Your 10 Step How-To Guide to Getting Jobs, Gigs and Bookings
We’re delighted that you’ve chosen to register with us - now we want to help you reach your full booking potential.
After almost a decade of providing our service and having seen 100s of thousands of member profiles, we know what will get you booked and we wanted to share that knowledge with you in this easy-to-follow 10 Step Guide!
With each step you will improve your profile’s appeal and exposure to bookers and increase your profile quality score, which will move your profile up the search results. Watch this short video to find out more about your Profile Quality score.
Step 1: List in Multiple Categories | Step 2: Your Photos & Videos | Step 3: Your Profile Summary & Fee | Step 4: Your Additional Information | Step 5: Your Testimonials | Step 6: Virtual Bookings | Step 7: Feature Your Profile | Step 8: Booker Contact Requests & Job Application Advice | Step 9: Promoting Your Profile | Step 10: Review & Renew
Step 1: List in Multiple Categories
What benefits do I get?
You can list in up to 20 categories in our directory. As a singer for example, you could select to appear in the jazz singer, wedding singer and piano singer categories. In addition to a singer, if you were also e.g. an Actor, Tribute act & a Singing Teacher, you could add these as additional categories too, however you must have publicity photos / videos to add that accurately represent each of your categories.
Tip: If you offer multiple services but some are very different from each other, e.g. you perform as a Singer and also a Clown, we would recommend in this case creating separate profiles by clicking 'Create Additional Profile' in your account.
When you add more categories:
- We can email you more relevant jobs and gigs
- You will appear in more searches, and more bookers can find & click on your profile
- You will add up to 20% to your Profile Quality Score (after selecting a photo & video to represent each of your categories)
How do I do it?
- Sign In > Create/Edit Profile Button > Settings tab
- Browse through all the 'Additional Categories' in the settings tab (there are many there that you may not be aware of!). Select all the categories that relate to the services that you offer.
- Tag photos and videos for each category to increase your Profile Quality Score (See Step 2)
Watch this short video showing how to add multiple categories.
Key Takeaways
Step 2: Your Photos & Videos
Photos & Tagging
Profile Quality Score Value: 15-25%
Your photos are the first thing bookers and agents will look at. That's why it's crucial that you add high quality photos + take the time to carefully select photos that are most relevant to each of your categories.
What benefits do I get?
- Adding high quality photos makes you more attractive to bookers, plus we add up to +15% to your Profile Quality Score
- Selecting relevant photos to represent each of your categories means that bookers see photos that match exactly what they were searching for. This converts to more clicks to view your profile & more quote requests for your services. More relevance = more requests = more bookings!
- Tagging all your categories to relevant photos gives you +10% Profile Quality Score.
How do I do it?
- Sign In > Create/Edit Profile Button > Photos tab
- Upload all your publicity photos and then select which ones best represent each of your categories.
- Continue to select which category(s) your remaining photos are related to by clicking the orange tag button next to each photo.
Watch this short video to find out how to add & tag your photos.
Need help transforming your images into high quality publicity photos? Use our Photo Editing Service or get more advice here.
Key Takeaways:
Videos & Tagging
Profile Quality Score Value: 15-25%
Videos, like photo are your shop window and without high quality, correctly tagged videos, you are less likely to attract bookings.
What benefits do I get?
- High quality & professionally edited videos attract high quality, better paid bookings. We will also add up to 15% to your Profile Quality Score for high quality, well edited videos.
- High quality & correctly tagged videos attract bookers to spend more time on your profile. We will also add 10% to your Profile Quality Score for correctly tagging all your videos.
How do I do it?
- Sign-in > Create / Edit your Profile > Videos & Audio tab
- Add up to five of your best quality publicity videos that effectively represent your selected categories
- Click on the orange tag button underneath each video and select which category(s) each video is most related to.
Watch the video at the end of this section to see how to add videos and tag them correctly.
Tip: Select videos that mention or show footage of the tagged category within the first 10-30 seconds of the video. For example, If you perform as a 'Singer' and select 'Wedding Singer', 'Opera Singer' & 'Guitar Singer' categories; when selecting a video that represents your Guitar Singer category, bookers would naturally expect to see you playing a guitar & singing within the first 10-30 seconds of the video.
If you currently only have one video for all of your available services, you should either mention them all via a title at the very beginning of the video, or make new videos featuring each separate service right at the start.
Key Takeaways:
No video or poor footage is just as likely to lose you bookings. But the secret to a video that sells is simple…
If you don't have a video and would like to create one from photos, testimonials and an audio file, or if you have videos you would like edited into a professional showreel, take a look at our Video Editing Service.
