Bars can usually get free banners from beer reps. Most municipalities have ordinaces that set certain time limits and size requirements for these. Most can only hang outside for a month and they have to be removed or face fines.
Banners are nice but they start to look crappy when they get faded and torn.
http://www.neon-signs-online.com/signs- ... b&offset=0
I am kicking around the idea of buying something like this to hang in the bars. They could stay up, highly visable and lit all day & night. They won't get faded or damaged by the wind. A banner isn't lighted for all around visability.
I don't think a bar owner would object to this idea. They look neater than a banner. Has no time limit and looks more professional. It's more durable than an actual neon tube sign.
I would want a custom sign that says more than just KARAOKE. With just that word it is practically worthless because it doesn't tell you when.
$200-300 sounds like a lot of money but that breaks down to less than $1 a week. That's real cheap. And if it gets more people in the bar, you make out because you build up your reputation. A packed house sure says a lot about you.
Two of my jobs have windows to hang the sign in and one would have to hang inside because there are no windows that face a street.
I haven't bought anything from this company and I have no ties to it. It's just a site I found and I like their idea for this type of changeable sign.
Visability is the key in advertising. If nobody sees it, you wasted your money. These signs are bright and colorful. Two very important advertising aspects. You need to grab peoples attention, day or night.
According to telephone book companies, business' that advertising during bad economic times actually grow bigger than advertising during good times.
I have two nights I'm trying to get started and I don't think this could hurt. The places I'm at now are nice and big. So it takes more people to make them look full.
Advertising Stuff
I will own the sign (because I am paying for it as part of my business/service) and it will stay up at the bar until I no longer work there. It's purpose is to call extra attention to the karaoke night/s. I will have one for each job that is willing to put it up.
It's for our mutual benefit. There is no such thing as having too much business. That's a good problem to have.
It shows my high committment level to our mutual success.
I would rather spend my money on these signs than a kiosk,
that won't be there 24/7 talking for me. I think these will have a real payback effect to them. There will be no mistake about when he has karaoke.
The one I'm going to get for tonights jobs (2 nights) is the almost square one. It will fit real nice in his windows, The 37 inch long one is too long to fit in between the uprights. I checked tonight on the way in to his parking lot. It's about 200-300 feet from the main road to his building. Putting it in the window facing the road it should be readable. It also faces a busy gas station that's between him and the main road.
On my other 2 night job I'm not sure where we should put it. On one side is the main road 75-100 feet away and the other is a competing karaoke bar.
But it's mostly 21ers..... But high traffic flow
Both these will have to be 3 line signs. Karaoke and the 2 nights.
It's for our mutual benefit. There is no such thing as having too much business. That's a good problem to have.
It shows my high committment level to our mutual success.
I would rather spend my money on these signs than a kiosk,
that won't be there 24/7 talking for me. I think these will have a real payback effect to them. There will be no mistake about when he has karaoke.The one I'm going to get for tonights jobs (2 nights) is the almost square one. It will fit real nice in his windows, The 37 inch long one is too long to fit in between the uprights. I checked tonight on the way in to his parking lot. It's about 200-300 feet from the main road to his building. Putting it in the window facing the road it should be readable. It also faces a busy gas station that's between him and the main road.
On my other 2 night job I'm not sure where we should put it. On one side is the main road 75-100 feet away and the other is a competing karaoke bar.
But it's mostly 21ers..... But high traffic flowBoth these will have to be 3 line signs. Karaoke and the 2 nights.
There is a Holiday Inn down the road that has a big LED sign and it's hard to read everything they have going on while you go past it at 45 miles an hour.
My sign could be seen and read in seconds. That's all I care about. My nights being filled. I do have a small LED sign right on the front of my mixer box that runs all night long. But that takes several minutes to scroll the entire message.
I want quick almost split second visualization for what I'm doing and when.
3 - one word lines, fast.
KARAOKE
SUNDAY
MONDAY
How long did that take?
To scroll that same message would take at least 15 seconds. At 45 miles and hour how much did you miss?
