We often talk about “hub and spokes” here at Bandzoogle, which is the concept of making your artist website your “hub” of online activity, and using your social media “spokes” to draw people back to your hub.

The idea is to bring people into an environment online that you own and control (i.e. no ads/distractions), where you can sell merch directly, get fans signed up to your mailing list, and turn them into super-fans with engaging content on your website.

It’s no secret that video is one of the most popular content formats online. So a great way to keep fans engaging with the content on your website is by embedding video on your site. Sound obvious? You wouldn’t believe how many artist websites we come across where the “Videos” section is simply a link to their YouTube channel. What this does is send fans away to a different website where there are countless ads and hundreds of other links to click. In other words, they’ll be watching Ninja Kittehs in no time, and you’ve lost them from your website.

In today’s music industry, a fan’s attention is the most precious and scarce commodity. Don’t waste it!

Embedding video on your website also allows you to curate the content. As much as it’s great that your fans record videos of your live shows with their cellphone cameras and upload them to YouTube, you can use your website as a filter to display only your best quality videos.

Where to place Video on your website

Video is important enough to have its own section on your website. Create a Video section, then make a video gallery with your best videos. If you have too many menu options already and want to cut down on navigation buttons, you can create “Media” section which then has galleries for both Photos and Videos. But if you have the room on your navigation menu (if you have a total of roughly 8 main menu options or less), give “Video” its own section.

Other sections of your website where you could embed video:

Homepage: You can display your best or most recent video right on your Homepage for new visitors to your site to see right away. Keep this to 1 or 2 videos maximum for your Homepage, you don’t want to clutter it up with too much content (for tips on creating an effective Homepage, check out “6 Essential Elements for Your Band’s Website Homepage”)

Shows: You can display 1 or 2 of your best live videos in your “Shows” section along with your listing of upcoming gigs.

Blog: Of course, you can and should use videos in your blog posts whenever you can.

Press: If you have a digital press kit on your website, be sure to include 1 or 2 videos that media/bloggers can embed with any reviews/previews that they write about you and your music.

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Looking for video ideas? Here are 10 different types of videos you can use on your website:

1. Official Music Videos
2. Live Videos
3. Trailers/Teasers for a live show, tour, new album, etc.
4. Cover song videos
5. Video messages for fans
6. Interviews in media
7. Videos from tour
8. Videos from backstage at shows
9. Video from rehearsals
10. Video from studio sessions

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Previous Website Quick Fix posts:

Musician Website Quick Fix #9: Add a Digital Press Kit
Musician Website Quick Fix #8: Use a Contact Form
Musician Website Quick Fix #7: Add Social Links
Musician Website Quick Fix #6: Host Your Own Blog
Musician Website Quick Fix #5: Add a Mailing List Sign-Up
Musician Website Quick Fix #4: Make it easy to listen to your music
Musician Website Quick Fix #3: Focus on one Call-to-Action
Musician Website Quick Fix #2: Lose the Intro Page
Musician Website Quick Fix #1: Turn off auto-start music

Every week, we highlight one of our favorite websites on Bandzoogle.

Who: Sara Benincasa What: Comedian, Writer Where: New York, NY Why her website rocks: We love Sara’s site for a few reasons. First, she has a great custom header image, complemented by the clean navigation for her menu options. She offers a short bio on her Homepage that gives you an idea of who she is, then goes in-depth with her full story in her “Bio” section. Another great element to her site is the fact that she offers up both low-res and hi-res options for her photos making the lives of press people much easier.

Check it out at  www.sarabenincasa.com You can catch a great interview with Sara Benincasa on the podcast "WTF" with Marc Maron, which is one of the most popular comedy podcasts on the planet: listen here.

It’s comedy week on the Bandzoogle Blog! To celebrate our partnership with the Just for Laughs Comedy Conference, we’re featuring some blog posts aimed at helping comedians maximize their online presence. If you're a comedian attending Just for Laughs this week in Montreal, come visit our booth for a free website review, anytime between Wednesday, July 25 to Saturday, July 28, 10AM-6PM at the Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby.

An email list? It sounds old-school, but even in the age of social media, a mailing list is still the most reliable way to stay in touch with your fans, and some of today’s biggest names in comedy are putting a focus on collecting emails.

