There’s no denying the fact that email and text messages are two of the most powerful tools at a club promoter’s disposal. When they’re used properly, they can easily bring in more than enough people to keep you active and successful in the club promoting industry. With that said, there are some unique advantages and disadvantages associated with both email and text messaging. Understanding what these are will allow you to make most out of your marketing efforts.

The bottom line is that you should be using both email and text messages as a club promoter. Whether you’re promoting for a party, club, concert or some other event, your ultimate goal is to bring in the most customers you can. After all, club promoters typically get paid based on how many people they bring to a club, so that equals more money in your pocket. Don’t make the mistake of growing content using only one form of promotional advertising, but instead use everything possible, including email and text messaging.

Text Messaging

First we’ll take a look at using text messages to promote a club or party. The most obvious benefit to using text messages as a form of promotion is that it allows you to instantly blast potential customers with specific information like the time and date of a party. People usually carry their cell phones on them, so when they hear an alert for a new text message, they will immediately check it and see that a party is about to take place; therefore, you’re able to almost instantly increase the amount of customers to to the club or party.

There are a couple of disadvantages to using text messages as a club promoter, however, one of which is the character limitation. Depending on the cell carrier, you might be limited to using 160 characters or less, and remember those are characters not words. Trying to convey a detailed text message that contains the date, location and other pertinent information about a club can be difficult, if not impossible, using only 160 characters. The trick to successfully using text messages as a club promoter is to use them in conjunction with email and social media networking messages. For instance, send your clients information about the event through Facebook and Twitter, but also remind them about it by sending a text message.

Cost of Text Messaging

The cost of text messaging is another disadvantage to using it for club promoting. There are a number of services that offer bulk text message blasting, ranging from roughly .03 to .06 cents per message. This may not seem like a lot, but when you have 5,000 people on your list, that’s $150 per blast. Now you have to think that you may send 4 or more blasts a week, adding up $600 a month. As you can see, it gets expensive quick.

Email

Email remains one of the best forms of electronic communication. For club promoting, there really isn’t a better way to convey everything necessary to persuade a potential client to visit a club or party. Unlike text messages that impose a strict 160-character limit, you can create emails as long or big as you please. This unlimited character space allows you to not only include basic information about the club or party, but you can also persuade the individual to join. For instance, if girls are allowed to enter the club for free, be sure to state that somewhere in the email. Remember, though, there’s a fine line between creating a complete email and making it too long. Emails that are too long and drawn out will only make the recipient want to close them without reading.

Another advantage to using email over text messaging is that you include pictures, videos and hyperlinks, allowing for a richer experience to the recipient. As the old saying goes “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true for email. If you include some actual photos of customers partying and having a good time at the club, it will entice others to visit. When you’re at the club, don’t be afraid to ask some of the people partying if you can take their picture and use it for promotional material. You can even offer them a discount in exchange for their photos.

The primary downside to using emails is that not everyone checks their emails on a daily basis. In fact, some people may only check them less than once a week. If you’re blasting these people with emails, it’s likely going to sit in their inbox until the party has already taken place, making them completely useless.

Cost of Email

Unlike text messaging, the cost of sending bulk emails to your potential clients is relatively low. You can sign up for an autoresponder and schedule your emails to be sent out a specific date and time, allowing you to focus on other promotional avenues. Depending on the number of subscribers to your newsletter, you can expect to pay anywhere between $15 and $75 a month for using an autoresponder to send out your emails.

Email and Text Messaging Laws

Whether you plan on using email, text messaging or both, you need to always abide by the law. Many newcomers to club promoting fail to realize the importance of this, and as such, they place themselves in legal jeopardy by sending out unsolicited messages. You can read more about the specific laws governing email and text message advertising below, but the basis of it states that you must have the individual’s consent, include an “opt out” and have clear return information.

Resources:

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/spam-unwanted-text-messages-and-email