Face Book protocall

Jessica · Post by **Jessica** » January 15th, 2009, 9:56 am

So I just created an event for the first time, advertising our show on Saturday. But I'm wondering if there are any standard rules about this or just what people do.

Like, I invited everyone on my list that lives in Austin - of course I ran out of room cuz your only allowed to invite 100 at a time - but I might correct that.

So, I felt a little like I was spamming people, especially the people I don't know all that well, or that I'm sure are involved in other shows this weekend. But if I sat and considered every person on my list, that would take a very long time.

Also, how often is too often to send these out?

And, I know that face book ads work, but I'm wondering if any one has done them for a one off show. You can put a start and end time, and how much you want to pay. So I don't know if that is a good idea or not.

Also, I usually put that I'm doing a show in my status, but what if I have 3 or more shows that weekend. I feel weird plugging one but not the other.

Any thoughts on this?

Matt · Post by **Matt** » January 15th, 2009, 10:10 am

It all depends. I generally try not to promote shows unless they are special events (like the premiere of Cochise at the Frontera Long Fringe, coming next Wednesday at 8 at SVT!)

In terms of protocol, there's not really a defined level for everybody at which it becomes more annoying than effective - it depends on the people you're targeting. The more interested your targets are in what you're promoting, the more welcome and useful these notifications can be. If I never want to see improv, I'd get pretty annoyed if improv invites kept showing up. I limit myself to one a month, typically.

You might consider 'friend groups' - such as a list of people who actually want to hear about improv shows.

nadine · Post by **nadine** » January 15th, 2009, 10:54 am

If you invite people too much they put you on their ignore list.

Jessica · Post by **Jessica** » January 15th, 2009, 10:59 am

I totally don't want to be annoying enough for someone to put me on ignore. Mainly because these are my friends and I just want to let people know what I'm doing. So, Nadine, or anyone else - Matt says once a month is good, what do you think?

Jessica

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » January 15th, 2009, 11:27 am

nadine wrote:If you invite people too much they put you on their ignore list.

They probably wouldn't have come to your show anyway.

nadine · Post by **nadine** » January 15th, 2009, 11:47 am

vine311 wrote:
nadine wrote:If you invite people too much they put you on their ignore list.
They probably wouldn't have come to your show anyway.

But if they put you on an ignore list, the "probably" turns to "never".

I know I set all my friends who kept inviting me to install one facebook app or another repeatedly, to "ignore all invites from this friend". The ones that invite me once in a blue moon stay. But I'm pretty active on facebook, and others may not mind the spam/log in enough to notice.

Jessica, I think once a month should be pretty infrequent enough.

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » January 15th, 2009, 12:16 pm

Jessica, you are already doing the one piece of protocol that I have ever required.

You are only inviting people from your city. I keep getting invites for shows all over the country that I would never be able to see. It gets ridiculous some days.

apiaryist · Post by **apiaryist** » January 15th, 2009, 2:56 pm

I think you're fine as long as it's not a weekly thing.

I don't mind getting invites from other cities. It's nice to know that I'll have something to check out if I'm ever there.

Post by **bradisntclever** » January 15th, 2009, 6:57 pm

I think it depends on how well you know your friends. I have quite a few who go out of their way to say, "Let me know when your next improv show is." So, I'll invite those people, obviously. There are some that come semi-regularly to shows, so I'll tend to throw those people a line, too. I've invited a group of people to the first 4-5 shows The Starter Kit did, and they never showed up. So, I'm much less likely to send an invite their way unless it's a special event.

I wouldn't do it every week.