How Kevin Hart Used an Email List to Sell-out Tours

In a must-listen episode of the WTF podcast with Marc Maron, he interviews comedian Kevin Hart (listen here) who talks about how he used his mailing list to sell-out shows early on in his career.

When Kevin started out, he did the comedy club circuit 4 years in a row, and at every show, he got email addresses from audience members by leaving cards on each table with the message “Kevin Hart needs to know who you are”. People would leave their email address, and Kevin made sure to get the cards back from everyone before they left the club.

His assistant would then log all the email addresses in a spreadsheet organized by city, so the next time Kevin was performing there, he would reach out to every person individually to invite them to his show. This personal touch helped to sell out his shows and build a loyal fan base that follows him to this day.

Louis CK, Jim Gaffigan & Aziz Ansari Want Your Email Address

Building a mailing list isn't only for young comedians just starting out. Some of the biggest comedians in the world have put a focus on collecting fan emails.

When they decided to go direct-to-fan with their latest standup specials, besides asking for just $5, Louis CK, Jim Gaffigan and Aziz Ansari all asked for one more thing from fans: an email address.

Why is that? Here are 3 reasons why collecting email addresses is a good idea:

3 Reasons Why Every Comedian Needs a Mailing List

1) You own it

Remember all those fans you had on MySpace? Well, MySpace owned their data, not you, and chances are if you didn’t get them signed-up to your mailing list, you lost contact with many of them.

Facebook? Same deal. They own the data, and they too can disappear. Or, as it seems to be happening, it gets too crowded and noisy. Statistics regularly show that only a very small percentage of people actually see your updates on Facebook. So if you have important news to announce, your mailing list is your best bet to reach most of your fan base.

Twitter? Same issue with data, and tweets only last for a few hours, so again, it’s hard to tell how many of your followers actually see your updates.

Bottom line is that social media sites are great tools for interacting with current fans and finding new ones, but you’ll want to get them signed-up to your mailing list so you can stay in touch with your fans over the long-term, regardless of which social media site is popular at the time.

2) It’s the ultimate permission marketing

An email list is the ultimate in permission marketing. Once a fan gives you their email address, they’re telling you that they want to hear about your career, that they want to know about your next show, your new merchandise, etc. That’s an incredibly powerful thing, and those email addresses should be treated like gold.

Note: Don’t ever, EVER add people to your mailing list without their permission. Spamming people can do irreparable harm to your career, and you will likely lose those people as potential fans forever.

3) Best way to sell to your fans

And finally, when it comes to cold, hard cash, studies consistently show that email newsletters are still the best way to convert fans to paying customers.

As noted manager Emily White from Whitesmith Entertainment has said, an email list “is an artist’s retirement plan”.

Offer an incentive

And finally, don’t forget to offer an incentive to the person who will be giving you their email address. Getting the “latest news” or “inside scoop” on your career is nice, but offering a little something more might be the difference between getting that email or not. It could be as simple as a free MP3, or even an exclusive live recording from one of your shows. Use your creativity to find something unique, exclusive and fun that will give a potential new fan no choice but to hand over their email address.

It’s comedy week on the Bandzoogle Blog! To celebrate our partnership with the Just for Laughs Comedy Conference, we’re featuring some blog posts aimed at helping comedians maximize their online presence. If you're a comedian attending Just for Laughs this week in Montreal, come visit our booth for a free website review, anytime between Wednesday, July 25 to Saturday, July 28, 10AM-6PM at the Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby.


Your homepage is usually the first page visitors to your website will see, so it’s important to make sure that you have the right elements in place to grab their attention, make a strong first impression, and keep them on your site. A well-designed homepage can get you more sign-ups for your newsletter, more sales from your online store, and convert first-time visitors to becoming active and engaged fans. Here are 6 essential elements to have on your homepage that will help you do just that:

1. Great Header Image

Your header image is arguably the most important element of your homepage. It’s likely to be the first thing that people see on your website, so think about what image can best represent your comedy and who you are as a comedian. Having a great photo along with your name is a classic example of an effective header image. But it could also be an illustration, artwork from your last comedy CD or DVD, etc.

