I know gay nightclubs from north to south and so I'm pretty confident in saying that we have a very interesting nightlife circuit in Brazil. It caters to different audiences, tastes and objectives. There is something for everyone, especially in São Paulo, Rio, Floripa and during Carnival these are the main destinations.
Working in this market for seven years, I know a considerable number of party producers, club managers, DJs, drag performers. People involved in the production of parties that bring foreign DJs in droves, who invest in giant LED panels and love a little note about the party.
But unfortunately there are few gay clubs that know how to work with communication effectively and if you then release a carnival guide without mentioning the sicrano or beltrano party, wow, you're not ethical, you're pulling the other's side, he wants to end the club.
And communicating is fundamental. It's not just mailings (or would it be spam?) that make people go to a club, but it's not just press either. It's a group and working effectively at all levels of communication is fundamental for the club's image, for the success of the parties, as there's no shortage of good programming here.
The most professional clubs – and of course, the most notable – have communications offices, press officers or whatever the name may be. You don't need to hire a consultant, you don't need to invest a lot of money in big agencies, just find someone in the field who can do your job correctly.
Last week I closed the magazine's Carnival Guide and wow, how difficult it is to create a guide without information. The main clubs sent me the release practically at the same time or at most on the same day that I asked, some…
Communicating correctly is not difficult, you just need to understand the importance of these tools for your business and I will list here some tips (from someone who is a gay website journalist and already works in club consultancy too) for clubs and producers who want to professionalize their communication and certainly get results from it.
Site
A beautiful and well-made website is essential. It's better to spend 3x more and hire a design, an agency than hire "the neighbor's son" to do it and end up with that look like it was done on your thighs. A good website will cost between R$2,5 and R$5, depending on the technologies used.
It is essential to know that the primary function of a website is to inform. There's no point in having a DJ set, photos from the last party, or fancy effects if the program, attractions, address, prices, and whether cards are accepted aren't there.
Release
There’s no need to talk about the importance of correct Portuguese, right? Release was made to inform journalists and media people about the parties, it is not a coloring book. Black font, size 12, with the correct spacing, to highlight the international attraction as much as possible. No text full of colors, full of slang, full of bold letters. Of course, no 10MB email.
Photos must be sent in a small size, if the journalist needs a large photo, he asks, there is no need to fill the guy's mailbox. If you have the opportunity to send the photo up via a link, great.
Flyer
There are those who say that the printed flyer has a day and time to end, but until that moment arrives, it's good to remember that the most horrible thing in the world is a flyer that has more DJ and drag photos than a wedding album.
The printout must be clean, with only a photo of the main attraction and lots of information. There must be an address, price, card acceptance, opening hours. Another thing that pollutes the flyer more than tires in Tietê are the supporters' logos. You can't have 20 logos on one flyer. There have to be two or three, the main sponsors and that's it. By placing the friendly party's logo on the flyer, the other party will automatically be publicized, each to their own.
Mail
A practice that fell into disuse, but Massivo did a lot and it worked, was sending invitations by mail. They sent the whole week, it was really fun to highlight and boil it. But this practice is still cool, journalists like to feel prestigious and remembered.
When the party is very important, it is worth sending the invitation by post or motorcycle courier to people who are considered important to the club. But remember, it has to be very relevant, because showering the guy with flyers and bracelets every week doesn't work.
Receive
Contact with the journalist does not end when he publishes the note about the party, it goes beyond that and needs to be maintained, because other parties will come. Hostesses have to know the journalists and have to be paid well.
There is nothing that makes a journalist hate the club more than the host looking at the guy's face, saying hello, knowing very well which vehicle it is and leaving the guy bitter in the queue.
Not that journalists are better than anyone else, but we are convinced of different treatment. Fact!
After party
There is nothing more dramatic for a journalist than arriving at the newsroom the next day or on Monday and not being able to take photos of the event. The press officer must have the photos immediately at the end of the party. Delay in sending photos may result in one less grade.
