Don’t Get Discouraged – Looks Can Be Deceiving

There’s a monthly meetup that I attend and have been a part of for something like ten years now.  (Yes, really.)  I know when and where it happens and I attend regularly, so, not only do I know if anything changes, but, I’m quite familiar with what takes place during it as well as how many people usually show up, and, of course, I get to know a lot of people, whether regulars or first timers.

If you came across it for the first time, though, you might look at it and, on the surface, decide it’s not worth your time.  The reason?  You look at the number of RSVPs and decide, “Wow, barely anyone is going.”

The meetup does get listed as a Facebook event as well as in a Facebook group, plus it is listed on meetup.com and I think maybe even on eventbrite.com.  So, you see, there are enough places online that it gets posted, that the numbers become quite fractured.  You also have to keep in mind how many people just don’t engage, say, with Facebook event postings.

We all are just so darn busy that we make a record somewhere (i.e., the calendar on our phone) of where we’re going to be and when, yet we don’t outwardly indicate that to anyone else.  Heck, the other day my best friend had to text me to ask if I’m coming to his film premier next month because I hadn’t executed the formal RSVP.  Of course I am absolutely going to attend, but you can see how someone could talk themselves into getting discouraged and feel that “It looks like barely anyone is coming.”

So, if you’re a performer and you post an event on Facebook, consider the above before getting yourself down in the dumps and setting yourself up to get to the venue with the wrong attitude.

I looked at an organization whose Facebook page has fifteen thousand followers, and their national conference is coming up in just under three weeks, yet the Facebook event for it shows only 66 people “interested” and, gulp, 21 people “going.”  Now, clearly that isn’t really going to be the case.  There are going to be a whole lot more than 21 people who attend.  But you can see how very quickly you can talk yourself out of participating because you think so few others are going.

So often we hear people talk about “technology is great until it doesn’t work,” or, more specifically, how, “social media is great, until it isn’t.”  In a day and age when there is a long list of Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Snapchat, and a list that goes on and on, you have lots and lots and lots of platforms available to list your events on.

Keep in mind that I just mentioned seven online destinations and none of them were meetup.com, eventbrite.com, or BandsInTown.com, so you really could get quite carried away with all the places that you post about your upcoming show(s).  However, arm yourself with what I’ve shared with you in this post so that you don’t get discouraged – and you don’t discourage people from attending – when “papering the town” backfires on you and RSVPs make it look like next to no one will be there.

Remember too that bookers just might look at some of what I’ve described here and convince themselves that, “Mm, I guess not too many people are interested in their music – or, at least, going to see them perform live.”

Feeling frustrated about the above and/or other aspects of your career?  For 20 years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors and actresses, entrepreneurs, small business owners, podcasters, and more.  Let’s jump on a ten-minute call so you can benefit from all my years of experience as it relates to whatever challenges I can give you some insights on.