Here’s a nice example from Bandzoogle member Joel Salom:



2. Short Bio

You should never take for granted that people visiting your site already know who you are or what you do. Yes, your current fans will be visiting your site, but so will lots of potential new fans, journalists, bloggers, promoters, bookers, etc. Folks you want to impress. Having a short bio, or an “elevator pitch” right there on the homepage will let a potential new fan immediately know who you are and what you’re all about. Here’s a screenshot from the homepage of Bandzoogle member Sara Benincasa:



For this bio, keep it short. A longer version can be saved for your “About Us” or “Bio” page.

3. Video / Audio

First time visitors should be able to sample your comedy in one, easy, obvious click. So the next element you should have on your homepage is an embedded video that people can watch right away. If you don’t have a good video, you can have an audio player to stream a sample of one of your routines.

Here’s an example from Bandzoogle member Push the Fish:




4. Call-to-Action

The next element to have on your homepage is a call-to-action. A call-to-action is designed to direct people’s attention to something specific that you want them to do while on your website. It could be to join your mailing list, buy your latest album, or buy tickets for your upcoming shows.

But it’s best to limit yourself to one, maximum two calls-to-action. What your call-to-action is depends on what your goals are for your career. For an emerging comedian, collecting email addresses to build up your mailing list would be a good goal to have. For a more established comedian with a solid fan base, directing people to purchase a new album or merch through your online store might be the way to go.

Here’s an example of a call-to-action from the Homepage of Bandzoogle member Mike Finoia:




5. Latest News/Blog

With this next feature, it can come down to personal preference. Some comedians have a full blog on their homepage, others have a news feed with all of their news from the past few months. Just remember that your website should have a blog, but it shouldn’t be a blog. Most people don’t scroll down on a web page (one study showed it was as high as 80% of people), and will only read what they can immediately see on their screens.

So put the top news items on your homepage (maybe 3-5 items), and direct people to your full blog from there to see more. Info about your new album, a new show announcement, or a press article/interview are all things to feature proudly on your homepage.

6. Social Media Links

People might only have a short time to check out your website, so it’s a good idea to give them a quick link to connect with you on social media sites. That way, if they only have a minute, they can go to your Facebook page and “Like” it, or follow you on Twitter, right from your homepage.

Don’t overdo it, you can simply list the social media networks that you are most active on. The goal isn’t to send people away to 10 different places other than your website, but to make it easy for them to keep up with your latest activity.Then you can draw them back to your website with the content you put out through those social media profiles that you are active on.

Here’s an example from Bandzoogle member Mr. Percival’s Homepage, where the social media icons are right below his header image:

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Keep it Clean

One last thing to keep in mind is that an overly-cluttered homepage is not a good thing either. You’ll want to stick to these 6 elements for the most part, and use them to direct people to other sections of your site effectively. Otherwise, if people have too many options/links/images to look at, they might simply ignore it all and leave your site.

The most important elements, including your call-to-action need to be above the fold. The fold is the line after which visitors have to scroll to see the content. Keep in mind that the fold is different for different monitors and screen resolution.

If you do decide to make some of these changes to your homepage, you can use your Analytics to measure whether it worked. If you look at your current bounce rate before and after the changes, the bounce rate should decrease after these changes. You should also hopefully get more email sign-ups and sales from your online store too.

It’s comedy week on the Bandzoogle Blog! To celebrate our partnership with the Just for Laughs Comedy Conference this week, we’ll be featuring some blog posts aimed at helping comedians maximize their online presence. If you're a comedian attending Just for Laughs this week in Montreal, come visit our booth for a free website review, anytime between Wednesday, July 25 to Saturday, July 28, 10AM-6PM at the Hyatt Regency Hotel lobby.

Do comedians really need a website? With Facebook, Twitter, and even MySpace, you might think that your own .COM isn’t necessary. But with the rise of the direct-to-fan approach in comedy, having your own website as a comedian has never been as important.

Think about it:

Where did Louis CK send his fans to buy his $5 standup special “Live at the Beacon Theater”? His website. How about when he cut out the middle man and sold tickets directly to fans for his upcoming tour? He sold the tickets through his website.

And where did Jim Gaffigan send his fans to buy his latest standup special? His website. Aziz Ansari? His website. You get the idea.

And there will no doubt be many more to follow, with Joe Rogan already announcing that his new standup special will be sold through his website this Fall.

So why is it so important to send fans to your website? Here are the Top 3 reasons:

1) You own the address

First and foremost, you own your .COM address. As long as you maintain it, it will always point to your website. This is powerful -- you are guaranteed to own that little slice of the Internet. Even if you switch companies that host your website, your .COM can be transferred, so your fans will always be able to find you.

