with other DJs
I am not telling you to ignore your friends that are not djs, promoters, or club-goers, but it is important to bounce ideas and obtain information from these guys. Even if you are not buddy-buddy with them. You can learn a lot of marketing strategies by simply befriending them and developing rapport with them.
If you follow these steps, and I am saying that its going to be easy, you will definitely see a difference in the amount of gigs you will get. If you have any other tips feel free to add them into the comments section.
Best of luck to all of you DJs on your marketing!
-Tim
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