Howdy.

Does anyone here still use gig lead services like gigsalad, bash, thumbtack, Bark, etc.
nowadays?

I've mostly avoided them due to seo concerns, ie I didn't won't my handsome face next to "find the cheapest magician,
mentalist, plumber, massage therapist in your town!" in a thumbtack ad.

I did end up on the Bark list somehow, leading to an infinite some of enquiry emails. I could block it
but I like reading them and trying to guess which ones are real.

Anyway, which services have you used lately, and have you had any success? How have they fit in
your business positioning as a whole?

Have a good year.

Having your services on other sites will actually help your SEO...or at least that's what I've heard.

SV
www.stevevaught.com

I book a fair amount on Gig Salad and Thumbtack and Bark too. Check with Mindpro here on the Cafe for how to use those sites. Most people don't know how to use them properly. After purchasing his book on the subject, and practicing what he teaches, my results have been awesome.

Glad to hear you have had success with it misterillusion, Mindpro does tend to know
the more effective way of doing things.

I just signed up with gigsalad in early January, it has been pretty decent, got a couple
of things from it. And enquiries for birthday parties 200 miles away because I don't
pay attention when I set travel distances, so be attentive to that.

Gigsalad's messaging is pretty terrible though, way to limited.

Yes, I agree most don't truly understand these sites and do not know how to use them properly. It always amazes me when I hear performers say "I tried them and they didn't work for me." To me this is just another example of typical magician's thinking. No, they didn't work for you because YOU didn't know how to use them.

Thanks for the kind words misterillusion. Yes, my ebook resource has helped many performers to better understand these type of services and, when properly understood, have generated many times (thousands of dollars) the return on their investment in the book - usually in their very first booking it has more than paid for itself. More than that it has allowed these sites to become part of their lead generation and marketing plan directly resulting in bookings. I have done this many times for every type of performer from the $200 kids birthday party magician, to the $1,500-$2,500 hypnotist or mentalist in nearly all markets across the U.S.

As I point out in the resource there are many misconceptions and surface-level perceptions about these types of services. I actually point out and explain many of these in detail (everyone is only looking for the lowest-priced performer, people only shop on price, one guy seems to always get most of the bookings, it seems like some of the performers aren't even from my area, they are not really interested in booking they are just tire-kickers, no good paying gigs are ever on these services, etc.) Once this is understood it opens the door for many opportunities. Of course many will never realize this (you don't know what you don't know) and just always see these as the incorrect surface perception.

I'm so glad you have had success with this ebook resource. If I remember correctly, you were having success with it before even completing the book just reading the first dozen pages as most do.

As for what Steve Vaught wrote a few posts above, be careful to whom and what you listen to. What you've heard is incorrect. Many of these services rank very high, but you don't. Your website or contact information does not, so what you end up with is your business being lumped in with at least 20 others in your market area (or so it seems) in prospect's searches but the SEO benefits are for their service not yours.

Now with that said and not relying on their SEO to benefit your business, there are still several great benefits and advantages to these services depending on the types of markets you service and your local or regional area that you serve. Many will never realize these.

One of the key things (benefits and takeaways) I have heard about this resource I have written is the peek I offer behind the scenes of the working of these services and the process of each lead, the mindsets and mentalities to each lead, how to properly respond to each lead, how to use them beneficially, and even an amazing tip that has generated thousands of dollars for many that have used it for longer-tern benefits and results. Again, there is so much more than meets the eye or that is seem on the surface level.

I know as many often say that when you use these services you are putting yourself in the pack with a lot of your competition. What they won't tell you (or they don't know) is that my resource actually separates you from the pack in these services, gives you a great advantage and competitive edge, and uses these systems to your advantage. Trust me, your competition doesn't have this information.

I refrained from initially participating in this thread as I knew from the very first initial post that much incorrect and misinformation was going to be offered and discussed as it always is with the topic of these types of services. The discussions are always the same - incorrect and misperceived information being passed off as fact from only a surface-level perception or understanding. Thanks to misterillusion for putting this in the proper light and perspective. It makes the world of difference. An entirely different conversation.

Hey Mindpro, what is your view of the services where you pay for leads, such as Bark?

Always struck me as somewhat of a grift compared to websites like Gigsalad or Bash,
but I don't have much experience with these services.

My biggest problem with Bark is several-fold. First, it not for entertainers as it is much more for general business or services, much like Angie's (Former Angie's List). Because entertainment business is different and people shop for entertainment services differently (and have different expectations) than conventional businesses it has a more general or broad approach which works against entertainers. Secondly, they are not a U.S.-based company. Their model is to be an international or global service matchmaker or service directory. It has a very cold, European vibe to it and their style of what they consider customer service.

