Hey guys -
I put this video together, primarily with my comedian acquaintances in mind - but figured some of you might get some use out of it too.
Or not.
Whatever, lol.
Anyway, check it out.
www.BrandYourGigs.wordpress.com

-Nathan Allen

What are you collecting emails for?

I ask for the email address so I can send the link and password, and send a follow-up down the road, to get some quick feedback, for more content in the future.

I ask for the first name so I don't have to address the recipient as "hey you."

And I ask for the type of entertainment to help me specialize the content a bit more in the future, based on who the majority of viewers are.

-Nathan

And the only time you bother to pop in is with this? Nice.

Yeah I haven't been around much lately; wife/baby/gigs/other.

Did this project, thought a few folks might appreciate it, so popped in.

If my presence offends you, I am deeply sorry.

Not offended at all. Just pointing things out.

Nathan- we have had many discussions here that have involved branding and some threads almost exclusively devoted towards it. Is there anything new, fresh, special or unique about what you share? Without further knowledge about you, your work or perspectives (or an endorsement from a trusted source) I would not likely invest an hour on your material.

Take a look at the "preview" 3-minute 40-second video. If it interests you, grab the full one. If it doesn't, then don't. It's free. You might already know everything in the full video, and that's great. But you might see & hear something you haven't thought of, too. It's up to you.

Extremely informative, thanks.

Thanks Bill. Just sent you an email.
-Nathan

Thanks for sharing this, it looks like great info and addresses topics that have not been covered here ever before.

I'm not sure but I think at some point I heard the marketing guru Dean Jackson mention your name, Nathan Allen, or maybe it was your comedy partner. This appears very credible info and I hope people will take notice as it is an update many here need to learn about.

I hate to break the news to you but there's a lot that is posted here with an air of authority yet most of it is information from 10 or 20 years ago, as well as a lot of negativity in general. Thanks for sharing something modern and applicable to someone who is out and performing today.

What is new about this exactly Tim?

This is really great info. I just finishing watching the part about posters. There has never been a post here on the Café this extensive that covers how to design a poster. Nathan covers it all and has a very good understanding of how to design your poster so you get the result of people coming to your show. The result is the most important part.

Furthermore, I find it very unfair to put it upon Nathan who openly admitted to being a pop-in member to inform us if his video contains new info.

So rather than ask Nathan about past posts that might have covered some of this info, just do yourself a favor and watch it. Although I am now more of a pop-in member, I can tell you the content in his video has not been covered here.

What information is new?

You intentionally took a shot at 10 or 20 year old information. What is new?

Sorry but poster design info goes back to Keller and beyond.

Danny, in regards to the 10 to 20 year old information statement - you are correct. To be honest that was not good wording on my part and it was not a true statement. Thank you for pointing this out, I apologize if this was offensive and can understand how it might have been.

I hope we can continue this discussion and I will make an effort to make it a more productive discussion.

In the name of full disclosure, calling this for what it is, it’s a free video to capture e-mail addresses to try to offer/sell you on his design services.

It’s also important to point out his style of posters, cards is only one type and style of approach. If you’re going for that young, hip handbill type of feel this may be of appeal. Many would tell you his style goes very much against other proven styles or methods. Other gurus and graphic designers would tell you it’s too busy, way too much text and too few photos (many state that photos reach, resonate and sell far better than text), and so on.

So it is what it is - one performers own belief and approach that works for him IN HIS TYPE OF PERFORMANCE MARKETS IN HIS PERFORMANCE SITUATION.

I give him Kudos for stating he is not a professional graphic designer, just an entertainer. I only wish he would have properly introduced himself, offered his experience, and what he was really offering up front and to openly admit that one size does not fit all, and this style and may not work for many on this forum.

Also to be clear, there is much more to branding than posters and cards.

I also think his style of “branding” is more for those that think testimonials are the be all and end all and believe the more the better. Again, not all subscribe to that belief. I personally find 1, 2 or 3 more significant and credible ones are more effective than many that just blend together into a field of “textimonials.”

Tim Friday seems to get excited once again by anything that appears new and shiny, which is surprising for his age. Then he comes in with proclamations. To state that poster and card design and branding has not been discussed here is incorrect. (Really? Dean Jackson the real estate guru?”) Also your shot at information from 10-20 years ago is both incorrect and embarrassing (even though you apologized) , as well as your grossly mistaken belief and insult saying/implying that (finally someone) “sharing something modern and applicable from someone who is out and performing today.” This is an insult to the many working performers here that do share as regularly contributing members on a consistent basis. Many full-time with the same or more experience than who you are referencing. Once again a slap/dig to the community by someone who bounces in himself only occasionally with limited perception an experience.

