Marketing Episodes

Though it's not often considered, clarity in messaging is critical in closing a sale, gaining marketshare, justifying your rate, etc. If you are struggling in any of these areas, it almost always is directly linked to a confusing message. In this episode, I share 5 questions to run every bit of communication/messaging through in order to keep your messaging clear, concise and memorable.

In talking with DJs weekly, I get the sense we're headed for a similar 2023 where a decent amount of DJs aren't having the year in 2024 that they had hoped for as it pertains to both bookings and revenue. In the same breath, they are hopeful based on inquiries for the upcoming year (2025). I've always been a realist rather than a glass half full/glass half empty type person. The reality is that we still have 3/4 of the year to go. If things aren't hitting, don't pack it in. In this interview with my good friend and DJ industry educator, Joe Bunn, we talk through what can be done to not only save 2024 but also plant seeds for 2025.

Most people think the only way you can win with a booking is by getting paid. No doubt, that is important. But in this episode, I offer two other "wins" you can gain from a booking that are rarely talked about but will absolutely move the needle forward in your business. I also discuss 2 monetary landmines that you should look to avoid.

A homemade Halloween costume, Chevrolet Astro van seats, and blowing $1000. What do these things have to do with being the highest priced DJ on a preferred venue list where you find yourself unable to land events due to the other lower priced DJs on the list? You'll have to listen to find out.

Is networking your kryptonite? Or maybe you find it challenging to do it efficiently (and effectively)? As someone who books business around the country (and a few internationally), it's important that I have a system that not only works but is manageable with all the other things I have going on (family life, other business ventures, etc.). In this episode, I share 5 networking strategies that are working for me in 2024.

This episode could be a game changing listen for you. At the very least, it should give you all the confidence you would ever need to go out to the world with your pricing, no matter what it is. In the last month and a half, I've been asking clients this question: What Is Your Overall Event Budget? Maybe I was naive for the last 20 years, but after reviewing what it is clients are spending on their events and what percentage of the pie we're receiving, it doesn't seem to me to be an even exchange when you look at the overall impact we have on events. I think it's time we change that. Listen and let me know if you agree.

I thought this interview was lost. We recorded this 5 months ago but the file was corrupted. Somehow, I worked some voodoo magic and I was able to bring it back to life. Thank God because there's some gold in here. Malike Adigun is crushing it in Florida with his company, Curate Entertainment. A large part of that success has been his marketing and branding. In that vein, he recently launched a new venture called "The Curated DJ" which is a branding and social media agency aimed at helping the mobile DJ figure out their brand identity and tell that story. We talk all the things in this episode.

Recently, there was a discussion in the private event DJ world about how the McDonald's model should be considered as something for DJ companies to emulate - selling services for cheap (and potentially even a subpar product) to produce big net revenue numbers. But is that fool's gold? What are the pros and cons of such an approach? The opposite of this is to sell to less clients for more money. But is there another way other than those two options? I believe there is. We discuss all of this and more on this episode.

It's an interesting time we're in. A lot of DJs (and event professionals at large) are dealing with clients who are asking for discounts, concessions, compromises to process, etc. This inevitably leads to the "woe is me" argument that has led some to suggest that all mobile DJs should be given a living wage as a baseline. Number one, this doesn't fix the problem and typically encourages bad behavior. Second, you place great risk on clients who hire you based on this flawed wages suggestion. Third, it's not sustainable and ultimately places a black eye on the industry. These hot takes and a host of more on this episode.

A listener requested topic. Gifting is so broad so I decided in this episode to zero in on "vendor" gifting. There are so many reasons why you should consider doing this. How you implement it can be just as varied. When you do this is critical for maximum impact. But everyone also wants to be unique with the what. I spill the tea on what I've done here but with so many resources now available for sourcing gift ideas, your options are truly limitless. Hopefully, by the end of this episode, I inspire you to get in on the gifting game.

We've all heard of people who buy houses that are at the top end or above their budget and then they have no money to purchase the necessities to compliment the purchase. They are often referred to as "house poor". Believe it or not, this happens quite often in the private event world. Clients will secure a venue and not have any money to compliment the space with like-minded creatives. These types of clients can be referred to as "venue poor". It's such a shame that this happens for a special event that may only occur once in their lifetime. How do you overcome this issue? I give you 3 ways to do so in this episode.

So you're a thriving private event DJ in the #2 market in the US and you decide to start over in a new market. What goes into a decision like this? Do you keep your original market location or dump it and go all in on the new one? What's the way to gain marketshare in a saturated market that has great DJs already? All of these questions and more are part of my interview with Krieger, the DJ. He's never at a loss for words and has quite the opinions (which I love!). If you've thought about relocating to another market, this episode is for you.