This is not the case with your social networking profile. They can get bought out, lose out to competition, or simply become un-cool. Thousands of comedians relied on their MySpace page as their home base, then there was a mass-exodus from the site.

But who knows what will happen in 5 years? Will Twitter still be around? Facebook? Google+? It might be an entirely new social networking site that will be “THE” place to have a profile. Your best bet is to make sure that you always have a place where fans can go to find out about your career.

2) You Own the Experience

With your website you also own the experience. You can control what your fans see, when they see it, and the messaging that you send to them. This means:

No Distractions

Unlike with social networking sites, on your website there are no ads to distract your fans, and there also aren’t dozens of other links vying for their attention.

No Design Limits

With your own website, you don’t have any design limits or restrictions. If you want to add a blog, or put a hi-res press kit for download, or even a special “fan-only” page, you can. Your website gives you the opportunity to make a deeper connection with your fans, without the limits of the one-size-fits-all social networks.

A Better Buying Experience

If you sell any kind of merch, standup specials, tickets, etc., your own website is even more critical. Social networking sales tools force fans to interact within a tiny widget, or redirect them to another website altogether to complete the transaction. Having your own store on your own site allows you to give your fans a seamless buying experience, and full control over what that experience is.

3) You Own your Data

On your .COM site, you can get far more detail on your fans than what you can get on a social networking site.

Stuff like:

• How many people previewed a sample from my album last week?
• Which ones downloaded it?
• Did they skip ahead?
• Where do those fans live?
• What site brought them here?

More than stats, you also own your fan list. You probably noticed that you can’t move your old MySpace fans to Twitter. That’s because you don’t own that fan list, MySpace does. Same thing could happen whenever the next hot social network appears. There is no easy “export from Twitter” option.

Remember, your list of fan emails is gold. It allows you to always maintain contact with your fans, regardless which social networks they might be on.

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Social Networks Are Still Important

This is not to say that you shouldn’t be present on social networks -- they clearly have a place to interact with and find new fans. Twitter has been great for comedians to build a following and develop a relationship with their fans. But what’s even more important is to have a home base to bring your fans back to that you own, where they can always find you regardless which social networks are popular at the time.

Every week, we highlight one of our favorite websites on Bandzoogle.
                                                               

Who: Jessa Anderson What: Singer, Songwriter Where: Nashville, TN Why her website rocks: Using a combination of professional photos and custom images, Jessa’s site is a great example of a simple, but effective custom design. From her great header image, to using custom sub-header background images, to changing the colour of her site-wide music player, it all makes for a cohesive, professional look and brand for her music. On top of that, Jessa’s website is well-organized, easy to navigate, and her Homepage is perfect in our books. Nicely done Jessa!

Check it out at: http://jessaanderson.com

A couple months ago, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) ran a series for "Music Monday", which occurs on the first Monday of each May in Canada. Music Monday is a time to celebrate the impact of music, and of music education. CBC took this time to feature several letters from prominent Canadian musicians to music teachers, thanking them for their dedication to music education, and for influencing them to pursue a career in music.

The impact of music teachers is hard to measure in quantitative terms. In a society where as children and young adults we are increasingly pushed to pursue careers in “money making” areas like science and math, music teachers are vitally important in showing how important and fulfilling a career in music is. They may be the first people in our lives to introduce us to the beauty of music making, and to nurture our growth as artists. As we continue to grow as musicians and enter professional careers, we may still have teachers who act as advisors and coaches, supporting us along our journey.

Looking back, I’ve been very lucky to have a veritable army of teachers behind me. In high school, I went to a public school with a pretty amazing music program - two full time music teachers, multiple courses in both vocal and instrumental music, bands, choirs, and an annual musical. Having those resources available to me (and a team of supportive music teachers) certainly influenced me as a teenager to strongly pursue a career in music. My experiences in those classes showed me that I loved music, and that I was much better at it then many of the more traditional courses I had to take, like math and science.

As an adult, I'm lucky enough to have a regular vocal coach and teacher who is not only gifted at voice instruction, but also serves as a mentor and friend. She’s an essential part of my life as a musician, and keeps me motivated and moving towards new goals.

