Starting a Street Team for Your Band
Promoting your gigs and music can make or break your band...but free or low cost media can be a challenge for independent bands. But a little creativity and energy toward organizing your fans into a street team can prove an indispensable resource toward channeling fans' enthusiasm to help build your fan base and help sell music and tickets to your shows.
The first step in assembling your street team is recruiting organizers and supervisors... here's where you ask close friends, family members, significant others, and loyal fans to help out. These people will be responsible for organizing promo activities and overseeing street team members and will help keep an open line of communication between street team members and your band. You may not be able to pay those heading up your street team for their time and energy, but you can compensate them in other ways they'll appreciate just as much. Offer free apparel and other merchandise like CDs or backstage passes to upcoming shows.
The next step in getting your street team together is recruiting your street team members. Advertise at gigs, through email, flyers, and via your blog and profile on your JukeboxAlive profile for interested street team members. As you get responses, ask interested street team members when and how long they're available and what promo activities they're most interested in. Street team supervisors and organizers can them divide the street team into poster/flyer teams, online promotion, and any other way you can think of that will get the word out about your band.