You can also get more detailed advice on creating an outstanding video here.
Looking for a Professional Videographer near you to film your next performance? Request free quotes here.
What is Photo & Video Tagging?
When you add categories, we have designed an excellent way to help you present bookers with your best photos and videos that are most relevant to each of your individual categories. This is achieved by our innovative tagging functionality.
What benefits do I get?
If for example, you select 'Wedding Singer', 'Piano Singer' & 'Guitar Singer' as your categories, we allow you to simply select & tag which of your photos & videos relate best to each category. When a booker then searches for one of your categories, such as 'Guitar Singer' - we show them your related guitar singer photo (and video if added). More relevance = more bookings!
You will only appear in your categories in our directory if you have tagged photos that represent the category correctly.
Tagging your photos and videos for the correct category:
- Allows your profile to appear in that category
- Makes your profile more targeted to the bookers who are searching for it
- Raises your profile quality score by up to 20%!
How do I do it?
Watch this short video to find out how to tag your photos and videos:
Step 3: Your Profile Summary & Fee
- Sign-in > Create/Edit Profile Button > Summary tab
After your profile photos and videos, the next thing bookers will look at is your profile summary and your fees. This is a quick guide to getting both of these right, so bookers like what they see and are more likely to contact you.
Adding your Summary increases your Profile Quality Score by 5%.
There is a short video on how to add your summary and fee at the end of this section.
Your Summary
Here are some great examples of profile summaries:
"I've enjoyed amazing & amusing thousands of guests as a Professional Magician for over 10 years. Especially popular as a Wedding Magician performing Close-up & also available as a Cabaret Magician, Illusionist & Mentalist."
“I’m a versatile, classically trained singer available for weddings, corporate events and parties. My styles include pop, jazz, opera, world music and Broadway - I love performing every single genre. I’m available as a soloist, or as part of a duo, trio or band.”
"Winners of Best London Party Band in 2019. We are made up of some of London's best musicians who came together to embark on a musical adventure. We also provide a set as a cover band & acoustic band, popular for wedding drinks receptions."
You’ll find more tips on writing your summary here.
Your Fee
Getting your fees right is really important. Either setting your fee too low or too high could ultimately lead to less bookings and less income.
Too Low: If you set your minimum fee too low, you could end up with a lot of enquiries and bookings that don’t have the right budget for you. Bookers will also be frustrated when they discover that you aren’t genuinely willing to work for this fee.
Too High: If you set your minimum fee too high, you could lose enquiries because bookers can readily find similar acts for a more competitive fee.
TIP: It may be useful to look at the minimum fees requested by similar performers to make sure you are roughly in line with these. You will also find more information on increasing your fees in Step 10.
Step 4: Your Additional Information
Profile Quality Score Value: +5-10%
- Sign-in > Create/Edit Profile Button > Additional Info tab
You will increase your profile quality score by 5% for adding your full description, 3% for adding details of your experience and another 2% by adding details of your previous clients.
In your additional information you can add...
A full description of your services - this is the perfect place to tell bookers about everything that you offer in detail. What genres do you cover, what additional skills do you have, what makes you different to other acts? This is where you can really sell your act and you'll find some great advice on how to do this here.
Your set-list: if you are a musical act, let bookers know the usual format of your performances.
Your biography: any relevant experience should go in here and this section can be particularly useful if you are applying for Cruise jobs or other contracts.
Your suitability: just tick every event type that you can and want to perform at.
Your testimonials: see Step 5 below.
You will also find optional sections for Acting Experience, Modelling Experience, Physical Characteristics, Meet the Act and Any additional information (this should be used for information such as insurance details and CRB checks)
Step 5: Your Testimonials
Profile Quality Score Value: +10%
- Sign-in > Create/Edit Profile Button > Reviews tab
What benefits do I get?
- This step is essential for getting bookings! When bookers are deciding whether to contact you, they will always check your reviews first to find out what previous bookers have to say about your performance and personality.
- You will also get an additional 10% on your Profile Quality Score when you've added your reviews.
How do I do it?
- Send a link to your profile to your bookers and ask them to click the 'Add a Review' button
- Or, copy your reviews from Google/Facebook/Emails and paste them in your reviews section. Sign In> Create/Edit Profile Button> Reviews tab (watch our short video below to see how to do this)
Key Takeaways
Here are our top tips for adding reviews...
Watch this short video to find out how to add your testimonials:
Step 6: Virtual Bookings
Profile Quality Score Value: +5%
- Sign-in > Create/Edit Profile Button > Virtual Services tab
We've seen a real surge in virtual entertainment requests and for many this can be a good way to subsidise your existing live entertainment income.