My sign could be seen and read in seconds. That's all I care about. My nights being filled. I do have a small LED sign right on the front of my mixer box that runs all night long. But that takes several minutes to scroll the entire message.
I want quick almost split second visualization for what I'm doing and when.
3 - one word lines, fast.
KARAOKE
SUNDAY
MONDAY
How long did that take?
To scroll that same message would take at least 15 seconds. At 45 miles and hour how much did you miss?
A 1-2-3 word sign just used during your show would be pretty much worthless. They can see I'm there, while I'm there....Sabrina59 wrote:Is this sign going to go with you and only be used during your show or is it going to say in the location?
I want something to say I'm there, when I'm not...
I give each bar laminated color posters to hang around the bar, a lighted sign would be the next step in my professional arsenal. (Presentation)
Advertising anything is limited by who sees or hears it.
My laminated posters only work for people that are in the bar at any given time. So if they are there to see a band or DJ on a different night they should achieve the desired affect.
How does anyone that is not in the bar going to see my poster?
We base are success on the number of people in the bar. That is my new target area. The outsiders don't know I'm there without seeing it or hearing about it.
If they drive or walk by and they see a sign that announces when I'm there, they may tell their friends that have an interest in karaoke or they may decide to come in. The higher the traffic area, the more visability. The odds go up.
My laminated posters only work for people that are in the bar at any given time. So if they are there to see a band or DJ on a different night they should achieve the desired affect.
How does anyone that is not in the bar going to see my poster?
We base are success on the number of people in the bar. That is my new target area. The outsiders don't know I'm there without seeing it or hearing about it.
If they drive or walk by and they see a sign that announces when I'm there, they may tell their friends that have an interest in karaoke or they may decide to come in. The higher the traffic area, the more visability. The odds go up.
I talked to the sign business rep today. He had a good cheap solution to my question about a 2 sided sign. Which they don't make, per say.
One side is lighted and on the other unlighted side is the same lettering skin or whatever it's called. They use a track system to slide the skin into on the back. He said the color of the lettering on the skin will be bright enough to see in the bar. That will be perfect. Since the bar is light enough inside. The lighted side is needed to attract people on the outside.
It won't cost as much as building a two sided lighted one or as much as buying 2 lighted ones and hanging them back to back. It should work out real well. I'm pretty excited....Because inside all you would have seen would have been the black back of the sign. This way it's not just wasted space.
I hope this idea brings in more people.
One side is lighted and on the other unlighted side is the same lettering skin or whatever it's called. They use a track system to slide the skin into on the back. He said the color of the lettering on the skin will be bright enough to see in the bar. That will be perfect. Since the bar is light enough inside. The lighted side is needed to attract people on the outside.
It won't cost as much as building a two sided lighted one or as much as buying 2 lighted ones and hanging them back to back. It should work out real well. I'm pretty excited....Because inside all you would have seen would have been the black back of the sign. This way it's not just wasted space.
I hope this idea brings in more people.
Please take a picture of both sides when you get it. I'd like to see it.
We prepared a sign for our karaoke show at the deli; Family Karaoke,
Every Thur @ 5:00. All they have to do is open the back door and hang the sign on the angle-iron right next to the door (the back door opens to one of the main entry's to the shopping center). Think they can even do that? Most of the time when we get there to do our show we have to put it out. I'm about ready to stop doing it. If they can't even be bothered to put the sign out why should we worry about it.
We prepared a sign for our karaoke show at the deli; Family Karaoke,
Every Thur @ 5:00. All they have to do is open the back door and hang the sign on the angle-iron right next to the door (the back door opens to one of the main entry's to the shopping center). Think they can even do that? Most of the time when we get there to do our show we have to put it out. I'm about ready to stop doing it. If they can't even be bothered to put the sign out why should we worry about it.
Sabrina the Cat
Word of mouth is the very best form of advertising.
Then it would have to be signage on/in the establishement itself.
Then comes direct mail. Which the precentages of an actual response is about 5%. That ain't much.
