The Best Tool To Build And Manage Your Email Mailing List

I’m a big believer that the most important asset you can have in growing your career is a strong email mailing list. It’s easy to overlook email these days with all the hype about Facebook and Twitter, but the reality is that email is still by far the most effective way to ensure that you reach your fanbase with whatever content or shows you’re looking to promote.

Unfortunately, while most comedians have some sort of email mailing list, they rarely are building it or using it as effectively as they could be. That’s why I wanted to take a moment to tell you about a tool that I think can really help you get the most out of email promotion… →

5 Things To Do When A Blogger Posts Your Content On Their Site

I spend a lot of time on this site talking about how to get more attention for you work, but I realized that I haven’t done any posts about what to do when you succeed and somebody actually posts your video on their blog or shares it with their friends via Twitter or Facebook. So, here’s a quick look at 5 easy things you can do to make the most of the times that people give you a little free promotion. →

Connected Countdown: 10 Things You Need To See This Week

In a new feature here on Connected Comedy, I’m going to include a weekly wrap-up post that breaks down the 10 things I think you most need to see this week. It will include a mix of posts on this site and other stuff from around the web that I think should be on your radar. Here goes… →

The Hidden Value Of A Direct Relationship With Your Fans

There’s a tremendous hidden value to creating a direct relationship with your fans because when you have to go through the gatekeepers – club owners, bookers, record labels, etc. – to reach an audience, you’re limited in what you can offer that audience. That’s not to say that you should ignore the gatekeepers completely and there’s nothing wrong with working with them, but the stronger the direct relationship you have with your fans, the more freedom you have to get creative in what you offer to them and ultimately how you monetize them. Here’s a few examples: →

Why You Should Work More Like Silicon Valley And Less Like Hollywood

Comedians tend to approach their business in much the same way that Hollywood companies do which makes sense given that they’re both based on entertaining an audience, but I think that’s a mistake. I believe that comedians would be better served to model their business strategy after the beliefs that are held by most digital companies, because those companies and their strategies will better prepare you for success in the new economy we’re inhabiting.

Here’s five specific ways in which I think you’d be better served by following the Silicon Valley line of thinking… →

Why You Should Get To Know A Viral Agency

One of the great things about the explosion of social media has been that it’s created a lot of new opportunities for comedians to get exposure (and paying work) that were never out there before. But, there’s really no place that talks about these new opportunities because most people working in the traditional comedy business (managers, agents, comedy clubs, bookers) tend to ignore their existence. As a result, it’s often up to individual comedians to seek out connections with people and companies that can provide them with new opportunities on their own. →

The Power Of Momentum

With so many outlets and tools available to grow your fanbase and promote your content these days, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. Comedians are bombarded with messages (including from people like me) that they need to use tools like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, a blog and more to grow their career. But often times, the scope of it all leads you to throw your hands up in the air and give up in exasperation at the thought of it all.

But here’s the secret: You don’t have to do everything. You just have to do something. →

How I Increased My Facebook Fans By 470% In Two Days For $20

With the help of an effective ad campaign I ran on Facebook, I increased the number of fans of my Connected Comedy Facebook page by 470% in just two days and with a total spend of just $20. How did I do it? Here’s a complete breakdown of my strategy and why I think it worked… →

QUICK CLICKS: The Oatmeal’s Success, $30 Million For LOLCats, Tweet Frequency Stats, & More!

Here’s a few things I’ve come across recently that are worth a click including an interview with the creator of The Oatmeal, details about the Cheezburger Network’s massive new funding, a study of the relationship between how often you tweet and how many followers you have, an interesting UCB Theater promotional stunt, and much more. →

The State Of The Comedy Union: January 2011

Each month I take a few moments to look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s happening in the comedy world with my State of the Comedy Union column. Here’s how I see things this month including a breakdown of Kevin Smith vs. Hollywood, the best web-to-TV series yet, and how one site got the attention of 55 million people in four hours at no cost. →