When you add your virtual entertainment details, a virtual entertainment badge will automatically appear on your profile in our search result listings and you will also appear in our additional virtual entertainment search results. Watch the short video at the bottom of this section to find out how to add virtual entertainment to your profile.
Key Takeaways
You will also find plenty more advice on how to become a successful virtual entertainer here.
Watch this short video to find out how to add Virtual Entertainment to your profile:
Step 7: Feature Your Profile
Profile Quality Score Value: +10%
- Sign-in > Green ‘Feature Your Profile’ button (Active Members only)
Once your profile is fully set up, you may want to upgrade to 'Feature Your Profile'.
What benefits do I get?
- You increase your Profile Quality Score by 10%
- Featured profiles appear on our Home Page, on our Main Category Pages
- Your profile will appear higher in our search results.
How do I do it?
To Feature your profile just Sign in and click the green ‘Feature Your Profile’ button.
Key Takeaways
Step 8: Booker Contact Requests and Job Applications Advice
Our main goal is to get you booking requests and help you apply for jobs - but sadly we often see those valuable booker contact enquiries and your job applications going to waste because of mistakes that are easy to avoid.
Just follow these tips to make the most of your opportunities:
Respond to all direct message requests
Sign-in and check your messages regularly (message requests occasionally go into spam folders) and reply to all messages, whether you are available for bookings or not. If you're not available, a standard response such as this will be far more likely to land you future bookings and personal recommendations:
"Thanks for getting in contact. I would love to perform at your event, but sadly I'm not available on the requested date. If there is any flexibility on the date, or if you have any future upcoming events please let me know & I'll check my availability."
If you are available then we have some important advice to help you land those jobs...
When you respond to a booking request, always write in the first person and try to build rapport. There are examples below to help you, use the ideas in these but make sure you make your message your own!
Example Event Enquiry: 'Close-up Magician Wanted for Wedding Ceremony in Los Angeles'
Client Name: Sarah Jones
Good Example
"Hi Sarah!
Congratulations on your engagement & upcoming Wedding. Exciting times for you and I'm really glad to hear that you're looking for a Magician for your entertainment. I've performed Close-up Magic at over 50 Weddings in Los Angeles over the last 10 years, so would love to be chosen to amaze & entertain you all. You can see video examples of exactly what kind of routines I will perform to you and your guests on my attached Wedding Magician Profile. If you have any questions at all, I'd be glad to answer them.
All the very best & I hope to hear from you soon.
Kind Regards,
David Baffles Close-up Magician & Mentalist"
Bad Example
"David Baffles has performed at over 50 Weddings in the Los Angeles area over the last 10 years + at many other events all over the country. You can see video examples of David's amazing magic routines on his attached profile. If you want to book the best of the best, David Baffles is your perfect choice.
Kind Regards, David Baffles Close-up Magician & Mentalist"
Although the 'bad' example is still acceptable as it sounds professional, it is not written in the first person and is unlikely to create rapport with your booker. People generally prefer to do business with people that they know, like or trust...so attempting to gain rapport from the outset is crucial to your bookings success.
Fill Out the 'Application Message to The Booker'
When applying for jobs and gigs, don't leave this section blank - it's your best chance of making your application stand out and landing the job. Use this section like a job application covering letter to let the booker know a bit more about you and why you are the perfect performer for this gig.
Include any relevant experience that is similar to this job/gig, a few lines about why you would like to perform for them and most of all, make sure you come across as someone who is enthusiastic and professional.
Master the Follow-up
Once you've applied for a job or responded to a booker request, if you don't hear back in the first 4 days, make sure you contact them again. Many performers have landed the job or gig this way - bookers are often busy and someone contacting them again shows they are enthusiastic and makes them stand out from the crowd. The following is a good example of a follow up:
"Hi X, I hope you're having a good week. I sent over an application/response to your booking request a few days ago. I hope you've received it okay, and please do let me know if you would like any more information about my act/performance. I look forward to hearing from you."
Note: Our 4 day follow-up recommendation applies to local event enquiries. If you're applying to a 'job' e.g. a cruise ship / abroad contract where it is obvious that the booker may receive tens or hundreds of applications, the booker may send an auto-response to say they only respond to successful applicants. If not, then we recommend allowing at least 2 weeks before following up.
Once Your Booking is Confirmed, click the 'Mark as a Confirmed Booking' button
By doing this, your booking will be added to your confirmed bookings count (a badge will appear at the top of your profile saying e.g. '1 Confirmed Booking'), making you more attractive to bookers and moving your profile up the search results.
