Hi,
I have a small dj business (part time) here in pittsburgh. Last year I did about 30 diffrent gigs.

Then my mother got sick and I stopped advertising and basicly doing anything regarding my business. My mom has since passes and now Im ready to get back into it again.

I have a small feder program with a major corporation that allows me to place adds with them but I have not been getting the amount of referal that I would like to.

So does anyone have any low cost ideas on how to market a part time DJ business?

Thank you
Dj Tom

Hi DJ Tom,

My son-in-law was a part-time DJ for a successful company in our area. They focused on weddings. This involved the company contacting wedding planners and participating in bridal "expos".

Most of these shows take place on weekends - for that matter so do most weddings, so it should fit right into your part-time schedule. I'd start out by attending a couple of the expos just to check out your competition and what their costs are (don't worry, many of the brides-to-be bring along their prospective husbands. Take along a female friend and you won't look out of place) This will give you an idea of what you can charge. I know the company my son-in-law worked for charged several hundred dollars - heck..they paid him $250 per gig plus he got tips.

See if you can work with wedding planners as well. You can Google "Wedding Planners in (your city) and get a list. Start with a phone call and sell yourself. Ask if they also do events other than weddings that could use a DJ. Offer a booking fee as a commission to them.

If sales isn't your strong point, contact other DJ outfits to see if they can refer jobs that they either don't want or can't handle - offer a referral fee as a bonus to them.

Good Luck,

Steve Patrick

Tom
Don't neglect craigslist. Everyone is there so might as well be. Also, look for some complimentary services...photographers, caterers etc to network with.

Remember that sometimes banquet halls have preferred vendors. Visit them and tell them what you do. They may not even have someone, but if they do...at list you can get on the list of who they give.

All of these are FREE...if you don't count your time. Biggest issue? You have to talk to people. If you don't like it, find someone who does and give them $25-50 for the sale.

Michael
oxmg2005@sbcglobal.net

what about youtube and video marketing? You could post small clips of you playing.

Look into joining a trade/barter exchange. They will market your services to their members. You will be asked to accept trade dollars, not cash, for services you provide to their members. After completing a job or 2 on trade use the trade dollars to market yourself for cash clients. You will be able to make purchases using your trade dollars.

Doing a few trade gigs will help you develop a client list to use for reference. Before you join talk to the exchange to see what they have for advertising.

After joining an exchange be proactive with your trade account. Do not let yourself get trade heavy or go to far into debt. You have to manage your account to make it work for you.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I can help you get to a good LOCAL exchange.

Mikef@tbt-now.com