This can be quite productive discussion without these uncalled for and unnecessary false proclamations and perceptions.

Onf course it was to capture email and sell other services. It is that type of thing they is not "helping" anyone but him.

It is just tiresome, and it is sort of insulting our intelligence that he thinks we would fall for it.

Hey Mindpro.

Tried sending you a PM just now, but looks like your inbox is full or something. So I'll just copy-and-paste right here:

************************

Thanks for chiming in on that video thing I did. You had a lot of solid points and I'm definitely going to use some of your suggestions (i.e. making it clear on the front page that these are just my opinions, might not be everyone's cup of tea, and that I'll also offer to help with design).

I do think that this stuff can prove useful to people, who already can do graphics work on their own, or already have a design professional they prefer to work with. And if I can help people look at their projects differently, and offer them some ideas that will benefit them, and they NEVER click the "ask Nathan to help" button, I'm cool with that.

So my goal is not to SELL SELL SELL to anyone and everyone.

Quite the opposite, actually.

I only want to work with the people who REALLY want to work with ME.

I think my thinking for the sort of sparse opt-in front-page was just to stress the benefits. Then explain how to make it all work in the larger video. And then offer help designing if they wanted help from an entertainer.

My initial thought was to just flat-out offer design services, but the more I got into it, the more I realized that there would probably be speed-bumps every step of the way if I were just offering it to ANYONE all willy-nilly, and figured that some type of "filter" would be best:

People who are interested in the benefits raise their hands by opting in to receive the full video. This way I know that they are at least remotely interested in the business end of things and have a "go get 'em" mindset.

They watch the video, and those who disagree with my ideas and don't like what I've done will be filtered and weeded out - those who agree with my ideas and like the examples I show would be free to contact me to help 'em out. That way I'd only be working with those who were on the "same page" as me, and it could be a much more efficient and enjoyable process for everyone involved to ONLY create stuff for people that they're happy with.

Plus, putting this "filter" process in place will also weed out those annoying calls from people who are just kicking tires: "HOW MUCH?" Any answer you give to that question is wrong, because (a) they don't know what they're getting and (b) you don't know what they want. This is true for booking performances also.

Oh, and no I'm not going to do any high-pressure sales-y stuff, or spam anyone, or any of that junk. The option to "click to ask about having me help you" button is there below the video, and I mention it in the video, but my quick pitch at the end of that video is as far as any "selling" goes.

I hate those constant emails pitching stuff as much as the next guy, so I'm certainly not going to do that. I'll probably follow-up asking for any feedback or questions they might have, offer again to let me help if they so choose (no pressure), and if/when I make more relevant content (additional video), I'll probably drop that in an email also. Because maybe someone *was* initially interested in getting ahold of me when they first watched the video, but got busy with something else and forgot, or lost the link or whatever, so a "oh yeah I forgot about that guy" reminder would be good for both of us.

But, again, I'm not going to go all "high pressure" or anything.

So why am I doing it at all?

Because I like it. I enjoy making that stuff for entertainers.

But I'm not going to do any hard-selling, because (a) this is just a side thing for me; I don't need to feed my family doing this, and (b) I don't really have much extra time to devote to starting a full-blown design service business - if I have just one or two of those projects I'm working on at any given time, that's plenty for me.

Hope this rambling made sense, and cleared up any questions about my motivation.

Thanks again, and if you have any further suggestions or critiques, please let me have it.
Here's my "official" feedback form for those of you who have watched the full video:
https://brandyourgigs.wordpress.com/quick-survey/

Peace,

Nathan Allen
brandyourgigs@gmail.com

************************

Did you watch the video, Danny? If not, why are you so dead-set against it? If you did watch the video but disagree with what I had to say, that's fine. See the post to MindPro above - if you disagree, then we don't work on something together. No harm.

And I absolutely am NOT insulting anyone's intelligence. Again: did you watch the video?

And this opt-in thing that has your panties in a knot... Have you ever spent any time on the internet outside of the Café?

I mean, Christ, man. I came here offering free information and a different perspective that might prove beneficial to people, and you just immediately went all Negative Nancy on us.

:D