To mark each of your bookings as confirmed, click 'Inbox' and find the direct enquiry or application that has been booked. You will then see the green 'Mark as a Confirmed Booking' button. Click it, and it will move to your 'Confirmed Bookings' tab.
You can find more information on how to make your Cruise applications stand out here and plenty more advice on how to write a good bio/application message here.
Step 9: Promoting Your Profile
The more you share and promote your profile, the more bookings you will get - it's that simple. Not only will you gain more exposure, but the links back to your profile on Entertainers Worldwide will mean that it will climb the Google search results and bookers will find you when they search for your type of performer in their area.
These are the best ways to share your profile and increase your exposure:
1) Website badge
Add a badge to your personal website that shows that you can be booked through our directory. You can find details on how to do this in your account - just sign-in>click 'Improve Your Profile Quality Score'>scroll to 'Add Website Badge' and click 'Add'. As you will see, adding a badge alone will increase your Profile Quality Score by 10%!
2) Social Networks
Share your profile regularly on your social networks, particularly if you have recently updated any of the information/promotional materials on your profile. To do this just copy the link for your profile page, write a post with the link and share! Your profile preview will automatically appear as an image in your post. For examples of similar posts, take a look at the weekly 'Spotlight Act' posts on our Facebook Page.
Help us to help you & the entertainment industry!
Please also take time to like/follow & click 'share' on our Entertainers Worldwide Entertainment Booking Facebook Page and Entertainers Worldwide Weddings Instagram page. The more likes & shares that our social media pages get, increases our exposure to bookers worldwide. More exposure for us, means more exposure & bookings for you and all of our members!
P.s. Whilst visiting our facebook page, we would also be hugely grateful if you could leave us a review (be sure to mention your Act Name as it's also another way to help promote your profile!)
3) Email Footer
Add a link to your Entertainers Worldwide profile in your email footer. You can do this by adding text beneath your signature that reads 'Book Me Now' and link through to your profile.
4) Free Directory Listings
Make good use of all the free directory listings by adding your act and a description of what you do, along with a link through to your profile for bookings.
The following are all free and perfect for promoting your act: Google My Business | Yell.com | Freeindex | Bark | Yelp
5) Review Sites
You can ask your clients/bookers to add reviews to any of the following: Trustpilot, Facebook Page, 'Google My Business' page, plus the directories above. It will help if you decide which of these you would like to focus on, so that most of your reviews are in one place - and remember to add your latest reviews to your Entertainers Worldwide profile every few weeks so bookers see up-to-date reviews!
6) Blogging
A blog can be a great place to promote your act and add links to your profile for bookings. You can add posts about almost anything, from talking about your latest shows, to commenting on industry news or write blogs about how to get into your profession. There are plenty of free blogging sites out there and once you've created your first post you can promote it on social media. Blog posts are also the perfect opportunity to add a link to your Entertainers Worldwide profile for even more exposure!
Step 10: Review & Renew for Ongoing Success
Reviewing and renewing your performance and offering are vital to getting those all-important bookings.
You may have been doing well and getting all the bookings you need, but without regularly refreshing your act and your publicity you could find that your performance gets a little tired and the bookings are less frequent.
You can read the full guide to regularly reviewing and refreshing your performance here.
Our advice is that, to stay at the top of your profession, you need to do the following every year - or every 3 months if you're only just starting to perform professionally.
Have you completed all 10 Steps?
If yes, congratulations! You should now have a booking-attracting, amazing-looking profile near the top of many search result pages! Remember to go through these steps regularly to make sure everything on your profile is totally up-to-date, giving you the best possible chance of landing those jobs and getting all the booking requests you can handle!
So, what’s next?
We believe that if you've truly completed the above 10 Steps, you should soon (if not already) start to see much greater results!
Improve Your Profile Quality Score:
Next, you should visit your 'Profile Quality Score' section when signed in to your account & try to get it as close to 100% as possible. Profiles with the highest scores get found at the top of our search result pages - bookers see them first, so they are more likely to receive a higher amount of booking requests!
Get More Gigs 101
Also in your account, you'll find our completely free 'Get More Gigs 101' section - a comprehensive marketing strategy that we've created just for you, to help attract even more gigs!
Free Profile Review!
Finally, to give you even more confidence in your booking potential, once you have completed every step, we'd love to try & help you even more with a free profile review!
Simply fill out the form below and we will review your profile 100% free to provide you with our expert advice on any areas where we feel that you could improve in order to get even better results.
Do you have comments about this guide or anything you feel we could add to help you and our members even further? We would love to hear your feedback! Just email us at help@entertainersworldwide.com
Request Your Free Profile Review!
Note: Please do not request a profile review until you have completed as many of the 10 Steps above as you can.