So, as you can probably tell, I think music teachers are awesome! But what do you think? How have music teachers influenced you, and do you have any great stories about them? If so, share them below!

Aside from working for Bandzoogle, Justin has been lucky enough to work as a soloist for many companies in Toronto, including Toronto Operetta Theatre, Opera in Concert, the Orpheus Choir of Toronto, the Annex Singers, and the North Toronto Players. Recent engagements have included the role of Ralph T. Rackstraw in North Toronto Player’s Starship Pinafore, as a soloist for the Annex Singers’ Opera Choruses concert, and his own spring tour of Irish folk music.

Every week, we highlight one of our favorite websites on Bandzoogle.

Who: The Yellow Jackets What: An a cappella group from Rochester University whose energetic personality and unique take on popular music landed them in the top 7 of NBC’s The Sing Off. Where: Rochester, New York  Why their website rocks: It has a distinctive and stylish logo, and high quality photos of the group’s members. They make great use of Store features to sell their merchandise, and Album features to sell their digital downloads. Finally, they use Youtube features to showcase their time on The Sing Off, and their other performances.

Check it out at http://jackets.org

When you’re suffering from writer’s block the solution can come in many forms, including de-stressing, self-care, external influence, or some sort of inspiration. For the songwriter, two types of inspiration can help: internal or external (sometimes both!)

Internal Inspiration
Internal inspiration takes the view that everything you need, you already have inside you. Especially with something as personal as songwriting, the topics you write about are somewhere hiding in your mind or heart.

To purge these ideas you can try a few exercises…

• Meditate: Find a quiet space, relax, and focus on either your breathing, a question, or an image. Then let the inspiration come to you. Many books, articles and blogs have been written on this subject so if you get stuck you can find out what's worked for others and give it a try. Even fifteen minutes of meditation can produce great results. The goal is to just quiet the noise around you enough to allow new ideas to flow out of you. Have paper and a pen nearby to jot ideas after your meditation session.
• Journal or write: Getting your wild thoughts out on paper can be very freeing. Grab a journal or some paper and write! Write out what you are feeling or thinking. If the feelings are about someone else write them a letter (you don't have to ever give it to them). Don't censor yourself, just let it flow. Then when you've gotten it all out, go back over it and highlight words or phrases that hit you. This could be the beginning of a new song.
• Choose a topic and mindmap: Similar to journaling is the process of mindmapping. Grab a sheet of paper and in the center write one word or topic and circle it. Now write down every word or phrase that comes to mind when you think of that word. It doesn't have to make sense and don't put any restrictions on yourself. Here is an example of a fun little mindmap I threw together on the topic of "Summer": 

External Inspiration
External inspiration is a bit easier because there are many more available options . When you surround yourself with people and really pay attention, song topics are all around you.
If you find yourself sitting at home staring at a blank paper, put your pen down and get out into the world! Be curious, listen intently and don’t worry about eavesdropping. If a couple or group of people are talking in public, it’s free rein for your ears.

Here are some other ways to get inspired:

• Take a walk: Changing your environment can shake up your brain to think about new ideas. You can take a stroll through your neighborhood, go to the park, walk around the city, nature walk, or hike. You can even just take a drive around town to change your scenery. Focus on the little things around you, the way you feel, and what's on your mind.
• Listen to other songs: Break out your music collection and listen to a few of your favorites. Note what you like about each song, get specific. Ask yourself how you could make it better or how you could say it differently. Can you add a twist? Or maybe the lyrics will spark a new thought or idea for you to write about.
• Read a book:  Not only does reading have a calming affect on the mind, it can also open up the imagination. It can be anything from fiction, self-help, sci-fi, or even a comic book. Anything to get the brain moving and thinking can help.
• Host a group idea session: If you're struggling with ideas I'm sure others are as well. Consider hosting an idea session with other songwriters in the area. Have a few snacks and a large white board or poster board. You can either just have a general brainstorming thrown down or choose a specific topic to focus on. This should be a fun activity so don't get bogged down with the details.

