Hey
My magic just started to turn into a profit after volunteering at libraries and communitty centers. I handed out all my business cards to the guests. I need some advice, should I get a website with a video of me performing some effects? How much is that going to cost to get done by a professional photographer? I hear you guys talking about references how do I get them? Do I tell the person some people will call you to see how I did? How much will I have to pay google for my website to be the first to come up when some people search for chicago magicians? What else can I do to advertise better? Would getting a mailing list be good? But how do I get the mailing list? All the help I can get would be the best. Thank you.

Hmm . . .tons of info requested, and not much time to type a response . . .I'll do my best though.

1) Website/Google - It's always a good idea to have a website, but a terribly designed website won't do much in terms of future bookings. It may be best initially to set up a simple template-based page, at least until you can afford between $1000 and $2000 (maybe more) for a HIGH-QUALITY site. You don't pay Google, unless you are running Adwords. You will need to learn some Search Engine Optimization. http://www.seochat.com is a fairly good resource, but there are MANY more out there.

2) It's a videographer, not a photographer, that would be recording your performance (just a little difference). It may not be worth hiring a professional team at the moment, since that will be very expensive. Instead, maybe you can find somebody at a college needing credit for a video class to help you produce a first demo video. Just a thought.

3) I've never used a purchased mailing list. However, I do keep track of and contact nearly EVERYBODY I meet. This has resulted in some great bookings, but be sure to use an OPT-IN format (where people give you permission to receive information). Always ask for their business card if you give them one, and be sure to follow up. The two most common email marketing solutions are http://www.constantcontact.com and http://www.icontact.com. Both have their benefits. I've used both, and am currently using IContact. However, I'm thinking of switching back to Constant Contact as I like their templates better.

4) Most people won't request references. However, it's always good to have some on hand, just in case. As your career grows, you'll meet people (hopefully everybody) who RAVE about your show. Be sure to ask them permission to use quotes, etc., and ask if they can be a reference for future clients.

Hope this helps, and sorry I didn't have time to type more! This is a great resource to use, and much of this information can be found in Internet Marketing / Word of Mouth Marketing / General Business books. Barnes and Noble (or Borders - - -or even your local library!) can be a GREAT friend.

Thank you Kevin.

I am not working pro in magic, but hopefully some of what I have learned in business will apply to your situation.

1. A website never hurts IF it's done correctly. One of the biggest mistakes I made with a site I used to run was not having the funds to pay a designer and using a WYSIWYG program. I learned after the fact that it muddies up the HTML and while the pages display correctly, the search engines don't index it as well as pure HTML indexes. The result is lower rankings, even with the right keyword strategies.

If you read through some of the other threads here about websites, there are some people with really good knowledge that can answer more of the tech questions about a good site etc.

2. In regards to a videographer, I think Kevin's suggestion was good. You might also try finding someone who is willing to barter with you. Sometimes someone who is just getting started might need some examples of their work and would be willing to help you out. You offer to do a show for him in exchange for his video services.

3. Mailing lists can be good or bad. If being emailed, you're on the right track as far as opt in mailers go. If you want to go postal mail, purchased mailing lists and the accompanying mailers can get expensive. One idea is to build a mailing list from the business cards you collect. This way, you are mailing items to people who have met you before and may be more willing to hire you. It may not seem like much, but mailing 100 marketing pieces to former customers/contacts can often get a bigger result than 1000 pieces mailed out at random.

You should also consider going through the phone book and getting the addresses of party planners and sending them something to let them know you're available. Give them a cut of your fees for each show they get you and if you're good, you'll pick up work that way. If you do kids shows, check with people in your area who rent bounce houses etc and partner with them as well to cross promote one another.

Drew thanks for the advise. I have never thought about using a party planner.

With mailing lists you HAVE TO OPTIN or your not ICANN-Spam Act 2003 complient

and umm YES the government will come after you for not being compliant

I carry a little notebook (the pocket size ones) that I collect names and email addresses for (Thank you Jeff McBride) and then come home and enter them into IContact (250 ppl = $10 mnth)

if your building a good list with potential clients, and your marketing to them.. the list MAKES you money.. or builds your brand..

As far as websites go.. I will NOT use this to preach about WORDPRESS.. although many would consider this Hersey.