897 tickets before the doors opened
case study
Josabi’s booked the Toadies for a Saturday night in August. A large concert there typically draws about 500 people. This one came close to selling out, and every advance buyer left a name behind.
997
people in the building
897
sold in advance
2x
a normal concert draw
370
names now on the email list
A show, and six weeks to fill it
the situation
Josabi’s books live music in Helotes. A large concert there draws about 500 people. The Toadies were scheduled for August 22, and the work was to fill the room in advance rather than count on the door.
Everywhere someone would look
the work
The show went up on Bandsintown, Songkick, Eventbrite, and the San Antonio Current. The Google Business Profile and Yelp page carried the date. Facebook and Nextdoor covered the neighborhood. Paid radio ran on 99.5 KISS-FM and 100.3 BOB. The house email list got the show directly. All of it pointed to one place to buy, josabis.com, so the sale happened on the venue’s own site and the buyer’s name stayed with the venue. Radio and Facebook ads were the only line items. Everything else was free placement that took knowing where a person in Helotes goes looking on a Thursday afternoon when they are deciding what to do for the weekend.
the result
The room filled before the night arrived
897 tickets sold in advance. Another 100 went at the door. Close to 997 people were in a building where a large concert normally draws 500. Twelve five-star Google reviews came in behind it.
“Our advertising is working cause they saw us.”
John, Josabi’s
WHat it built
370 names
Every advance buyer gave a name and an email address to get their ticket. All 897 are now a segment in Josabi’s email list. The next show does not start at zero. It starts with 897 people who already bought a ticket once.
start here
If you run events, this applies to you
Send me your website address and I will run a twelve point check on what is working and what is quietly costing you calls, then send it back to you. If you have a show or an event coming, tell me the date.