Preventative Measures
Like the old addage, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" so it goes for writing ....except you don't have to eat apples or visit a doctor. Just write something every day to train your brain. Write lyrics, short stories, letters, blogs, poems, or even just doodle some words. This stimulates the right side of your brain which is associated to creativity. Here are a few more ideas to prevent writer's block from getting in your way:

• Keep a song journal: Have a dedicated journal that you carry with you everywhere. When an idea strikes you, write it down. Get in the habit of writing it down right away as it may slip your mind later. This is especially true right around bed time when your mind is settling down to rest and various thoughts come to mind. Keep the journal near to jot down your ideas. If you are more of a digital person you can even use a notepad option on your phone.
• Mini recorder: Similar to a song journal you may want to carry around a mini voice recorder. When a melody, lyric or beat crosses your mind, record it! You can even record it to your phone or leave yourself a voicemail.
• Weekly topic: Choose one topic every week and throughout that week write down any ideas that come to mind. For example, if the topic is tacos, you may think about the toppings as you grocery shop, or you may eat at Taco Bell that week and notice the people around you. You may even cook your own tacos and notice what feelings you have in the process of building your Mexican feast. This is a silly topic but you can see how many thoughts can come up around one single idea. 

This is just a small sample of the many inspiration ideas available to break through the writer's block wall. I'd love to hear what other inspiration tips you have.

Stay tuned for Part II for more Songwriting Inspiration Tips.... who knows, your idea may just make it in the next post!

This is a guest post from Joy Ike. Joy is a full-time singer-songwriter who has been recognized by NPR's All Things Considered as "a truly compelling act to watch in person, with the ability to create an intimate setting in locations big and small." She is also the founder of Grassrootsy, a twice-weekly music marketing blog for independent artists. She believes the greatest tragedy in the world is having a talent and keeping it to yourself.

In this post Joy gives some great advice about what to do when you’re caught in an uncomfortable situation where you need to say “No”. Enjoy!

In my fairly short life, I’ve learned that maintaining good relationships with people has alot to do with with how you respond to awkward situations or unwanted propositions. “It’s not what you say but how you say it.” So here’s a short list of some of those awkward moments and how to tactfully say NO!


“We can’t pay you, but can you still play the show?”

Response: Thanks for asking. Can you check back with me two weeks prior to the event? I try to make an effort to first leave my calendar open to gigs that can help sustain me financially…especially on the weekends. If that day is not booked nearer to your event, I may be able to play this particular event.

note: I’ve noticed that, if someone really wants to confirm you for an event after you’ve respectfully declined, they will proceed to ask you your booking fee. The above is a great way to let them know that you are serious about music as a “job”, not just a hobby.


“Want to write/record a song together?”

Response: That would be fun sometime. Honestly, I have to respectfully decline at the moment. I’m trying to be more strategic about the music I release and the projects I choose to take on. Perhaps in the future something can work, but right now its not something I’m able or ready to add to my plate.

note: its very important to carefully choose who you collaborate with. You cant just shell out song after song that you’ve recorded with various people. After a while you’ll have too much media out there .


“Can your whole band play this show?”

Response 1: Id really love for my whole band to come out to this show. Unfortunately I want to be able to fairly pay the musicians who play with me, and I’m unable to do that for this performance. Perhaps they will be able to join me in the future.

note: in most cases, the venue or event booker will understand. In a rare case, they will ask you how much you charge for band shows. Its a respectful way of telling them they’re not pay you enough for 3 more people.

Response 2: We’d really love to, but perhaps in the future. I try to space out how often we have full band performances since it is a huge commitment from my bandmates. We often keep band performances to summer music festivals and larger venues that demand a bigger sound. In between those, I play stripped down sets as much as possible.

note: this is an especially great way for singer/songwriters to decline bringing their band to an event that won’t be worth stringing 3 extra people to (i.e. farmers market, background music in a corner of a bar, house show).


“Will you promote my event through your Facebook wall and newsletter?”

Response: Your event sounds great…but I try to keep my Facebook wall and newsletter just for personal and music posts. People often ask me to promote their events on my wall, but I don’t want it to become too much of a bulletin board and advertising space. Sorry to disappoint but I hope your event goes well.

note: the more followers you gain over the years, the more people will post their own event on your page/profile, in the hopes that your fans will see it. I call it FB Spam. If that bugs you, be sure to consistently delete all attempts at 3rd party “advertising” on your page. It clutters your FB page and looks ugly.


“My band is coming through town in a few weeks and we’re looking for a local opener to split the show with us at XYZ. Can you play?”

