What Would You Do?

[willssoda]

With only three months left to promote my show I’m reaching out to everyone for suggestions. It’s my understanding there hasn’t been a Soda Show in years and I’m trying my best to make this first show as successful as possible, so I have to ask everyone here with potentially thousands of hours of experience among Members. If it were your show and you we’re trying to promote.
What Would You Do?? Love to hear any and all suggestions.
Thanks!
Here is what has been done so far:
Created a flier and posted here and FB
Sent the flier to over 100 past members of the NPCCA
Offering prizes every thirty minutes
Having a raffle for $100 cash and a Sunny Jim Soda Can valued around $200
Will provide a chance for anyone interested to take part in opening and tasting an early 60’s flat top COTT ginger ale Canadian soda.
Will have over 500 soda cans for sale or trade
Will have beer cans -couple hundred including flats zips and quarts
Will have a get together night before at another collectors house to view his vast collection including cans displayed in his ceiling.
Holding the show in conjunction with a bottle show which yields a lot more than just soda bottles. You can find everything and anything collectible. This will be the 22nd annual running of the SFABCA.com show and my show will add to the 90 tables already reserved for that show.
Last thing I want to hear is I didn’t know about the show and if I had I would have came. Or if only I had known sooner. I’ve been promoting since July of 2019.

So if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Anything maybe you have done or seen at the hundreds or thousands of beer shows everyone attends.

[pinnacle-project]

Post on every part of craigslist within a 200 mile radius of the show. I use craigslist to publicize several shows and it has definitely helped our walk up crowd. When people enter the building, the people at the front show always ask, "How did you hear about the show?" By tracking, you can learn what works and what does not.

In addition to craigslist, I use tourism sites for the Frankenmuth show.

https://www.frankenmuth.org/
http://www.mifun4u.com/
https://www.michigan.org/

I am sure your area has similar tourism sites. I do not remember exactly where your show is but you may be able to attract people to your show by making them feel like they can kill multiple birds with one stone. For example, if you have a choice of going to Chattanooga or Knoxville this weekend, go to Knoxville because in addition to having the same type of stuff as Chattanooga, it also has a really great beer/soda show. By piggybacking on other things in the area, people will make a weekend of it.

I almost forgot ebay. For each show I help with, I run about a half dozen auctions on ebay under slightly varying categories.

[pinnacle-project]

One other thought.

If you use ebay to advertise your show, you need to actually try to sell something in the auction or else ebay will pull your auction. In my case, I try to sell a copy of the flyer. If you post your auction under several different categories, you also need to slightly vary the subject line of your auction or else ebay will see it as a duplicate auction.

Here is one of the auctions I have for the upcoming SummerSwap show in Frankenmuth. You can use this auction as a template for your own show if you would like to.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Michigan-Chapt ... SwlBBeOM4e

[pinnacle-project]

Oops, one more thought about craigslist.

Let's says craiglist has ten "regions" within a 200 mile radius of your show. You will want to post your ad on all ten but you cannot post the ad on all ten regions simultaneously because craigslist will see you as a spammer and pull your ads. The exact algorithm craigslist uses to determine if you are a spammer is a secret. Here is the simple solution I am currently using. I post an add on the Grand Rapids part of craigslist today. In three days when that ad comes up for renewal, I post a new one on the Lansing part of craigslist, When that one comes up for renewal, I post a new one on the Kalamazoo portion of craigslist. I keep repeating this process until all my ads are on craigslist. Once they are all on craigslist, I start to renew one ad every three days. This process is not perfect but it keeps craigslist off my back. I have plans for another solution but it is more time consuming and technical in nature so this simple solution will be best for most people.

[willssoda]

Oh wow! Thanks!! I’ll give it a try. I had some on eBay and letgo but haven’t checked on them in awhile. Thanks

[YooperAho]

eh! yooeraho here. willssoda Try ebay.

A picture is worth? PRICE LESS! Man up and see where real Foot Ball is Played.Troy Aikman you're also Invited.

[willssoda]

Nice. I have an eBay add. Maybe I need to put in more catagories

[willssoda]

FB group. Please check it out and invite anyone you know who likes sodas. Thanks

[Ctbott1]

There are tons of tag sale groups for just about every town. You could join them and add the flyer there too

[willssoda]

There are tons of tag sale groups for just about every town. You could join them and add the flyer there too

K thanks. I’ll look and see