Think about how you treat unsolicited mail....or as we call it JUNK MAIL. I open my mail right in front of the garbage can. In one clean motion I can throw it right in. The lid even has a sensor on it to detect something in front of it, so it opens automatically. Just like a hungry alligator.
Then print ads like newspaper and phone book.
The one bar gets pretty busy for the DJ night and band nights. I'm hoping my 24/7 ad speaks to those people.
The other bar has only my friday crowd. So the sign there will be seen by people that come in the bar on other nights.
Both bars are open 7 days a week. So my sign will be seen 7 days a week. Also by passers by driving and walking to the nearby businesses.
Hey it can't hurt.
I'm thinking they will probably cost me about $700-800 for both. That's only
about 2/3rds of a weeks pay. For 24/7 365 day viewing. I'm also looking at what the bar owners will think about my committment level to bringing in business. That has to be worth something. And they are my signs so they can/will be taken to other jobs if I get fired. For a nominal fee they can be changed for the new nights.
I'm taking my business to the next level. No other KJs have lighted signs hanging in the bar windows announcing the karaoke and nights you're there.
These are tough times and I want to set myself above the crowd. A bar owner sees me walk in with a sign like that he's going to think...what a nut case... 
He's going to think..this guy isn't messing around. He means business. He's serious about it. He's committed. He's a professional.
Exactly the edge I need and want. Who would you hire??? It's almost like an instant $400 you got the job..thingy..
You need to think BIG.
Then it would have to be signage on/in the establishement itself.
Then comes direct mail. Which the precentages of an actual response is about 5%. That ain't much.
Think about how you treat unsolicited mail....or as we call it JUNK MAIL. I open my mail right in front of the garbage can.
In one clean motion I can throw it right in. The lid even has a sensor on it to detect something in front of it, so it opens automatically. Just like a hungry alligator. Then print ads like newspaper and phone book.
The one bar gets pretty busy for the DJ night and band nights. I'm hoping my 24/7 ad speaks to those people.
The other bar has only my friday crowd. So the sign there will be seen by people that come in the bar on other nights.
Both bars are open 7 days a week. So my sign will be seen 7 days a week. Also by passers by driving and walking to the nearby businesses.
Hey it can't hurt.
I'm thinking they will probably cost me about $700-800 for both. That's only
about 2/3rds of a weeks pay. For 24/7 365 day viewing. I'm also looking at what the bar owners will think about my committment level to bringing in business. That has to be worth something. And they are my signs so they can/will be taken to other jobs if I get fired. For a nominal fee they can be changed for the new nights.
I'm taking my business to the next level. No other KJs have lighted signs hanging in the bar windows announcing the karaoke and nights you're there.
These are tough times and I want to set myself above the crowd. A bar owner sees me walk in with a sign like that he's going to think...what a nut case...
He's going to think..this guy isn't messing around. He means business. He's serious about it. He's committed. He's a professional.
Exactly the edge I need and want. Who would you hire??? It's almost like an instant $400 you got the job..thingy..
You need to think BIG.
That's the reason I want to get a nice professional looking sign. BY having Karaoke on it and the day/s...how can they really object to it hanging in their window? It's free (mine but to them it's free to use.)
Go on that web site you will get an idea of how they look. I really like it and it's not as fragile as a real neon sign and they claim it's actually brighter and more visable. It will be hanging beside some beer neons, so it can be given a side by side brightness comparison.
Go on that web site you will get an idea of how they look. I really like it and it's not as fragile as a real neon sign and they claim it's actually brighter and more visable. It will be hanging beside some beer neons, so it can be given a side by side brightness comparison.
It's a pig in a poke idea.....but the only way to really tell if it's going to work is to do it.
I've done more stupid things than this...
I really think it will have to do some good. It won't make anyone not come in.....unless they HATE karaoke and we don't want them anyway.
I could use them for tomb stones...
I've done more stupid things than this...
I really think it will have to do some good. It won't make anyone not come in.....unless they HATE karaoke and we don't want them anyway.
I could use them for tomb stones...