Response 1: Hey guys, I checked out your music and your sound is great. Can I suggest a few bands for you to contact? My sound doesn’t necessarily compliment yours but i can recommend a band that is more compatible. And it will probably help your draw.

Response 2: Hey guys , I checked out your music and I really like it. Unfortunately since I play in my city alot, I am really trying to space out how often I do a local show. I can’t do the XYZ show because I have another local show a few days later. I don’t want either of the shows to detract from the other’s turnout.

Response 3: Hey guys, I checked out your stuff and it sounds great. I’m sorry I can’t play the show in a few weeks. XYZ isn’t a venue that works for my style of music. In fact, I think your show will be great, but if you’re ever swinging through town again, please hit me up and I can suggest some better venues for you guys. All the best!

note: you should always respond to traveling artists/bands when you can. They need your support and you will need their support when you go to their town. If a show doesn’t work for you, just tell them the truth. And if you can play the show, then play the show and help them by bringing out a few people.

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So what do you guys think? Have you ever been put into uncomfortable situations and had to say “No”? If so, how did you handle it? Let us know in the comments.

I feel a little under dressed for this post. We’re happy to announce two great updates for our members today. First, we are proud to introduce David English to the support team. Originally from Vancouver, David studied music from an early age, first as a violinist, and then later as an opera singer in college. He has performed across North America and Europe and now looks to evolve the operatic medium by merging it with his passion for filmmaking and tackling present day issues. David is thrilled to be part of the Bandzoogle team.

Secondly, we will now be providing support from 7am to 10pm EST on weekdays, and 9am to 5pm on weekends. We are happy to note that as we grow, our members can continue to expect the same level of personalized technical support that they received from day one. David is standing by in a three piece suit to answer your inquiries now.

Fact: David English is the 4th David currently working at Bandzoogle.

We’re proud to present our signature “Website Demolition Derby” panel to the comedy world! It will take place at the biggest and best comedy festival & conference in the world, Just for Laughs, right here in our hometown of Montreal.

For this edition of the Website Demolition Derby, we’ll be offering live critiques of comedian websites. We’ve put together an all-star panel of experts for the occasion, including Andy Nulman (President, Festivals & TV, Just for Laughs), Mickael Kanfi (Chief Product Officer, Twist Image), Tara Hunt (CEO & co-founder, Buyosphere), as well as our very own CEO David Dufresne, and Director of Artist Relations, Dave Cool.

Our panelists have been instructed to leave all diplomacy aside, assessing each site's design, organization, content and functionality. How does the website fit with the comedian's overall online strategy, and how successfully does it achieve their goals? Our experts are extremely knowledgeable about website best practices and deeply allergic to bad design, Flash widgets and unreadable fonts.

The hope is that by the end of the session, after the dust has settled and people pick up the pieces of their broken egos, that all in attendance will learn some best practices in building and maintaining a great comedian website.

Panel details:

Thursday, July 26
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Hyatt Regency Hotel Montreal
Ovation Room (Level 5)

Submit Your Website For Review!

Is your website the butt of more jokes than Paris Hilton’s DJ skills? We can help. Send us your website link for the panel to review by emailing: dcool[at]bandzoogle[dot]com

We’ll be prioritizing comedians who show up to the panel, so if you submit and don’t show up, chances are we won’t review your website, sorry!

Free Website Reviews at our Booth!

Too shy to submit your website for the Demolition Derby because it looks like it was built using Geocities? Or simply can’t make it to the panel but still want to have your website reviewed? No worries!

We’ll have a booth set-up during the comedy conference and will be offering free website reviews from 10AM to 6PM on Wednesday, July 25 through Saturday, July 28, in front of the Creation room (Level 6 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Montreal).

Hope to see you there!

CALLING ALL DESIGNERS!

If there's one thing we've noticed over the years is that the Bandzoogle community are a creative bunch. So we've teamed up with Creative Allies on a contest, and it's pretty simple: Design our next t-shirt and you could win $500 + a two year Pro Bandzoogle account!

Submitted art should be innovative, clean, and smart – perfect for a T-Shirt that will be worn by Bandzoogle staff (and members too!).

All the details on how to participate can be found here: http://creativeallies.com/contests/545-Design-a-T-Shirt-for-Bandzoogle

Deadline for submissions is August 01, 2012 (11:59PM PST).

Good luck!