Attracting People

Having visited a few clubs recently and watching interaction i've noticed some clubs just mainly seem to be dead or just have tp friends in to make up numbers and then some are completely packed with people who don't really know each other.

So i was curious how do clubs attract people too come in without just tping in there friends.

Do people scout other clubs and tell them to visit there club.
Do people advertise on here and people show up because of that.

How does it all work.

It it often seems like they get very social outgoing host who invite all their friends to attend.
I have had several friends on my friend list only time I heard from them was when they were promoting event.
I normally dislike going to clubs because of how hard it is on my computer.

I wish I knew. I'd build one and go there myself.

It seems to me that live DJ's announced in Events seem to do the trick for some. Often that is what draws me there. What might make me stay or leave is the behavior of the crowd there -- and how do you control that without being heavy handed?

To have a successful club in SL you need so many things going for you. A group of like minded people to help you get it all started. Someone (or some many) to promote your club to friends and aquaintances. A "hook" of some sort...........be that a live DJ, live musicians, even contests. The owners and people tasked to make the event fun are fully attentive to the patrons.............don't ignore even the most new person asking the silliest questions. Be polite to all.........treat them like you've known them all your life. The best clubs I've been to are relatively small and do not necessarily have stuff going on every single day or night of the week. Well decorated to the theme or atmosphere that you wish to have that does not change from week to week.........your base group will judge your club by things like that. A club trying to cater to all sects of SL is doomed. Pick one "theme" you like and make the best place you can......it takes time. If you have a 50's rock club but on Mondays you want 80's, you'll loose the 50's crowd and only gain a few 80's crowd......deluting your overall base crowd.

Try to avoid the cliques that invaribly invade most clubs......easiest way to do that is to make sure your host (or yourself) is the head of "the cligue". And that cligue includes every single avatar walking in.

And last, but not least, be vigilant for griefers. Deal with them fairly but sternly and promptly. Don't carry on if you have to eject/ban.......just go on with the fun as if nothing happened. Not many things are more annoying (and killing of the fun) than for the owner to carry on about a disturbance.......take care of it and go on with what your customers came for.

This is excellent advice for not just clubs, but buisness in general

I am most likely to stay if the people there all seem relaxed and just enjoying themselves. If the atmosphere is stiff or stuffy, I'm out of there.

And I agree 100% on the clique thing.

I've been to some clubs where I had a wonderful time, met great people and made a few new friends. Pretty much all of the events I've attended, I've found listed in the event calender or searching events inworld.

Honestly though, there have been a few of these that I dont know why they ever bothered to advertise their event in the calender at all. Why subject the general public to their snobby cliquish behavior. Just call it a private party and dont bother with trying to make it a public event.

Unfortunantly, Pheonixa, that's how a lot of the cubs come about. A relatively small group of friends in SL have quite a bit in common and have lots of fun among themselves so they think they will start a club. They have fun so they expect everyone else to have fun........problem is the everyone else is looking for inclusion. If they are not then they leave. If they are then they are part of the cligue so they are happy. But does not make for a really good club.......that gets stale real quick.

You want people with a common interest to yours to come enjoy what you ejoy. But you have to try to make everyone be included......I mean every single one. Some people just won't join in, but you should still talk to them, invite them to dance on your chim or hud........just as you do for your friends. I've seen even the "shyest" become the life of the party once they truly feel they are wanted.

Cligues kill clubs.

So far, here is my club experience.

1. I have to like the music
2. I have to find the build pleasing
and
3. I have to feel comfortable chatting with the crowd.

It's more than just welcoming, and pointing out the dance ball. If I try to jump into the chat, and don't get any response, after a few tries I get the impression I am really intruding.

If any of those 3 things is missing, I won't be returning.

Actually, I've started to look for live musicians now, instead of regular clubs. That, to me, is something that SL can do very well. Bring live music right into your home. And if I don't fit in with the chat, the live performer is still a draw for me.

Good question, it's an ongoing issue for club owners.

I think Peggy had some excellent suggestions.

Don't make your club depend on any one person (except yourself if you're the owner). For example, you have a friend, who is a big crowd draw, the friend brings in all his or her friends... club is packed for a while, maybe a few weeks. Then... friend's interest strays - it doesn't even have to be "drama".... maybe THEY decide to start a club... then pooof.... there goes a big chunk of your regular patrons.

Expect and plan for turnover. There WILL be constant turnover. In fact turnover is desirable to some degree otherwise, the club turns "clique-y".