At least The Bash and Gigsalad were created for performers and entertainment. These are at least could be minimally pre-qualified leads. Qualifying leads would be much better and something members would be willing to pay for if done properly. I also don't care for the whole credits system and structure.

Performers often do not have a very good structure and system for fielding and responding to leads and to convert them. So because of this whole paying for leads would likely be costly and a waste of money for little or no results.

They have too general of leads, they need to niche it down better to get more direct and ideal leads which would be better worth paying for. Again, better qualified leads. For conventional businesses (service businesses) where they go though a quote or bid process, which I feel this is better designed for, it my be more useful. I fail to see it as "A Revolutionary Way to Hire Local Services ..." as they claim.

To me this attracts bottom-feeder type of leads. I'm sure there are some good leads because of some of their aggressive marketing and ad campaigns, but be careful. I would find most entertainers not to really care for it.

Speed in responding is also a crucial component to this. As performers, why spend the money for a lead if you do not have a proper response structure and system to respond and convert these leads.

Now with all of this said I have some people I have heard from that have used my ebook resource about GM, GS and these other type of services, like Bark, and have generated decent results from it by applying my methods, strategies, and systems.

Now not speaking of Bark here, I must say I am all for paying for decent quality leads that are better qualified and that could be my target leads. Any day, because each one, with my own structure and system would be worth a minimum of $4,500 each to me. I would rather have 5 decent quality leads, than 200 general unqualified leads from any of these services.

Yeah, I've also found their system weird for some of those same reasons. Particularly that
they use tokens to respond, they should just give the price straight. Also, they allow 5 folks to
respond to each lead.

Folk 4 and 5 is nuts.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts.

Let’s do a little quote mining here.

Strip away all of what was in that great post and you have this hidden gem, in the midst of gems.

I don’t care HOW many leads you generate. If you can not properly RESPOND to them they can be all but useless. What he is referring to is the process of turning tire kickers into dollars. The conversion rate of leads is an essential element. How you respond to them, the process for doing so and the mindset from which you DO that response is critical. It is the difference in literally thousand of dollars a year minimum.

It is a wonderful depiction of the difference in “simple” and “easy”. Running a marathon is pretty simple isn’t it? Just keep running until the end. Easy? Not so much!

In reality this is pretty simple stuff. Follow up on the lead properly. Easy? Not if you don’t know how! Heck not if you don’t even know there IS a way how for that matter.

I do not use these sites ever. Not how I set my business model. That in no way means for a second they do not work.

The more you know.

Where can we learn more, Mindpro, about your work/thoughts on these sites?

I've PM'd you with a link, thanks!

So here’s a question, (and I got the link. Thank you.), I just started with gig salad and I’ve booked a couple parties and haven’t even really set up my profile yet but obviously I’ve gotten a a lot of miscellaneous leads, some are good and some that aren’t relevant. One of these days I’ll update my profile, as I’m not actively searching for work so much right now as I’ll take some easy Birthday party gigs if I get them. Having said that, of the ones I’ve booked, they stressed that they liked that I responded to them quickly and personally. They mentioned that a lot of people had automated responses, and they didn’t feel like a human was on the other side of the messages and that’s why they liked me. Can you speak to your resource and if it advises, one way or another, because I get the impression personal touch response and non-– canned responses are best for my limited time on there. Also, forgive me as I’m dictating this at the park so I have no idea if this post is grammatically correct? Or Otherwise ????

I believe once you update your profile you will start to get more targeted and relevant leads, although some of the not so hot ones also manage to come through as well.

Yes, I outline several key approaches to having greater success on these sites. Being quick to respond is one of these, and among others is the other and better options to the basic canned and automated responses. There are certain characteristics that these prospects initially have and these are explained and better understood, as well as how and why to respond to these, and then an understanding of what happens when these characteristics change throughout the process. These is much more to it than meets the eye.

Yes, the resource does offer the best ways to both respond and their breakdowns. So many simply reply to the leads and that's it. They then hope for the phone to ring. It really doesn't work that way.

The resource breaks it all down in detail and also offers a behind the scenes look at each lead and the affects of them from responding performers.

MindPro, please PM me. I'm interested in your ebook.

Hello MindPro,
Your inbox is full and I am interested in you ebook, thanks.

Sorry, I will try to get to clear some space in my in box. In the mean time I have PMd you. Thanks!