Our Guide to Promoting a Karaoke Night
A karaoke night should be able to sell itself. A mixture of drinks, music and spectacle with a pinch of public humiliation. And yet, quiet and empty nights still happen, and they can be a sad sight. It’s hard to keep your head held high when you’re singing Single Ladies to an audience of one. If you’re a KJ and this scene seems familiar to you. Don’t worry, there’s still hope. Follow our guide to promoting a karaoke night to give your event a much needed publicity boost.
1. Get the Name Right
Give your karaoke night a catchy name. If your karaoke night takes place weekly. Make sure the day is in the name, e.g. 'Mandy's Karaoke Mondays' or 'Tuesday Karaoke Surprise at the Old Barnyard Tavern.' Except you should definitely come up with better names than those examples.
2. Submit your karaoke night to our site.
Of course we'd say that. But we mean it. Lots of people use Karaoke Near Me to find karaoke nights. Make sure you upload good photos of the venue and the karaoke, and write a long description to help you night stand out.3. Use Social Media
Lots of people use Facebook to search for karaoke. If you don't already have one, create a Facebook Page for your venue, make sure it is clear that the venue does karaoke. It will begin to show up in search results on Facebook.
If the venue has Twitter or Instagram, get them to remind their followers of the karaoke night every week. Use the hashtags, #karaoke #karaokenight and most importantly #karaoke followed by your city, e.g. #karaokeNY or #karaokeParis
4. Coerce your Friends
Pretty obvious, but if you can convince them to come every week, you're karaoke night will develop a reputation for being busy. If you have ever been to an empty karaoke night then you'll know they can be quite sad.
5. Posters and Flyers
The old fashioned way. Make sure you put up a poster in the venue, prominently featuring the day of the week the karaoke takes place. Print off some flyers and put them in local bars, cafes, laundrettes and funeral homes.
6. Freebies for Singing
For some people the joy of karaoke isn't enough to get them singing. They also require a bribe to get them through the door. Many karaoke nights offer a free shot, or something to eat as a reward.7. Come up with Fun Themes
An 80s themed event is easier to promote than a nothing themed event. It also makes it easier for your patrons to choose a song (if it has to be from the 80s!) You can have a lot of fun coming up with themes and generate buzz for your karaoke night by getting input from your adoring fans.
Free drinks or song privileges can be awarded for coming in costume. The more outlandish and fun your event looks, the more people will share it on social media. You might end up with a larger crowd than you'd bargained for.
8.Get a Shout Out
Go to another karaoke night and ask the KJ to give you a shout out. They'll be hosting to a room full of your target audience - local karaoke addicts. So long as your night isn't on the same day of the week, there shouldn't be a problem. Just make sure you return the favour at your event. Everybody's a winner.
9. Keep Consistent
This is the most important of all. Do your karaoke night every week, no matter what. If you’re sick or just unable to host, make sure someone else hosts for you.
It takes time to build a reputation and a regular crowd. Making sure your karaoke night runs every week and that the service is consistent will keep people coming back.
We’re creatures of habit. Karaoke is an addiction and the people need their fix. If they’re not sure they can get it from you, they’ll turn elsewhere. They may even start their own night.
Tell us Your Tips
The above list is a work in progress. Tell us your ideas on how to promote a karaoke night in the comments. We'll update the list with new ideas whenever we get one.