Having great hosts is a big part of it. Hosting ... real hosting is HARD work. It is more than just greeting, more than throwing out a few "hooo's" or "howlzz". It's setting the energy level, and bringing *everyone* into the conversation, even new people (and not getting lost in personal IMs). Unfortunately finding good hosts isn't easy.

Last night I went to visit a fairly well-known club that has supposedly made a "come-back". There really weren't many people there.... but I could see why. I came into the club.... and nobody greeted me... at ALL. Even after I'd said "hi". I tried stirring up conversation, but nobody was talking much . The "host" seemed to be afk. I won't say which club this was, but I was quite surprised. I then went to another club, and that club was more populated... I was greeted as soon as I rezzed, people were talking, I got offered a group invite, etc. etc. Big difference.

I visit my club as a alt to see whos doing what on the clock and if they greet me or more. Its a eye opener.

that is a very good idea, spying on the staff through an alt, that way you know for sure how they treat unknown and new ppl

I went to clubs a lot when I first came into SL, then opened my own, which I unpack even now from time to time.

I have found as of late, that when I do happen to visit a club (rarely) that the chat seems disconnected, meaning that replies do not make sense to the comments just made.
(makes me wonder if they are bots with some kind of random chat script)

Hm. This seems to be the dream of many a resident. Make the 'cool place' that everyone goes to. Have them participate in what you are doing. So on and so forth.

Doesn't really work, and even when it does, it's fleeting. Nothing is more cool than 'new' - and two weeks after you start, you aren't new any more.

And no personal identity better than the 'independent rebel' - which means people will leave to make their own magic their own way.

* * * * *

Only one way to really pull off a cool venue - and that's to support what *others* want to do - to support *their* dreams above your own. Ah, and don't expect to get paid. Even then, it's iffy. You'll need the enthusiasm of new people, you'll need a certain spark yourself, and you'll need to handle poo-bucketfuls of reeking drama with a smile.

Bottom line - it will fade fast in any case. There will be that magic time for a certain group of people, then it's gone - everybody's a bored, bitter, complaining oldbie by the time the sun rises. Or off to the next cool thing.

And you know... that's probably good.

I've had people come back to my estate after a couple years, and say: oh our old group of people were so fun! Oddly enough, from my perspective the 2008 residents are having just as much fun. But it's like their fun is invisible to most oldbies. I don't even bother mentioning it much any more.

This is why I never strayed from the land biz and never tried to make a popular venue - just the larger setting where such things could come and go naturally. Because they are organic, and always come and go with groups of people.

I disagree somewhat with that, Desmond. I know of a club that has been around almost as long as I've been around (three years). It's the same owner with his partner, the same basic decor, the same type of intertainment. It's not a money maker I'm sure but it always has an extremely friendly group, very little drama, not in the least bit cliquey. Yes, the core group has changed numerous times but it's always the same friendly type each time........different names, same "friends". If anyone comes to the club and does not feel part of the group it's due to their choosing......but they are still treated the same as I am.

It may be that the club started out with live music and that simply attracts a more friendly crowd.........but I've been to other live music venues that do not have the same feel. I think the success is mostly due to the attitude of the owners. They do not attempt to play to all tastes. They stick with what they enjoy and invite everone else to come and enjoy it with them. They don't try to have something going on every night. They have a simple schedule. Two nights a week they have a live DJ for two hours.......it includes a themed contest with a reasonable sum of prize money for the winner(s). The contest is monitored so that contest hoppers don't come and tp in all their friends to take the prize and run (that is so annoying to me and clubs that do not even attempt to curb it are off my list fast). Then two nights a week they have live musicians. Some well known some brand new........a great variety. Every Friday and Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm SLT you know there will be a live musician........unless something very unusual prevents it (which is announced well ahead of time). That's it........the rest of the time the club is empty.

I would call that a very successful club......but it probably does not pay tier. For about 8 hours a week there is fun for up to 40 people. It's almost always full durring the events. And no cliques. Very few griefers. Next to no drama. Familar faces mixed with new faces.........and everyone chats (yes, even the two lovers on the slow dance pose balls in the corner ).

Guess it's my definition of success.........others may not agree.

QFT! My Partner was a host of a very popular club about a year ago and I saw how hard he worked. Every person who walked through the door was instantly included into the activity. All the employees were like that and truly loved their jobs.



A MAJOR turnoff for me is getting a group invite offer "blind" - meaning I wasn't asked if I wanted one. Especially a turnoff if it's within the first few minutes of stepping inside a new club. The way one popular club handled group invitations was having the manager do an "announcement" about once an hour and make it clever like, "If anyone would like to have the coolest tag on SL, just give me a shout. I know a few people and can hook you up." That approach worked really well.

