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If you are just starting out as a stand-up comic, it can be intimidating to try and book gigs.
You may not know where to begin, or how to follow up once you have completed a gig. There are many aspects that go into booking a gig, and many ways to go about it.
If you are just beginning to try and book gigs, or you have had a gig or two but stalled out, there are several strategies you can try to book more. Consider the following as you look to increase your number of performances:
Network
As with any industry, networking in the comedy world is also important. Get to know other comedians, as well as club owners, booking agents, and anyone else you meet in your local comedy scene. Connections are generally what leads to jobs, and in this case gigs.
If you meet someone who can help you book a gig or is interested in working with you, be sure to get their contact information and follow up with them appropriately.
You may also want to look back through your contacts to see if there is anyone from your past you can reconnect with as you look to book more gigs.
Succeeding is a lot of hard work, but it could also involve some serendipity and meeting the right person at the right time, or reaching out to someone you hadn’t thought of.
Utilize Social Media
You can obviously use social media to promote yourself and your routine. You can post videos, whether edited specifically for social media, or of you performing live to showcase your performances. You can also post general content like text and pictures, and you can use social media to promote the gigs that you do have.
You can also utilize social media by following other comedians to see where they are performing and reach out to the club to see if you could also perform. You may also follow comedians like Chaunte Wayans on social media for inspiration and some laughs of your own.
You can search social media sites like Facebook for things like open mic nights where you can perform and hopefully be noticed by bookers looking for comedians for their shows.
There are also private groups that you may be able to search for and join that are specifically related to comedians searching for gigs.
Always Improve Your Routine
Like any other professional, you should always strive to keep current and continue improving. If you do have a gig or two here and there, use the feedback that you get to improve your routine and add new jokes.
Also, put yourself out there at as many open mics as you can to get that feedback that you need to update jokes and generally improve your whole set. As your routine gets better and better, you will be noticed more at open mics, and this will lead to more gigs and bigger opportunities.
Through a lot of hard work and also some strategic luck, you should be able to take your comedy career to the next level by booking more gigs. As you network, utilize social media and continue improving your routine, you should move to bigger and bigger gigs and more laughing audiences.