In the DJ vertical (and the creative space at large), "package" selling is the most predominant type. But do why understand the advantages and disadvantages to this versus "Option" selling and "1 Solution" selling? In this episode, I break down the various types of selling options and give my own endorsement to the one that I feel places the highest expression of creative value. I've never been able to articulate this as clearly as I do in this episode.

Here's a listener requested topic. You're NOT an owner...but a pseudo single-op who gets booked out by booking agents and DMCs. You've done the work to improve who you are and operate differently than when you were first added to the roster. How do you go about having that conversation about the "new you" and your "new rate" with new prospective agents/DMCs as well as the older ones who are booking you now and are used to the "old you" and "old rate"?

Are you in place where you want to punch up to the next level of clientele but are struggling to get there or at least have some consistency with landing the next level of clientele? Then this is for you. In this episode, I share with you three ways to prepare yourself for that next level and how you can bypass a lot of the trial and error that I went through in punching through.

In the last couple years, I've been blessed to punch up in working with high net worth clientele. At the ultra luxury level, there's quite a difference in what those types of clients value and the behavior that needs to go along with it. While I have been able to naturally adjust, I wish I had some of the nuggets I share in this episode without having to have adapted on the fly.

In a day and age where it's easy to just copy and paste (hello ChatGPT) website verbiage, social media captions or even marketing strategies, how do you stand out? Newsflash: It's not to yell louder or spend more on advertising. It's about going deeper. One of the ways to do this is through story-telling. This isn't new..."story" is a marketing buzz word. But even with it out there, not may people are doing it....or at least not doing it well. In this episode, I talk through not only why it's important, but how to format those stories, and then I give you 4 types of stories you should be telling as well as 4 steps to telling better stories. Even if we all are sharing stories, mine and yours will be unique....and that's when/how we attract our tribe (ideal clients).

From time to time this year, I will be sharing tools on this podcast that I use which I think can help you as a DJ. In this episode, I sit down with VIBO's founder, Michael Mahler. Vibo is an event planning music app that I've been using ever since it launched in the US back in 2017. For those not familiar with the app, Michael will talk us through some of the highlights of the product. We'll discuss some of the things on the horizon for the app and then also he drops a golden nugget in sharing one of the things he wishes he could go back and tell his younger entrepreneurial self. Lastly, he'll share where you can find him and demo the product for yourself in 2023.

I've had a ton of conversations with DJ company owners recently and unlike previous years where we all were tracking in somewhat the same direction, this year (2023) I'm hearing a lot of companies that are in "feast" mode while a considerable amount of others are in "famine" mode. Why is this? And if your inquiries are minimal, how can you change that? In this episode, I give you 3 reasons that I believe are causing the famine and I also share how you can get to the other side. This is a line in the sand moment. Don't let it pass you by.

This is a listener requested topic. An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is seen often in the nightlife world. But is it necessary in the Private Even Space? The answer is - it depends. Unfortunately, this is not a black or white answer here. In this episode, I break down not only when it could be advantageous for you but also what I feel should be included and how to get one made.

I've been pretty vocal about the need for me to get a 75% deposit from clients upon booking. This isn't about a money grab - in fact, far from it. In this episode, I break it down to help a DJ who tried to make the shift to this 75% with a client and it caused some pushback from said client. The DJ was looking for advice to counter this and book them. Context is everything. Listen to this episode for clarity here.

It's been a badge of honor for so long in our industry to not only book events in bulk but to book them as far out as possible. It shows you are in demand. It proves that you marketing is paying off. It puts you in a rare class of the elite DJ. Or does it? In this episode, I give you the other side of the coin as well as food for thought to consider pausing booking for 2024.

This is a listener requested topic - whether it's a planner or a DJ or a venue representative, each (in a lot of cases) feels like they should control the timeline. How do you handle a situation where there is dissension amongst the client and vendor team on this issue? In this episode, I give you the answer within the first 60 seconds then dive into the nuances (of which there are many). I think you can set yourself up to shine but most of the work has to be done on the front end to succeed.

Have you ever thought about DJ'ing internationally? 9 times out of 10 most clients are going to have a planner help them with this. So who better to ask about this than a planner who ONLY does international work but is based in the United States. In today's interview, we talk with Paulina Corvi from Paulina Corvi events. She discusses how she picked the location she serves, how she markets herself, and what her creative bent and processes are.