Marketing for Magicians: notes from Austin Liang an internet marketer
Rule of Thumb for Magicians:
80% Business
20% Magic
Why is it that in the world of entertainment, some people make headlines and do shows everywhere around the globe, while others take on multiple jobs and just can’t seem to catch their lucky break?
Starting with the obvious, the entertainment industry is extremely competitive. Whether you’re an aspiring singer, artist, performer, actor, there’s always someone who’s trying to outdo you. Year after year, new faces and names continue to pop up in the entertainment world, seemingly out of nowhere.
It takes more than just a lucky break to make a name for yourself in the industry. In fact, the same applies to any industry. Other factors, including talent, effort, and commitment to the craft needs to play their roles as well. No matter which profession you choose, effort and commitment are the ones you can control over. However, there is one other element that is also required and is what sets apart the professionals from the amateurs.
Something that is often overlooked.
This post will reveal how to go from “starving artist” to packing stadiums. The concepts I’m about to share with you works not only for your career, but also in other professional fields as well. What’s exciting is that anybody can start doing these things immediately. We have so many resources available to us, and the only thing stopping us from doing that is ourselves!
There’s a misunderstanding that pursuing the arts is all about the art itself. Of course, the talent has to be present, however it’s not the entire picture. Showbiz is a business after all. It’s a balance between the performance side and the business side. As a rule of thumb, the art side is 20% and business takes 80%.
I’ll go over both sides of the equation and explain why you must be able to do both in order to create and maintain a living from your passion. If you are only one- sided in this equation, find a partner who’s good in the other department.
The Arts
Commitment
You see, most of the world are only exposed to the bright lights, listen to the award speeches and witness the outcome of those who have reached a “successful” status. Guess what? That’s only the tip of the iceberg! They don’t see countless years of working in the dark and mastering a craft; the trial and error; learning more and more everyday.
Growth
If it’s something you’re passionate about, growth comes easy. As stated earlier, you’ll be learning more and more everyday, and this will not only help you hone your craft, but also develop your own advantage as an entertainer. I’ll go over more of this in the business section in a bit.
The Business
Sales & Marketing
Whether we like to admit it or not, everyone of us is selling something. When we go for a job interview, we are trying to sell the best representation of ourselves to the recruiter. When entrepreneurs need money for their business, they are trying to sell their ideas to investor in the hopes of funding their opportunity.
Your growth will help you determine your best selling point. It’s going to set you apart from your competition, and you won’t just be another “illusionist”. Rather you have the opportunity to be known as the “expert at xyz performance”. That title is going to help you establish yourself first. It’s part of the process of branding.
Branding
We can have a smartphone or we can have an iPhone.
We can go for a hamburger or we can eat McDonald’s.
We can drive a car or we can drive a Mustang.
Notice the difference?
One is a common and generalized product, while the latter is an experience people remember. It’s what separates a one-time transaction and actually building something for the longer term. What’s going to help you cross the bridge here, again, is going to stem from your particular expertise. Develop your expertise in a particular space within your art as it will help build you a reputable name.
Branding takes patience. It’s a long term process that will work to your benefit if you do it properly. Here are a few examples of individuals who I believe are doing it right:
- Julius Dein – magician
- William Singe – singer/ musician
- Liza Koshy – comedian/ pesonality
- Ryan Higa – comedian/ actor
All of these individuals use social media as a method to build their brand. It’s not the only way, but it is one of the most effective and modern method in building equity.
Management
Unless you have a natural sense for business along with your talent in art, you’ll need to partner up with others for maximum results. This isn’t uncommon at all. It’s a way for you to build on your strength and let other people handle their strengths. So you won’t have to feel like you are pressured to do everything. This also gives you the opportunity to see what’s really working in the market, rather than just guessing and hoping things would work.
All the commercially successful artists have management teams behind them. They handle the front end while their managers handle the back end. It’s a constant work in progress to give the best to the fans and also stay relevant with the times.
Thank you for reading this! Sleightly Smoking is a fantastic gathering spot for lovers of the art of magic. You can get great updates from them on Facebook and Instagram at SleightlySmoking. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with them! You can find me on Instagram at guts2gloryco. Business branding is a fascinating subject to me and one of my favorites to discuss. I also have my own group on personal growth and mindset development for the entrepreneurial driven individual.