Imagine this:
Someone posts house concert information on the Facebook Fan Page of a public venue down the street. The venue flips out, and decides to build a campaign to shut down house concerts in their area because they think it’s hurting their business.

As house concerts gain in popularity, it’s important that we are careful about how they are promoted, especially with all the new promotional avenues (Facebook, etc.) that are now available to artists and hosts alike. Although there’s great potential for public venues and house concerts to work together, some public venues feel threatened by the thought of a successful house concert series.

Artists! 4 Rules for Promoting House Concerts on your websites and social media.

1. ALWAYS STATE that this is an invitation-only, private event.
2. Do not publish host names, numbers, addresses, or even email if you can help it. Instead, require an email to you for information about location, host email and/or number, and RSVP.
3. Do not promote the event using resources that would conflict with other venues. (i.e. don’t start a conversation about your house concerts on the fan page of another venue.)
4. Do not mention “tickets” or “charges” anywhere. The correct language is “suggested donation,” but why even put that in your calendar? Make people curious, and fill in the blanks (like the suggested donation) when they ask for info.

Here’s an example of what works great on an artist’s website.

Fran’s Touring Schedule:

July 27th, 7pm
Lakeview, FL - House Concert
This is a private, exclusive event for friends and a few select fans in the area. Invitation only. Email me for details and we’ll get you an invitation.

Final thought: Some people (your fans) could feel weird about going to the home of someone they don’t know. However, you can turn that to your advantage if you make it feel like a VIP event. Have another look at the entry above, and notice how the words make the event feel special, and put the reader in your “inner circle” by having a direct connection to you.