I would agree Peggy, the club I used to frequent went downhill for all the reasons for success you quote in your post ... they became cliquey, the events were samo samo.... and the contests were gamed so much that it became so blindingly obvious.... plus of course, the lag got terrible...

Imogen

Thank you everyone for responding.

I agree with what everyone is saying, if i go to a club i want to feel brought in, i really am quite a shy person and don't have many friends because i find it hard to make them because of my shyness so it's nice to find a club where everyone involves you.

Cliquey clubs grate on my last nerve, they make you feel like you should really not have arrived. People stopping talking when you TP in though is the worse.

I also hate it when clubs let there staff join the contest boards that's just wrong and if i ever worked as i dancer i'd never join in. Would not be the first time i'd been IM'd to vote for someone in exchange for small services from a man *rolls eyes* and i've also noticed alot of places the events seem to be rigged. I attended one a while ago and this girl won it and she was not even dressed right for the event, i swear she knew them all there and they all voted for her because of it.

It's ok to vote for your friends but only if she/he are dressed the part and look good enough to win it. Please don't vote for your friend if the person next to her is better dressed for the event.

Also i've noticed a few clubs have what i call head hunters, they employ someone to collect crowds from different areas to join the event. I personally think it's ok as long as they don't just randon give out LM's. I think talk to people tell them about the club. Attract attention.

How do you all feel about this and does your club head hunt?

And even if you do every bit of that...it's not a guarantee that you'll succeed.

There are too many clubs in SL for the current population to support.

Everyone thinks opening and running a club is easy and fun and a great way to make money.

It is none of the above. It is a lot of work and little to no payoff unless you happen to hit it really big.

My club has been around for two years only because I enjoy it. Its cost me much more than it could ever make, and its a pain to keep going. If I was in this for the money, I'd have quit long ago.

My advice:
If you are going to start a club, do it because its something you enjoy, otherwise you'll be out of business in a month.

My REAL advice:
Learn to script and create something original and useful and make your fortune that way.

QFT

Unless it is something that you really enjoy doing "just for the fun of it", don't even start it.

My friends and I made our place more as a place to hang out from time to time with absolutely no pretense of it ever making money.

It is a hobby and a labor of love, nothing more, nothing less.

Totally agree. One of my workplaces has one day of the week where staff is allowed to enter contests, but I just don't feel right doing it. Nor will I vote for colleagues. Heck, I didn't even feel right about joining the contest at my partners workplace.. solved that problem by getting a job there too.

I'll admit, when we go to other clubs with contests together, my vote will most likely go to him - but then we both take time getting in theme, that's the fun part! If he's not there - or when at work, my vote goes to the one best in theme - or the one who at least put in an effort. I love it when new residents stop by and do their best with whatever they find in their library/freebies. I used to be one of them.

This is one of my MAJOR irritations with the "average" club I've visited (for the last time when I witness it happening). I posted about a really over-the-top example of this awhile back but it must be archived now as I couldn't find the post.

One night we were checking out a club and the typical "Get your name on the board for the contest" announcement was made. Errmmm, have I mentioned I'm of Celtic background and a redhead with the accompanying temperament? That night was shortly after the over-the-top example that was still fresh in my mind so I said: "No thanks. I quit entering these contests a long time ago."

Could have heard a pin drop.

The DJ that we follow to his gigs said that he refuses to work in clubs that allow employees to enter contests. Same if he notices that the same people from a clique win all the time, dressed in theme or not.

I have a club on my sim, but it's an open space sim with a couple of renters. The sim will only handle so much, being open space so the parties are limited to the tennents and our smaller gatherings.

Yes, it is very clique-ish and the group won't support daily get togethers, instead we hold a once every month "bash" for all our friends, and friends friends. DJ, hostess and all. It's a lot of fun and ppl seem to enjoy that.

Glad i'm not the only one out there that hates it lol.

when a clique thinks they have claimed a club as theirs they tend to be a traffic deterrent rather than better for the club..

cliques think they have pull in the clubs over any other patron coming in..this gives them the feeling they can act twords anyone coming in as they feel like it..

i never played favs with people..if they were rude they took a leave from the club for a few days first as a first strike..

people don't go to these clubs to get into drama or hassles..it's to relax and listen to some good music..dance hang with good people and maybe enjoy a theme..

the only thing worse than a club clique is when you have them in staff..
too many times have clubs had drama form because of inner clans or cliques or so called self made families..

i've delt with my fair share and so far haven't had good results in them showing up..

if you can't keep it fun for the staff and the people coming there it's gonna die off fast..