Are promotional posters a potentially effective marketing technique for magicians (ie posting your posters around town?) What I mean by promotional posters is a poster detailing your services and not a specific event.

Anyone know about this topic that would like to comment?

I remember trying this a couple of years ago when I was first getting started. I put the fliers in grocery stores, and anywhere else there were public bulletin boards. I didn't get any calls, and within a week all of them were torn down and replaced by other fliers.

The reason I didn't bother trying again is:
1. Even if someone were to call, it wouldn't be the target audience I was shooting for in the first place.
2. The image I aim for is an "exclusive" performer. Being seen on a public bulletin board doesn't say exclusivity.
3. It's impersonal and the people who hire me usually do because we have met before, or were referred to me.
4. I live in a college town and there are a lot of performers who work for next to nothing. I refuse to be seen in any place that they usually advertise (such as those boards).

So, the times that I HAVE found that fliers and posters are appropriate (at least for me) are:
1. If you work in an establishment, such as a restaurant, it is appropriate because people are familiar with you. There is a reason to have one because it displays the times you are there, and can have your contact information.
2. If I have a special event coming up that I want the public to attend to. I occasionally do shows in a popular coffee shop, and, depending on WHERE I put the posters, I know that the posters will attract the crowd that will enjoy my style the most.

So there you have it. That's basically what I've found works, but feel free to try what you think will work best for you.

David

I send posters for every event I do. It gets a "buzz" going and gets them excited even before I get there. And a day or two before I get there I try to get all the posters together and then I can autograph them to hand each one out to a volunteer for a nice keepsake. O do this for ALL Family shows, including school assemblies. It adds to your "celebrity" and usually makes your event better attended, which the client appreciates.

Place the posters in areas where people would have a getting a magician in their mind. One will be party stores. When people travel to a party store to purchase equipment for a party, a poster of a magician will easily get their attention. Another place will be a novelty shop. Another is a bakery people go to for purchasing a birthday cake.

Posters are not how you book gigs. You need to know where your clients are and get in front of them. Get a list of potential clients and call them to send your promo materials. Go to hotels and crash them so you are visible to the people who host events.

Having posters for a specific event will work but not just to advertise your services. You have to qualify people based on the event, their budget, etc. Posters don't qualify at all.